Two more species of earth spiders were found in the Rostov region

Southern regions of the country

The warmest regions are home to the following spiders:

South Russian tarantula

The popular name is Mizgir. Habitat - central and European Russia, namely steppes and semi-deserts. The female tarantula grows to a huge size of 3.2 cm, males are 5 mm smaller, weight starts from 30 grams, the maximum weight of an adult reaches 90 grams. Such parameters cannot but impress! There is no doubt about which spider is the largest in Russia - it is definitely a tarantula.

The massive body is dark brown or dark gray and covered with many hairs. Due to the large number of hairs, the spider looks very fluffy. Tarantulas live alone, except for the mating period. The diet, in addition to standard midges and flies, is supplemented by frogs and mice. Representatives of this species are true hunters; they prefer to guard, attack and chase large prey, while inflicting additional bites. Despite the terrifying appearance and predatory nature of the spider, it can bite a person if it senses danger. The bite is dangerous only due to an allergic reaction - redness and irritation.

Argiop

The popular name is wasp spider or wasp spider. It received its nickname due to the similarity of the color of the females of this species with the wasp: a yellow abdomen with black and white stripes. Distributed in the Krasnodar region, Astrakhan region and Volga region - warm regions. Argiopes have pronounced gender differences: females are large and bright, up to 3 cm, and males are on average 0.5 cm and have a dark gray or brown color.

An interesting feature of spiders is their “gregarious” life - the number of individuals in a group is up to 20. The wasp spider is poisonous, but its poison will not cause serious harm to health. In terms of pain, the sting can be compared to that of an aspen or a bee; it will be painful and swollen. An allergic reaction is possible. Argiope will never attack first, but if you accidentally touch its web, an immediate reaction will follow.

In the central part of the Russian Federation

The central part of Russia is characterized by pronounced seasonality. The climate is mostly humid and is not suitable for all arthropods. The following spiders are found here:

Silver spider

The only underwater representative of the world of spiders, the popular name is dropsy. Lives in bodies of water with standing water. The silverfish species are small spiders up to 15 mm in length, brown in color. Since dropsy is the only spider that is found on the surface of lakes and ponds, it cannot be confused with anyone else. If you disturb such a resident of a body of water, you may get a bite. Its venom is not dangerous to humans; the result of a bite is pain near the bitten area, which disappears in a few days.

Heiracanthium

Heiracanthium is the Latin name for the green spider in Russia. Popularly called sak or yellow-bag. The places where saka is distributed are Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region - it loves warm regions. Climate change is contributing to its emergence throughout the central part of the country.

The abdomen is yellow or beige, the cephalothorax is often orange, the green spider grows up to 15 mm. Its color appears green against the background of the leaves, hence the name. Sak builds web sacs and has the ability to jump. It has large chelicerae and poisonous claws; the yellowjacket bites painfully. The first sensations from a Heiracanthium sting are similar to those of a bee - a sharp, severe pain. The consequences can be different - from a long-healing wound to nausea and an allergic reaction. Depends on the age and health of the person.

Knitting spider

Popularly called the grandmother's spider. It often settles with a person, occupying corners of the apartment, cracks behind furniture, and weaves its “classic” web. It grows up to 1 cm, has a light brown color and an elongated abdomen on long legs. The knitter is absolutely harmless; when meeting a person, he prefers to pretend to be dead: fold his paws and sit motionless until the threat disappears.

Argiope

Dangerous spiders of the Volgograd region have a bright, unusual color and a calm disposition. One of these representatives is Argiope lobata. The abdomen is gray-white, the legs are long and striped.

The second bright representative of the family is Argiope brunnich. The body is elongated, the abdomen is striped, similar to the color of a wasp. The legs are long and striped. The cephalothorax is gray. The spider lives on the edges of forests, meadows, and along roadsides. At night it weaves trapping nets, during the day it sits in the center of the canvas, waiting for prey. The limbs are placed in such a way that the pose resembles the letter “X”.

Spiders in Volgograd from the Argiope family do not attack people; they prefer to hide unnoticed, but an accidental bite causes painful sensations. The poison is deadly for insects, invertebrates, and provokes a local allergic reaction in animals and people. The consequences resemble a wasp or bee sting. People prone to allergies and young children may experience a general deterioration in health - weakness, nausea, shortness of breath, swelling of the larynx.

