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cogmonkey17
07-08-2008, 10:59 PM
I have been after some decent information for these spiders for quite some time.

They are virtually everywhere i look within my domain, laundry, bed, shoes, underpants et cetera. In ideal areas i have found groups of 18-20, i have measured females with a leg span of 3". Currently I'm only keeping a few males, but I'm interested enough to possibly start pairing them up with some females, for the sake of learning, and some cute babies. In my defense, these creatures are not at all defensive, I pick up wandering individuals when ever i come across them (2 a day at the most), I have yet to be bitten. I do support the fact that what bites that do occur are particularly nasty, but not exactly life threatening.
*I don't know for sure what species of Loxosceles are roaming my neighborhood (that is part of the reason for the following reading), but they are for sure all the same species.

If anyone has any experience with any Loxosceles feel free to share

Here are some Goodies

Rick Vetter's Latest article (published through JOA).

Vetter R.S. 2008. Spider of the genus Loxosceles (Araneae, Sicariidae): a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomation. Journal of Arachnology 36: 150-163.

JOA's is open for free access. Here (http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v36_n1/arac-36-1-150.pdf)
(it may take a minute)

Here are two other articles


*Gertsch, W. J., and F. Ennik. 1983. The spider genus Loxosceles in North America, Central America, and the West Indies (Araneae, Loxoscelidae). Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 175, article 3. Site (http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/981) or Download (http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/981/1/B175a03.pdf)


*Gertsch, W. J. 1967. The spider genus Loxosceles in South America (Araneae, Scytodidae). Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 136, article 3. Site (http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/1989) or Download (http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/1989/1/B136a03.pdf)

*I hope to have some nice photos up within the next few days, thank you.

cogmonkey17
07-09-2008, 07:45 PM
here is a pic of one of the Loxosceles spp. (immature) that I caught this afternoon in the basement.http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2653467465_9ce38a2e6f.jpg?v=0

proper_tea
07-09-2008, 08:28 PM
That's crazy that you have those crawling around you all the time... I didn't get a chance to read those links you posted, but the anecdotal evidence I've heard would make me nervous having those roaming in my vicinity.

I think eventually I'd like to keep a couple of those, just to have them on hand to be familiar with them, because they do live around me, though I've never seen one yet.