ToMron, 1967, Vol . 5. p . 57 . Pergamo n Press Ltd., Printed in Great Britain SHORT COMMUNICATIONS LOXOSCELES RECLUSA IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILLIAM G . WALDRON' and FINDLAY E . RussELL 2 Los Angeles County Health Department', and University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles County General Hospital', Los Angeles, California, U.S.A . (Accepted for publication 28 December 1966) ON November 8, 1966, a mature female Loxosceles reclusa was captured in a wood pile approximately 50 ft from the nearest dwelling in the city of San Gabriel, California. The specimen was examined by the authors and subsequently sent to W . J. Gertsch . Verifica- tion ofthe species was made by Dr . Gertsch (personal communication, November 30, 1966). The senior author made a thorough search of the area for additional specimens. No evidence of other spiders of this genus was found. Further investigation revealed that some personal belongings of a family from the midwest had been temporarily stored in a garage approximately 40 ft from where the spider was found. The packing boxes had been moved from the garage a few days before the spider was captured . According to Gertsch [1], L . reclusa is found in the southeastern and central United States from Tennessee and Alabama westward to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Occa- sional newspaper articles have reported the occurrence of this spider in New Mexico and Arizona, but in the instances investigated, it appeared likely that the spider had been brought into the area from the midwest . During the past 10 years the junior author has treated or consulted in the treatment of 44 cases of non-Latrodectus spider venom poisoning in Southern California . Seven of these cases might be called "necrotic arachnidism ." In two patients, a lesion with a bullous central area surrounded by a margin of erythema developed at the site of the bite, and the patient's clinical course followed that generally described for necrotic arachnidism . In the remaining five cases, some localized necrosis developed but the symptoms and signs were less severe than those usually observed following bites by L . reclusa . In one case, L. unicolor was implicated as the offending spider . This spider was brought into Los Angeles on a box car from Tucson, Arizona . These cases will be reported in more detail elsewhere . The importance of the positive identification of a specimen of L . reclusa found in Southern California again indicates that the rare case of necrotic arachnidism seen in this area may sometimes be due to an introduced Loxosceles species, orto L. unicolor which, while endemic is apparently uncommom . REFERENCE [1] Gmrscs, W . J., The spider genus Loxosceles in North America, Central America, and the West Indies . Am . Mus . Novit . (1907),46 pp., 1958 . 57

Loxosceles reclusa in Southern California

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Page 1: Loxosceles reclusa in Southern California

ToMron, 1967, Vol. 5. p. 57 . Pergamon Press Ltd., Printed in Great Britain

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

LOXOSCELES RECLUSA IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

WILLIAM G. WALDRON' and FINDLAY E. RussELL2

Los Angeles County Health Department', and University of Southern California Schoolof Medicine, Los Angeles County General Hospital', Los Angeles, California, U.S.A .

(Acceptedfor publication 28 December 1966)

ON November 8, 1966, a mature female Loxosceles reclusa was captured in a wood pileapproximately 50 ft from the nearest dwelling in the city of San Gabriel, California. Thespecimen was examined by the authors and subsequently sent to W. J. Gertsch . Verifica-tion ofthe species was made by Dr . Gertsch (personal communication, November 30, 1966).The senior author made a thorough search of the area for additional specimens. Noevidence of other spiders of this genus was found. Further investigation revealed thatsome personal belongings of a family from the midwest had been temporarily stored in agarage approximately 40 ft from where the spider was found. The packing boxes hadbeen moved from the garage a few days before the spider was captured .

According to Gertsch [1], L. reclusa is found in the southeastern and central UnitedStates from Tennessee and Alabama westward to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Occa-sional newspaper articles have reported the occurrence of this spider in New Mexico andArizona, but in the instances investigated, it appeared likely that the spider had beenbrought into the area from the midwest.

During the past 10 years the junior author has treated or consulted in the treatment of44 cases of non-Latrodectus spider venom poisoning in Southern California . Seven ofthese cases might be called "necrotic arachnidism." In two patients, a lesion with a bullouscentral area surrounded by a margin of erythema developed at the site of the bite, and thepatient's clinical course followed that generally described for necrotic arachnidism. Inthe remaining five cases, some localized necrosis developed but the symptoms and signswere less severe than those usually observed following bites by L. reclusa. In one case,L. unicolor was implicated as the offending spider . This spider was brought into LosAngeles on a box car from Tucson, Arizona. These cases will be reported in more detailelsewhere .

The importance of the positive identification of a specimen of L. reclusa found inSouthern California again indicates that the rare case of necrotic arachnidism seen inthis area maysometimes be due to an introduced Loxosceles species, orto L. unicolor which,while endemic is apparently uncommom.

REFERENCE[1] Gmrscs,W. J., The spider genus Loxosceles in North America, Central America, and the West Indies .

Am. Mus. Novit. (1907),46 pp., 1958 .