Bites

Having given an idea of ​​the black widow as an animal, we move on to the main part of our story - karakurt bites. It is immediately necessary to identify two main positions related to this:

1. A black widow's bite can be fatal.
2. Spiders are not the first to attack humans.

Symptoms

To begin with, let’s outline the symptoms of a karakurt bite, which appear very quickly.

1. Within 10-15 minutes, all the muscles of the body begin to ache, as happens with the flu or other colds. The muscles that hurt the most are the chest, abdominals, and lumbar region.
2. In addition, the heart rate increases, shortness of breath appears, dizziness, tremors of the limbs and even priapism in men.
3. After this, general weakness of the body sets in, it seems that the limbs do not obey the person, and vomiting appears.
4. Next, nervous exhaustion occurs in the human body and depression may occur.
5. A person’s consciousness becomes cloudy, and he ceases to be aware of reality and even recognize people close to him.

If the antidote is not administered in time, physical death may occur.

However, it is not at all necessary that all karakurt bites are fatal to humans. Firstly, people with increased immunity will tolerate a bite much easier than those weakened by disease, or those who have an increased allergic reaction to poisons. Secondly, the highest concentration of poison is observed in black widows during the mating season and after laying eggs; in other seasons, bites are less terrible.

Reference! Karakurt males are not able to bite through human skin, therefore they are not dangerous for people and most animals.

What to do after a bite

The most effective way after a bite is to immediately cauterize the wound. This allows you to destroy the poison, preventing it from spreading through the blood throughout the body. The fact is that the female bites through the skin only half a millimeter, and for some time the poison concentrates almost on the surface.

You can cauterize the bite wound directly with the head of a match, or by heating any metal object at hand over a fire:

• blade of knife;
• cutlery;
• house or car key;
• metal comb.

Attention! Cauterization should be done within the first 10 (!) minutes after the bite. After this time, the poison will circulate throughout the body.

Everyone knows what to do next - immediately contact the nearest medical facility, which will provide the required assistance. In regions where the black widow is common, there is almost always the necessary serum, which is designed to neutralize the poison.

In extreme cases, when the necessary remedy is not available, it turns out that an intravenous injection of ordinary potassium permanganate at a concentration of 2-4 percent or magnesium sulfate at a concentration of 10-15 percent can alleviate the patient’s plight.

After medical procedures, the patient should be given plenty of fluids to remove poison from the body and a hot bath to reduce pain. It is also a good idea to take painkillers and sleeping pills, because healthy sleep is of great benefit to the body weakened by the bite.

Karakurt animal bites

Different animals react differently to black widow bites. Horses and camels suffer the most from it, including death, which in some regions is a real scourge for agriculture. Also, many rodents die from karakurt poison.

At the same time, dogs, hedgehogs, amphibians and reptiles are practically insensitive to karakurt poison.

Now it's time to watch a video about the black widow. Watch the report from America, filmed by our former compatriot.

Wolf spider

The largest spiders of Kuban. A relative of the karakurt, but not so poisonous. The bite provokes a local allergic reaction and rarely causes deterioration in health. The color is ashen, brown. The body is covered with dense villi. Females reach sizes of 4 cm, males are half that size.

The wolf spider does not weave hunting nets; it hunts actively. The victims are insects, their larvae, amphibians, and small rodents. In search of prey, it explores new territories and creeps into human possessions. In the house, it doesn’t reveal its presence in any way; it hides in corners, behind furniture, cabinets with dishes, shoes, and things.

Steppe regions of Russia

The nature of the Russian steppes is inhabited mainly by dangerous and biting arachnids, the most common of which are:

Karakurt

The most poisonous spider in Russia, it lives in the Urals and the Caucasus, Crimea, the Black Sea region and the Moscow region. The bite of the karakurt is a double hole made by chelicerae. The spider will attack immediately if accidentally disturbed. Poison injected into the wound spreads throughout the body within 15 minutes. After this time, severe muscle pain, fever, increased sweating and tremors begin. If you are bitten, you should seek help immediately. The most aggressive are sexually mature females, who, in addition to the instinct of conservation, experience a natural feeling of the need to preserve offspring.

Pogrebnoy

He got his “nickname” due to his love of living in cellars and barns. In these buildings, he finds crevices and cracks in the wooden elements that are optimal for his habitation. The spider is small, the average size is 10 mm. The head is colored brown or black, the abdomen is lighter - from red to brown. Pogrebnyaks are characterized by a hot climate; in Russia they prefer to live in the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea. A bite from a porcini mushroom can lead to fever, nausea and fever. They themselves do not attack, but if the spider senses real danger, it will defend itself.

