New Record of Latrodectus tredecimgutatus (Family: Theridiidae:) the Most Medically Important Spider Species from Qom Province, Iran
New Record of Latrodectus tredecimgutatus (Family: Theridiidae:) the Most Medically Important Spider Species from Qom Province, Iran
Leila Shirani Bidabadi1,2, Mulood Mohammadi Bavani3, Fatemeh Janjani4, Abedin Sghafipour5*
ABSTRACT
Spiders are one of the most important order of Arachnids that consisting of almost 48,000 species around the world, but about 200 species have medically importance and sometimes can be fatal. The Iranian spider species belongs to 51 families and comprising 763 species. Of these families, Theridiidae and Sicariidae are the most medically important. The genus Latrodectus (Theridiidae) is the most dangerous spiders in Iran and it comprising five species. Among which Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (black widow spider) is the most poisonous spiders in Iran. Different parts of Qom province were searched for poisonous spiders; captured specimens were identified at species level. Six black widow spiders were collected and identified as Latrodectus tredecimguttatus. Samples were collected from under rocks in barley farms in Khalajestan district, Chahak village in Qom province from April 2020 to September 2021.
Novelty Statement | This species of spider caught in this province is medically important and the people of the region should be aware of the risk of being bitten by this poisonous spider.
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June 2022
Vol. 37, Iss. 1, pp. 1-92
