Contribution to the distribution of spiders with significant medical importance (Araneae: Loxosceles and Latrodectus) in Iran, with a new record for the country

Abstract

A faunistic review is given on the Iranian medically important spiders of two genera Loxosceles and Latrodectus. Latrodectus cinctus Blackwall, 1865 is reported for the first time from Iran (and for the second time from Asia) and is replaced with the previous erroneous reports of L. hasseltii Thorell, 1870. The following species are reported for the first time from the listed provinces: Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Fars and Hormozgan), L. dahli Levi, 1959 (Hormozgan), L. pallidus O.P.-Cambridge, 1872 (Alborz and Semnan) and L. tredecimguttatus (Rossi, 1790) (Alborz, Qom, Semnan and Tehran).

Keywords

• cytotoxicity
• envenomation
• faunistic
• neurotoxicity
• recluse spider
• widow spider