Black Eresus

Popularly called ladybug. Lives in the Caucasus, Western Siberia and the southern Urals. The male specimens of this spider are very impressive; they have a round, bright red abdomen, on which there are four black spots, the legs are black, thick, with white transverse stripes. Females do not have such an attractive appearance - as a rule, they are black. The average size of eresus is 1 cm, sometimes individuals up to 1.5 cm are found.

Ladybug lives in earthen burrows, which it digs under stones. The black eresus is a family of venomous spiders. Poison injected into the wound leads to numbness of the limbs and severe swelling.

Steatoda

This species is called a relative of the black widow or false widow due to its external and behavioral similarities, only the steatoda is brown in color and lacks markings on the back. Steatoda lives throughout Russia and often settles in human dwellings. This is due to the presence of constant heat in the room and access to water.

This species can go without food for about a month, but it needs to drink constantly. The female grows up to 1.2 cm, males - half as much. Steatoda is a poisonous spider. A bite can kill a mouse or frog or cause complete paralysis in a dog or cat. For humans, the consequences are malaise, nausea, increased heart rate and shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain. Swelling appears at the site of the bite, and then it turns blue.

The most poisonous spiders in Russia: photos and names

No matter how much I would like to admit it, dangerous arachnids are far from uncommon in our country, although of them only the female karakurt is really worth fearing. It is the representatives of this species that fall under the category of the most poisonous spider in Russia: the real black widow, the false and the white karakurt (Figure 2).

You can deal with the consequences of bites from other arthropods on your own, although the best thing to do is to seek help from a doctor.

The top poisonous spiders in Russia include:

1. Phalanx or solfuga
   - despite the fact that it does not have its own poison, its mandibles contain a large number of microorganisms that can lead to infectious infection.
2. The bag spider or bagworm
   does not pose any serious harm to life, but severe pain at the site of its attack may not go away within a couple of days.
3. The mesh
   also does not have dangerous toxins in its saliva, but the likelihood of infection is extremely high.
4. Mizgir
   is not capable of killing a person, but its poison causes an allergic reaction, painful sensations remain for a long time, and severe swelling is characteristic at the site of the wound.
5. The female karakurt
   is the only one listed whose bite can be fatal if the victim is not provided with timely assistance.

Figure 2. The most poisonous spiders in Russia: 1 - phalanx, 2 - bagworm, 3 - net spider, 4 - mizgir, 5 - karakurt
Let's take a closer look at the poisonous spiders in Russia - photos and names:

1. Solpuga, solfuga or phalanx
   - are active at night, bite quite deeply and only for the purpose of self-defense; if the saliva infected with the infection is not removed from the wound and treated with an antiseptic, it will begin to fester severely.
2. Crossworts
   can also carry infection through their saliva; their distinctive feature is a cross-shaped pattern on the upper side of the abdomen; their females are twice as large as males.
3. Chiracantids
   are wandering hunters and lead an active nocturnal lifestyle, the color of different individuals varies from yellowish to greenish and brown, their bite causes a sharp burning pain, inflammation of the nearest lymph nodes to the lesion;

Karakurt or black widow: regular and false

This is the most dangerous representative of arachnids in the Russian Federation. When talking about what poisonous spiders are found in Russia, one of the first to be named is the true and false black widow (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Regular and false karakurt (black widow)

In both cases, only females, which reach sizes of 15-20 mm, pose a serious threat. The first bite causes severe pain that spreads throughout the body and can lead to death if you do not use a special serum developed against the toxins it contains.

The consequences of a false widow attack are characterized by prolonged pain, increased general body temperature and weakness, which can be observed for two days.

It is difficult to confuse a female common karakurt with anyone else - the black color with characteristic red spots or dots on the belly itself serves as a signal of danger.

The false individual has a uniform black color, sometimes with a brown tint, a pronounced large abdomen and long legs that are lighter in relation to the body; it is often found in Dagestan and often ends up in the homes of local residents.

The white poisonous spider in Russia, which is also a representative of this species, deserves special attention. It is not aggressive in itself, but its venom is very toxic and causes serious complications.

