Brown widow spider found in Oregon for the first time

A poisonous spider from Africa apparently entered Oregon after a local claimed to have found a brown widow spider in its Katu.

Scientifically known as Latrodectus geometricus, this species is related to the black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) and is based in the southeastern, southern and southwestern United States. Desert USA.

While the brown widow spider is no stranger to Southern California, as the Inquisitr previously reported – and can also be found anywhere from Texas to South Carolina – it's the first time that the arachnid has been spotted in the north state of the # 39; Oregon.

according to Oregon Live, we still do not know how the brown widow spider, which was sighted in the Portland area, found so far north.

The exotic specimen was found in September by Marci Beddingfield, a resident of Oregon City, who originally thought the spider was a black widow.

Beddingfield discovered the creature under the grate in his garden – and eventually realized that she had fallen on a completely new type of invader.

"After examining it, we saw the hourglass, which was not red. It was orange. And the spider was brown and not black, "she said in a statement. "I was shocked that not one was reported in Oregon."

Marci Beddingfield found the spider under the grill in his garden last month. Upon closer examination, she noticed that there was an orange hourglass and a light brown body, not a black widow. The experts confirmed that it was actually a brown widow. pic.twitter.com/rOpn6oyPa7

– Keaton Thomas (@keaton_thomas) October 4, 2018

It is thought that this particular specimen comes from California, perhaps after hitchhiking in a luggage or inside a car. Although the experts considered it unlikely that the species would permanently settle in Oregon, state authorities asked the local population to examine their home to see if other brown widow spiders were present in the area. the region.

The best way to identify a brown widow is to find out if the arachnid has already laid eggs, notes the University of California, Riverside. This is due to the fact that the egg bag of a brown widow has a very distinctive appearance – one that bears a striking resemblance to the durian fruit – and that it's impossible to miss.

"The brown widow's egg bag is round and yellow with many small silk spikes protruding from its surface and resembling a large grain of pollen or one of those port mines of World War II. "Says the university.

In comparison, the black widow weaves a round and smooth egg bag.

Another way to check if an arachnid is a brown widow is to look for the distinctive red or orange hourglass located under her abdomen. In addition, a Latrodectus geometricus should have a light colored body, ranging from tan to dark brown.

The brown widow spotted in Oregon City was identified after Beddingfield's boyfriend, employed at a local pest control agency, sent the spider and her bag of eggs to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). ).

The brown widow is both venomous and invasive. While experts reassure the public that the spider is less dangerous than its dreaded cousin – the black widow – its bite is nevertheless "medically significant".

Similar to the black widow, a brown widow bite can cause fever and muscle spasms in humans. The ODA however pointed out that there was no need to alarm it. This heat-loving spider, which thrives in tropical climates, probably will not survive the temperature transition to the northern state.

"If they're already outside, they'll probably be wiped out by the freezing cold because they're subtropical animals," said Tom Valente, an ODA entomologist.

In addition, this particular species is notoriously shy and less likely to bite than the black widow.

"Brown widows are not usually as dangerous for people as black widows. And black widows have existed since time immemorial in the south and east of Oregon. Thus, an occasional brunette widow is not a new and desperate danger for people! "Said spider expert Rod Crawford.