First report of brown widow spider sightings in Peninsular Malaysia and notes on its global distribution

Abstract

BackgroundThe brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus Koch, 1841) has colonised many parts of the world from its continent of origin, Africa. By at least 1841, the species had successfully established populations in South America and has more recently expanded its range to the southern states of North America. This highly adaptable spider has been far more successful in finding its niche around the world than its famous cousins, the black widow, Latrodectus mactans, found in the south-eastern states of North America, and the red-back, Latrodectus hasselti, found mostly in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.MethodsWe performed an extensive web search of brown widow sightings and mapped the location of each sighting using ArcGIS. Specimens reputedly of the species L. geometricus were collected at three localities in Peninsular Malaysia. The spiders were identified and documented based on an examination of morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding.ResultsThe spiders found in Peninsular Malaysia were confirmed to be Latrodectus geometricus based on their morphological characteristics and DNA barcodes. We recorded 354 sightings of the brown widow in 58 countries, including Peninsular Malaysia.ConclusionReports from the Americas and the Far East suggest a global-wide invasion of the brown widow spider. Herein we report the arrival of the brown widow spider in Peninsular Malaysia and provide notes on the identification of the species and its recently expanded range.

Bite envenomation by Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae: Theridiidae) spiders in Malaysia

“…We further mapped the L. geometricus sightings in Malaysia as reported previously (Muslimin et al, 2015) including the current envenoming of Tawau and Paka, respectively, using QGIS (Version 3.18.2-Zürich); a geographic information system application (Lacaze et al, 2018). The locations of the sightings were subsequently mapped (Figure 3).…”

“…Thought to be native to southern Africa, L. geometricus has gradually expanded its range to cover both temperate and tropical ecosystems globally (Taucare-Ríos et al, 2016). The species is commonly seen in residential areas due to its affinity for building structures (Jiménez, 1998;Muslimin et al, 2015;Rocha et al, 2017).…”

“…Morphologically, L. geometricus is identifiable by its four pairs of eyes positioned in two parallel rows, a comb-feet arranged in a comb-like row bristles on the tarsi of the hind legs, and distinctive paired spermathecae with coiled copulatory ducts (Muslimin et al, 2015). Its legs differ in length; with few spines on the tibiae and metatarsi, and the tarsus tapers towards the tip of its leg (Koh & Leong, 2013).…”

“…The brown widow spider is known to be non-aggressive and only bites when threatened (Muslimin et al, 2015). It also exhibits thanatosis, a behaviour characterized by jumping from its web, retracting its legs and playing dead when its protective retreat is disturbed (Vetter, 2008).…”

A Case of Brown Widow Envenomation in Central Florida

“…Interestingly, the black widow has several lesser-known relatives, including Latrodectus geometricus (also known as the brown widow or brown button spider) [2,3]. The brown widow spider is found worldwide in a pantropical distribution [4]. In the United States, brown widows are found across the south from California to South Carolina and Florida [5].…”