Arthropods of the steppe regions

Among the spiders in southern Russia there are truly poisonous species, the bite of which can lead to death:

Regarding Russia, the cellar spider is a spider that lives in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Although the distribution area of ​​this animal is much wider, its main habitat is to the west.

Eresus

Black eresus (black fathead) is an inhabitant of the steppes. It can be found among the spiders of the Volga region, Tatarstan, and Kalmykia. Recently discovered in Crimea. A spider bite is painful.

The spider has a red abdomen with black dots, which is why it received the popular name “ladybug spider.” But only males have this color. Females are completely black.

Karakurt

Karakurt is not the largest spider in Russia, but it is the most dangerous fart in the Russian expanses. Contrary to the cliché that these animals are found in the Karakum Desert, in fact their range is much wider. Karakurts are found among the spiders of Crimea, Tatarstan, Stavropol Territory and other relatively warm regions. The range is limited to the steppe zone. In colder forest areas, karakurts do not take root, although the spider was also found in the Altai Territory. But with a high degree of probability he got there by accident with the help of a person and is unlikely to survive the winter.

All types of karakurts are black spiders. They may have red or white spots on the abdomen, but the cephalothorax and paws are always black. The only exception is the white karakurt.

Steatoda

The arthropod is very similar to the karakurt in body shape and color. Because of this, it received the name “false karakurt”. The habitat of arthropods is almost identical. They can be found among the spiders of Kalmykia, Tatarstan, Kazakhstan, and Crimea.

It is possible that steatoda was actually found in the Altai Territory, since it is more cold-resistant.

Less poisonous ones include:

• South Russian tarantula;
• argiope;
• atipus wall.

Atipus wall lives only in one region - in Saratov, and is listed in the Red Book as a rare species.

South Russian tarantula

This nocturnal spider has a very large distribution area. The habitat area of ​​the South Russian tarantula includes all steppe regions of Russia and surrounding countries:

• Southern Ukraine;
• Crimea;
• Caucasus;
• Steppe part of Adygea;
• Stavropol region;
• Krasnodar region;
• Tatarstan;
• Volga region;
• Altai region;
• Far East;
• Kazakhstan;
• Mongolia.

Tarantulas are the largest spiders in Russia. They are distinguished by their original appearance. The whole body is densely covered with hairs, and the length of females reaches 3 cm. The animal is very unpretentious and is able to survive in extreme conditions, as long as the tarantula’s hole is not flooded with water.

Spiders of Russia

Argiopes

Most species of the family are southern inhabitants, but these animals are also found further north. Argiopes have a bizarre appearance: some of them are similar in color to wasps, others have a “toothed” abdomen shape that is unusual for these animals.

On the abdomen of the female Argiope Brünnich, black and yellow stripes alternate, exactly like a wasp. The males of this animal have a nondescript color.

In Argiope lobata, the abdomen has jagged projections on the sides. These protrusions give the arthropod a somewhat menacing appearance.

Like crossworts, argiopes weave round trapping nets. Crossbills are less common, but the habitat is similar. The bite of the argiope is much stronger than that of the cross. May cause local irritation.

Two more species of earth spiders were found in the Rostov region

Spiders are an extremely species-rich order of arthropods. Now more than 40 thousand of them are known, and arachnologists (specialists who study spiders) from time to time still find species unknown to science, and not necessarily somewhere in the jungle or deserts.

On the left is a male Gnaphosa donensis. On the right is a female Haplodrassus ivlievi. Photo by Vladimir Shmatko.

Arachnologist Alexander Ponomarev buries trap cups with formaldehyde. Photo by Ramiz Savitsky.

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Senior researcher at the Department of Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Institute of Arid Zones of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Biological Sciences Alexander Ponomarev, discovered two new species of earth spiders belonging to the genera Gnaphosa and Haplodrassus. In 2015, work was carried out in the Don Delta.

In the Rostov region, as well as throughout the south-east of Europe, the majority of spiders belong to the group of gnaphosid earth spiders. There are about two thousand species, united in more than 100 genera. Earth spiders are distributed almost all over the world. By way of life, they are active predators who do not weave a hunting web, but grab prey on the ground or plants, lying in wait and rushing at it. They feed mostly on insects and are active at night. During the day they usually hide in some kind of shelter.

The field season in the Rostov region for arachnologists begins in February: just at this time, at above-zero temperatures, some species of spiders become active.

