Venomous Creatures
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Mississippi Spiders
Mississippi has two venomous spiders: Lactrodectus mactans and Loxosceles reclusa.
- Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)
- Shiny black with a red hourglass shape on the ventral surface of the abdomen
- Brown widows (Latrodectus geometricus - see inset) are brown or gray with an orange hourglass shape on the ventral abdomen
- Black widows are commonly found in dark, cool environments such as outhouses, water meter boxes, wood piles, outdoor toilets, and in patio furniture.
- Black widows are known for their chaotic web structures.
- Black widow envenomation can be extremely painful. Pain generally develops within 30-120 minutes of the bite.
- The bite causes muscle spasms and cramping. Symptoms are initially near the bite site but can spread and affect the entire body.
- Black widow envenomation may mimic a heart attack in adults or an abdominal infection, such as appendicitis, in children.
- Brown Recluse (Loxosceles Reclusa)
- Brown with a distinct violin-shaped mark on the cephalothorax.
- Grows to 1-3 cm in length (1/4-1/2 in inches).
- They are commonly found in human dwellings.
- Bites are often painless.
- The bite site may develop a "bull's eye" or "halo" appearance and progress to an eschar. Severe cases may need to be debrided. Systemic symptoms are more common in children and can involve fever, arthralgia, systemic rash, and hemolysis.