Is that really a spider bite?



Have you seen the recent news story about the girl who was bit by a black widow in Massachusetts? If you haven't, you can check it out here or here or here.

However, after reading the article, the entire mishap sounds to be a misdiagnosis. I'm not a medical doctor nor a medical entomologist, but black widow bites result in some pretty distinct symptoms. Let me go through the article to explain why I think a black widow was not involved.

The first part of the story I have a problem with is the initial diagnosis of a spider bite. As has been previously shown, most diagnosed spider bites are not actually spider bites. There are no tests nor definitive signs to confirm a spider bite (with the exception of latrodectism-envenomation by a black widow-which is possible to diagnose based on the symptoms).

My second problem lies with how the injury was determined to have been caused by a black widow in particular. According to the first article I linked to, the doctor used the necrosis to help diagnose the bite. Black widows inject a neurotoxin which affects nerve cells; although necrosis can be associated with a black widow bite, the necrosis is caused by bacteria rather than the venom. Necrosis is not a defining symptom of a black widow bite.

While this girl may indeed have been bitten by a black widow, none of the reasons for the diagnosis nor the treatment seem to indicate this is the case. Spiders are often used as scapegoats for red marks, infections, and necrosis of the skin. If actual signs of latrodectism were present in this girl, I hope the news articles are updated. If no signs of latrodectism were present, I certainly hope the doctor admits to not having any proof of the girl's injury being caused by a black widow. Stories like this help perpetuate the fear that people have of spiders. Spiders are fascinating creatures and don't bite nearly as often as people think they do.

Comments

Post a Comment

We're on Instagram!

Follow us on Facebook!

Check us out on Facebook for more fun facts, pictures, and articles about bugs! We are always posting and sharing content!

Popular posts from this blog

The Green Lynx Spider

Image
My first encounter with a green lynx spider was last November while visiting my in-laws in the DFW area in Texas. I spent a couple hours walking around Bob Jones Nature Center (which by the way, I definitely recommend visiting if you are ever in the area) looking for bugs to photograph, but I hadn't had much luck. On my way out, I stopped at a bush by the visitor center in a last attempt to find something interesting. I caught a flash of movement which turned out to be a beautiful katydid. After capturing a few shots of the katydid, I realized that my hand was mere inches from a rather large momma spider guarding her egg sac. I personally find spiders much more interesting than katydids so I left the katydid to photograph the spider. Momma spider didn't seem to mind me taking some pictures, but I couldn't resist using a piece of grass to disturb her to get her in a defensive posture. I later learned that green lynx spiders can squirt venom from their fangs towards any wou...
Keep reading

Ladybugs and metamorphosis

Image
Many insects undergo what is known as complete metamorphosis, the technical term being  holometabolism . The larvae, or young, of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis are quite different than the adults. A familiar example are caterpillars and butterflies. A butterfly egg hatches into a caterpillar (the larval stage) which spends some time eating and growing. The caterpillar then creates a cocoon and becomes a pupae. It is during this pupal stage that the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly (the adult stage). Ants, bees, wasps, dragonflies, butterflies, flies, and beetles are some examples of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis.  Why complete metamorphosis arose is still a mystery, but entomologists have been able to identify a few of the advantages to undergoing complete metamorphosis. A decrease in competition . In biology, competition refers to an interaction between organisms that results in harm to each organism. For example, lets say the...
Keep reading

Trashline Orb Weavers

Image
A trashline orb weaver found near Dallas, TX. Trashline orb weavers (genus Cyclosa) are quite fascinating little spiders. For starters, their abdomens are somewhat conical rather than rounded like most spiders. Secondly, and this is where they get their name, they line up debris in their webs in a vertical line and then sit somewhere in that line. This behavior is believed to make it harder for birds or other predators to find the spider in the web. A great view of the "trashline" in the web. I found this one up Hobble Creek Canyon in Utah. In the years I've been collecting bugs, I'd collected trashline orb weavers on several occasions. I found them interesting due to the shape of their abdomens, but I'd never bothered to figure out what kind of spider they were. Once I learned what these funny shaped spiders were, I all of a sudden started seeing them everywhere! Awareness of what these spiders were definitely led to an increased ability to find them...
Keep reading