In search of spiders, specialists manually sort out sediments of algae, grass, and debris on the islands and along the shores. They also use soil traps. Plastic cups with a fixing liquid (formalin or vinegar) are buried in the ground at a distance of 5-10 m from one another. This is where spiders come across. Finding and collecting them is a very labor-intensive task, and also dangerous, since encounters with poisonous individuals are common.

The spiders of the new species discovered turned out to be quite large. They are non-toxic to humans and therefore do not pose a danger to them. The body color of male and female Gnaphosa is the same: yellow-brown with gray spots of irregular shape. But the male’s body length is less than 6.5 mm, while females grow up to 8.8 mm. The first species was named after the place of discovery in the Don River delta - Gnaphosa donensis. The second new species was identified only from females. They are yellow-brown in color and can reach a length of 8 mm. The male has not yet been found, since it is difficult to survey a large area in one expedition. He can impregnate the female and hide or die, because the life cycle of spiders lasts only one year. There may be many females in the territory where spiders live, but males have to be searched for years. Alexander Ponomarev named the new species Haplodrassus ivlievi in ​​honor of the biologist and employee of the Donskoy Natural Park - Pavel Ivliev, thanks to whom numerous material for research was obtained.

Immediately after the description of new species of spiders, their type specimens were transferred to Moscow to the collection of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. Some of the materials are also kept in the personal collection of Alexander Ponomarev. Since the 1970s, Ponomarev has identified and described about 80 new species of spiders and even four of their genera, living in the southern regions of Russia, Western Kazakhstan and the Caucasus.

“To work with a biological object, you need to know in which cell of the scientific classification it is located, that is, know about its properties, distribution, family relationships,” says Alexander Ponomarev. “That’s why we continue expeditions in the well-studied Rostov region. And here is the result: just 60 km from the million-plus city of Rostov-on-Don, new species were discovered. Quite recently, we discovered and described two new species of spiders in Adygea and Transcaucasia. Much work remains to be done to describe new species. This is also due to the fact that an arachnologist is a very rare specialty among zoologists.”

In total, about 600 species of spiders live in the Rostov region, including the South Russian tarantula (Lycosa singoriensis) and the karakurt (Latrodectus tredecim-guttatus). A tarantula's bite resembles a hornet's bite and can be quite painful, but is not life-threatening. Karakurt, on the contrary, is deadly for humans and domestic animals. Doctors remove the poison that enters the body through a bite using droppers, otherwise the person faces respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest.

Spiders destroy crop pests and thereby benefit humans. “And even the most poisonous spiders,” as the zoologist is convinced, “are a necessary link in the ecological chain. Therefore, it is necessary to fight poisonous spiders only where people live.”

Poisonous spiders

If we approach the definition of the poisonousness of an arthropod from the position of “how hard the animal bites,” then there are not even 6, but 8 species of poisonous species of spiders in the Astrakhan region. It is necessary to include two more argiopes: Brünnich's argiope and lobulated. This is taking into account the fact that all spiders are actually poisonous. The question is the dose and strength of the poison. Argiopes bite very painfully, but their bite is not dangerous for humans. But the bite of the other 6 can cause serious harm and even lead to death. These 6 include:

• karakurt;
• Heyracantium yellow;
• black eresus;
• Paikulla steatode;
• steathode triangular;
• South Russian tarantula.

The South Russian tarantula can be considered a dangerous spider for humans only with some stretch. Its bite is only slightly more poisonous than that of the Argiope. But the argiope does not walk at night, and the tarantula can climb into the tent.

Karakurt

The most dangerous spider in the Astrakhan region. Also ranked among the most poisonous arachnids in Russia. This species prefers desert and semi-desert habitats. Found in steppe regions. Due to the high danger of the arthropod, its photo and description are always included in tourist information. The karakurt bite acts very quickly, and opinions differ regarding the folk remedy for neutralizing the poison.

The method involves cauterizing the bitten area with a burning match. You need to cauterize it in the first minute after a spider bite. Some experimenters believe that this method is effective. Others who have tried it claim that, in addition to the poison, the person also gets a burn. It is impossible to neutralize the poison in this way, and an antikarakurt serum is needed.

Karakurt is a black spider with a spherical abdomen. The thirteen-spotted karakurt has large red or white spots on its abdomen. Dahl's Karakurt is completely black. In color, the spiders of these two species are similar to their “relatives” steatodes, which are often called false karakurts. The body length of the female is up to 2 cm.

