Identification of Potentially Dangerous Spiders of Kansas Chao Jimmy Wu

Introduction Spiders have caused fear, anxiety and hate within our society for centuries. Whether it is the negative connotation given to us by the media, their hairy legs and bodies, or the simple disillusionment of their capabilities, these arthropods have created much unintended blame and worry within our lives. However, not all spiders are bad. In fact, speaking from a general view, no spider is bad. All spiders play an ecological role in controlling pest populations, as well as controlling populations of other spiders. At the end of the day, these arachnids can cause fear, but no spider will bite a person just because it can. While many spiders can give an uncomfortable bite, most spiders are actually quite harmless to people. We should take care to ensure these friends of ours survive, prosper, and continue on for the sake of our own survival; for, without spiders, we may not live at all! Within Kansas, there are two basic varieties of spiders that can actually harm us. Four species total can cause a medically significant bite within our range. Here I will show you how to identify whether a spider you found is actually of worry or not. Keep in mind that ALL spiders serve an important service and should not be killed just for the irrational justification that it is just a spider. Potentially Dangerous Dual Two varieties of spider within our range can cause medically significant bites. One is the black widow, which actually consists of three species: Northern, Southern and Western black widow (Latrodectus variolus, L. mactans and L. hesperus). The other is the infamous brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). Both of these spiders can potentially harm young children and thus CAN be a fair excuse to remove them. Likewise, both of these species can be found in and around homes, so it is important to be on the lookout! However, even these guys have an important role in the food webs no pun intended! BLACK WIDOW BROWN RECLUSE

Black widow females are usually the ones that are seen within and around homes. They are fairly easy to identify though sometimes they are mixed up with cobweb house spiders. Just note that adult females have 9-13mm bodies, large abdomens, and a shiny, jet-black tone. Also, some individuals have

Arrow Pointed to Violin Mark Brown recluse spiders are MUCH harder to identify for the amateur. They are often confused with wolf spiders, grass spiders and even some common house spiders. The main thing to look for is the violin mark on the carapace (back) of the

Identification of Potentially Dangerous Spiders of Kansas Chao Jimmy Wu

a red striping/dotting on their back along with the famous red hourglass at the bottom of the abdomen. Though individuals vary, these pictures should help a bit with identification. spider, the thin, stilt-like legs. They are 8-9mm in body length as adults. As their name suggests, brown recluse are fairly reclusive and will not be seen easily. Do take care when working in garages and unfinished basements for, unlike widows, these guys dont stay in a web.

Spider bite treatment Learning to identify these two spiders can reduce many worries if you are indeed bitten by a spider (You can know whether you need to seek medical help). If you are unsure though, it may be a good idea to capture the spider and bring it to a doctor for medical treatment (Do note that many doctors often misdiagnose bites from brown recluse). However, ensure that when and if you do decide to capture the spider that it does not become mutilated and smashed to the point where no one can identify it anymore. Also, be careful as to not get bitten again if you decide to pursue the spider. If you do see a black widow, brown recluse, or any spider, dont panic!!! They are not there to ruin your life despite what you might obdurately think. For a good home remedy, mix equal parts of 70% isopropyl alcohol with baking soda and apply it to the bite. Be sure to also wash the bite to prevent any chance of infection. Repeat the remedy every half hour or so. Home treatment to prevent spiders Prevention is the best way to avoid having any spider issues. The best way is to seal off any cracks in the siding, doors, or windows where spiders can enter. Likewise, keeping the moisture and junk levels low in basements and crawl spaces can also be beneficial. If you do see a spider, take a broom, a cup, and a notecard or similar objects and push the spider into the cup. Next, slide the cardboard underneath and you can release the spider outside. Finally, it can be a wise idea to keep some glue traps near where children are staying (make sure to ensure that the CHILDREN cant get it) as a second line of defense. Keeping the house clean in general will lower the amount of pests like crickets and roaches. This will thus in turn, lower the amount of spiders entering your home in search of a meal! Final Word It would be exceptionally hard to rid the HUMAN population of arachnophobia, as well as the general dislike of spiders. However, with the understanding of which species are the ones capable of hurting us, I hope people can get a better respect for these incredible creatures. It is important to keep in mind that even the scariest of spiders (and most dangerous) still have a key role in the health of our planet. These extraordinary creatures have created one of the strongest materials, silk, without polluting the planet like what we have done with our technologies. They have survived for hundreds of millions of years and will continue to survive on. They have eaten their yearly fill of flies, cockroaches, and pest. Finally, they have kept our own planets vast numbers of animals in check. Now; however, many species of spider are threatened by humans, what humans do, and what humans destroy. It is time to better understand and protect our precious little helpers, before we are left with a world filled to the very brim with REAL pests Contact Information and Helpful Links Question about insects and arachnids? Feel free to E-mail, message, or directly ask me! E-mail: jwmantid@yahoo.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mantisman630 Bugguide page (great to ask for identification): http://www.bugguide.net My Bugguide page: http://bugguide.net/user/view/64364 Picture Citations
http://bugguide.net/node/view/447580 http://bugguide.net/node/view/27872 http://bugguide.net/node/view/34659 http://bugguide.net/node/view/10099 http://bugguide.net/node/view/384979 http://bugguide.net/node/view/564563 http://bugguide.net/node/view/717528