New Records of Loxosceles amazonica Gertsch, 1967 (Arachnida: Araneae: Sicariidae) from Tocantins, Brazil with Description of Female Genitalia Variation

Abstract

The knowledge of arachnofauna from Tocantins, Brazil, is still incipient. The present communication expands the known geographical distribution of Loxosceles amazonica Gertsch, 1967 (Arachnida: Araneae: Sicariidae) in Brazilian Cerrado. The brown spider specimens were sampled in Dianópolis municipality and Cristalândia municipality both in Tocantins State, Brazil, between 2022 and 2024. Also, we describe a new variation of the epigynum of L. amazonica. Mapping the distribution of Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 species in Brazil is crucial for public health, aiding in prevention and timely treatment of loxoscelism caused by brown spider bites.

Keywords

• Spider
• Cerrado
• Epigynum
• Haplogynae
• Loxoscelism