Karakurt makes nests in burrows of other animals or at the foot of bushes. Can live under rocks. Weaves a chaotic web in which it catches small insects.

The karakurt does not attack on its own initiative, but if disturbed, it bites without thinking. During the breeding season, spiders can enter people's homes.

Heiracanthium yellow

The Turkic name for this animal is sak. He received the epithet “yellow” for his color. Yellow Cheiracanthium preys on agricultural pests and usually lives in fields and steppes. Lately it has begun to penetrate into cities.

Thanks to powerful chelicerae, adapted to bite through the chitinous shell of beetles, it easily pierces human skin. A spider bite is not life-threatening, but very painful.

Black Eresus

One of the burrow spiders in Astrakhan. Occupies cracks and voids under stones, and beetle holes. It hunts by attacking from a shelter a prey that approaches it. The female Eresus is completely black and could be confused with the Karakurt, but she never leaves the shelter. Her abdomen is more elongated.

The male cannot be confused with any other species of spider: his abdomen is red with 4 black dots on the upper side. Eresus hunt various invertebrates, including scolopendra and salpug.

Steatodes

All steatodes are similar in body shape and size to each other and to the karakurt. They differ in the pattern on the abdomen. Steatodes are found in the same area as their more dangerous relatives. The sting of the steatoda is painful and causes swelling of the soft tissues. It takes a relatively long time: from several hours to 3 days. But it does not lead to the death of a healthy person. Death can occur in children or elderly people with weakened immune systems.

Spiders of the Astrakhan region

South Russian tarantula

Belongs to the family of wolf spiders. Lives in dry steppes and semi-deserts. May be found in forest-steppes. Leads an active nocturnal lifestyle. It catches up with prey on its feet. Doesn't build a web. It lives in self-dug vertical burrows up to 60 cm deep. Usually up to 20 cm.

One of the largest Astrakhan spiders. The body length of a female can be up to 3.5 cm. It is also the least poisonous. The bite of a South Russian tarantula can lead to local tissue swelling and itching for several hours.

Spiders (Prof. S SPASSKY)

Spider fauna of the Rostov region. quite rich, but it is still impossible to determine exactly the number of species of spiders living in the area, since this fauna has not yet been fully studied; This is especially true for numerous small representatives of the family. Erigonidae, among which many new species can be expected. In any case, there is no doubt that the total number of spider species in the Rostov region. numbers in the hundreds.

As for the nature of the spider fauna of the region, a significant part of the species is common to the whole of Central Europe; however, in the Rostov region. there is some admixture of other, mainly Mediterranean forms.

Within the region you can find spiders almost everywhere, and not only on the ground and plants, but often on the water, and sometimes even in the air. However, in relation to external conditions, to the environment, spiders are conservative, therefore, for convenience of presentation, we will divide spiders, according to their habitat, into groups and, first of all, consider steppe spiders.

Open steppe spiders

very diverse; in summer here you can often find a very beautiful, large orb moth Argiope dobata Pallas (family flrgiopidae); this spider is immediately recognizable by its wide abdomen, which has clippings along the edge and therefore has a very peculiar, lobed appearance; the body of the spider is covered with silvery hairs, the abdomen is ivory-colored. The network always carries 2 zigzag stripes of web. It is also remarkable for its sexual dimorphism, since the male is much smaller than the female and is not at all similar to her in the shape of his body.

Rice. 1. Argiope dobata Palyu Female, ventral view

Another orb weaver is also very common in the steppe: Rraneus adiantus Walck. with a black median stripe on the cephalothorax.

In the steppe of the eastern part of the region adjacent to the Kalmyk Autonomous Republic, you can also find karakurt

, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus Rossi, the only spider of our fauna that poses a serious danger to both humans and agriculture. animals. Karakurt - translated into Russian as a black spider" - refers to the web spiders (family Theridiidae); the female reaches the size of a hazelnut, the male is much smaller and, with its very sharp markings, is very different from the female, painted in a uniform dark color. The poison of the karakurt is so effective that such a large animal as a camel falls from its bite in less than an hour. For a person, a bite by this spider also has extremely serious consequences: the karakurt poison, spreading very quickly, affects the nervous system, and the patient, in addition to other painful sensations, experiences an extremely difficult mental state. If left untreated, the disease can result in death or leave severe, indelible marks on the patient. Potassium permanganate quickly destroys the spider's venom, and if this salt is introduced into the wound soon after the bite, then the painful phenomena that have begun will quickly and forever stop. If this method of treatment is delayed, then potassium permanganate must be administered intravenously.

