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Comments & ID Thoughts
Please help me identify this spider, I have to write a case report regarding its bite and clinical features with patient outcomes
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Oct 1, 2018
- Photographed: Sep 25, 2018
- Spider: Theridiidae (Cobweb Weavers)
- Sex:
- Location: Kashmir, Pakistan
- Spotted Outdoors: Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers)
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes: Dorsal
Help identify this spider
Sep 28, 2019
Sep 20, 2019
Madison, 
Interesting! My first thought on seeing the massive, mecha-like legs and globular abdomen, was that it’s a large adult female Latrodectus (Widow) spider – however, the only black (not Brown) Widow I know of from the area is L. hasselti, the familiar Redback, and this individual doesn’t have the distinctive red dorsal stripe. So, I’m going to go with one of the Steatoda species – possibly grossa, although I don’t know if that actually occurs east of Turkey. There appears to be a faint white line around the front of the abdomen, which is a mark for Steatoda as well,… Read more »
Thanks for the comment… The individual bitten by this developed reversible myocarditis and severe pain at the bite site. That’s why I was concerned regarding the identity
Hi,I will go with a false black widow also. When it comes to envenomations, these are not regarded as medically significant. There are far too many variables to predict the outcome of a bite. Range can be no effect at all to some pain, swelling at the site and nausea may be extreme. Persons with allergies to venom, this can trigger a number of reactions, itching, hives, anaphylaxis, or temporary blindness. Things to be taken into account are the dosage of venom with a bite,dry bites are possible, also the persons tolerance to venom,immune system state, and possible allergies. Hope… Read more »
Individual factors do matter. I saw two cases bitten with the above spider who develop same symptoms… Though One developed reversible myocarditis whip the other didn’t
Do you still have the spider? Given the circumstances the best thing to do would be to preserve it and send it out to a local specialist for a proper identification. It’s only speculation when working from an image like this especially when working from one that is all dark and there are several similar looking species with all-black color morphs. There are a few species of Latrodectus that can look like this that are close enough in range that I won’t count them out (L. cinctus, dahli, and tredecimguttatus). The robust legs, the shape of the carapace, and the… Read more »
I see hints of red on the dorsal markings line. I also tried using photo filters on it. Reducing “exposure ” shows more faint red along the white dorsal markings.