On tall herbaceous plants of the steppe, the web spider Theridion impressum L. is found in large numbers. Koch is smaller and completely safe. This spider very skillfully makes a shelter for itself in the form of a cap from a web, which can include plant parts, the remains of eaten insects, such as the wings of a meadow moth, etc. The spider sits in this shelter and places its rounded greenish, as if covered with mold, cocoon The shell of the shelters is impenetrable to water, and therefore such a structure protects well from rain and the spider and its offspring.

Rice. 2. Theridion impressum L. Koch. A female in her home, in which a cocoon is suspended

On flowering steppe plants, Thomisus albus Gmelin (family Thomisidae) is often found, remarkable for its strange body shape and variable color: on white flowers it is white, on yellow flowers it is yellow, and on red flowers it is reddish. The spider's head bears 2 conical tubercles, and the abdomen, widened towards the rear, is truncated at the rear end and has strongly prominent posterior angles. This spider makes neither a shelter nor a trap for itself out of its web; usually he sits, hiding among the flowers, which is helped by his protective coloring, and then immediately grabs an insect that has flown to the flowers for nectar or pollen. The spider copes well even with such a well-armed insect as a bee, although it does not use a web when catching prey; In general, this species uses its arachnoid glands mainly in the production of a cocoon. The male of this spider is much smaller than the female.

Rice. 3. Araneus diadematus cl. Spiders just emerging from the cocoon, arranged in a dense pile

A beautiful sidewalk spider of a brilliant greenish color also lives on the flowers: Misumena tricuspidata Fabr. Two more sidewalkers are very common on steppe plants: Xysticus striatypes L. Koch. - the most common among our numerous species of the genus Xysticus - and the dull green Heriaeus hirsutus Walck., whose body is covered with long whitish hairs. Mostly in the wormwood steppe, a sidewalker is often found: Philodromushistrio Latr., on the body of which dark stripes are located in such a way that the overall color of the spider blends well with the color of the wormwood. Among spiders of other families, Oxyopes heterophthalmus Latr. can be found on steppe plants, classified into a special family Oxyopidae; it is distinguished by a strongly pointed posterior abdomen, a peculiar arrangement of eyes and huge spines on its legs.

On the tops of tall steppe plants you can often see small, usually heavily dusted, irregular structures made of cobwebs, where you can see a small gray spider, and sometimes its white cocoons; This is Dictyna arindinacea L., an extremely common spider from our family. Dictynidae.

In the steppe, many spiders live on the surface of the earth, on stones and in the soil itself. First of all, we need to mention two giants among our spiders: Lycosa singoriensis Laxm. and Lycosa narbonensis Latr. (family Lycosidae). The first type is very common both in the steppe and in gardens and fields; the Narbonne tarantula, being a typical Mediterranean species, is much rarer in our country and is usually found in more or less rocky places with sparse vegetation. Both species are typical burrowers, and the Narbonne tarantula always makes a high fence of twigs and other plant parts, fastened with cobwebs, around the opening of its deep burrow; both tarantulas are ferocious predators and, thanks to their poison and muscle strength, can easily cope with even the largest insects; however, in turn, our common tarantula becomes easy prey for the wasp Pompilus samariensis DT, which hunts the spider properly and in some years greatly reduces its number. She paralyzes the tarantula with an injection of her sting into its nervous system and then drags it into a hole she has prepared, where she lays one egg on its body; The hatched wasp larva gnaws into the body of the paralyzed spider and feeds on its living flesh. Despite the fact that the tarantula is the largest of our spiders and that in the fall it, especially its males, is often found in houses, this species does not pose a danger to humans.

Rice. 4. Lycosa singoriensis Laxm. Female

In cracks and voids in the soil, sometimes over uninhabited gopher burrows, or simply under stones, Lithyphantes corollatus L., a black web spider with a white pattern on the upper side of the abdomen, spreads its irregular webs; below, its abdomen has a white figure in the form of an anchor.

Numerous representatives of this family are common under stones and under soil blocks in the steppe. Drassidae; are: Dracsodes lapidosus Walck., Ginaphosa lucifuga Latr., Gnaphosa taurica Thor., Zelotes caucasius L. Koch., Pterotricha Aussereri L. Koch., etc. Under the stones you can also find Aussereri, colored to match the color of the soil, sometimes with an unusual runs quickly across the surface of the earth.

A very interesting, small spider, somewhat reminiscent of an ant, is rapidly running across the soil heated by the sun - this is Micaria rossica Thor. (family Clubionidae); its abdomen is densely covered with small scales, giving the spider’s body a metallic sheen and making its covers look like a beautiful multi-colored brocade robe.

A wonderful, rather large, clumsy spider - a side walker, Oxyptilia Iugubris Cron, slowly wanders along the surface of the earth in the steppe. In color it completely blends with the soil; its body is covered with spines, widened and blunted towards the end; these spines firmly hold the earthy particles that cover the entire skin of the spider. Because of this feature, it is difficult to notice a spider when it is motionless. Occasionally, at the end of summer or even in autumn, in the steppe and gardens you can find a leisurely moving male of one of the most beautiful spiders of our fauna - Eresus niger Petagna - our only representative of this . Eresidae. This spider is immediately recognizable: its very dense, stocky body has an almost square, dark cephalothorax with a strongly convex head, while the abdomen on top is painted in a bright cinnabar-red color and bears 4 black spots arranged in the form of a square. Large females live in the ground and are very difficult to find.

Finally, in the steppe, mainly on stones and on sunlit cliffs of beams, you can meet representatives of jumping spiders (family Salticidae), which make large jumps in pursuit of prey; the most common of them is Sitticus dzieduszycki L. Koch, the male of which bears a rather sharply defined pattern in the form of a cross on his abdomen on top.

In forest plantations, groves and gardens

There are also many spiders, but completely different from those in the steppe. Here, first of all, you come across numerous orb-weaving spiders with their regular webs: the very large flraneus angulatus CI., with an angular abdomen, the common spider Rr. diadematus CI., Rr. dromedarius Walck. - with a very wide, short and angular abdomen and smaller species: Rr., diodius Walck. and Mangora acalypha Walck. The network of the latter type is very regular and is characterized by the fact that the turns of its spiral are located extremely close to each other. In spring, on the leaves of trees you can often find large piles of tiny spiders of this family (most often Rr. diadematus) that have just hatched from cocoons. For some time, these spiders sit almost motionless, gathered in a dense, spherical mass, but then they disperse and make separate networks for themselves.

In gardens, among bushes, especially in ditches and other significant depressions in the soil, overgrown with tall vegetation, you can often see a large and very beautiful orb weaver - Rrgiope bruennichi Scop; in its very large network there are always the same zigzag stripes of cobwebs as in Rrgiope lobata; These stripes, the so-called “stabilimenta,” sharply distinguish the webs of spiders of the genus Rrgiope from the webs of our other orb-weavers. Its coloring is sharp and beautiful - the bright yellow abdomen bears a number of densely black transverse stripes, and the pale-colored cephalothorax is covered with silvery hairs. The male is the same as in Rrg. lobata, is much smaller than the female and differs sharply from her in body shape.

A spider from the family is very common on trees and shrubs. Linyphiidae: Linyphia triangularis CI; he always sits with his back down in a vast dwelling made of cobwebs, in the form of a bell, convexly facing upward. Between the trunks and branches of trees there is often a large structure made of irregularly intersecting spider threads, in the center of which hangs a dry leaf that appears to have fallen there by accident. However, if you look closely, you can see that this leaf serves as protection for a web spider with an extremely high abdomen with a sharp pattern; this is Theridium lunatum CI. Since in the Rostov region. Among the tree species, birch bark (Ulmus campestris) is very common; a spider’s web often contains a leaf of this tree; the galls caused by aphids on birch bark leaves are very similar in appearance to the cocoons that the spider places under the protection of the same leaf.

Other species of the genus Theridion also live in trees and among bushes; are: Th. ovatum CI., extremely variable in the color of the abdomen, which can be creamy yellow with black dots and almost red, Th. denticulatum Walck., Th. varians Hahn and Th. tinctum Walck.

Occasionally, an original small spider may be encountered, the high abdomen of which is equipped with tubercles; This is His aphana Walck. (family Mimetidae); much more often than the spider itself, one comes across its peculiar, almost spherical cocoons, suspended from leaves and branches on a long thread of web.

On the trunks of old trees, near cracks in the bark, you can find a large, often dusty network of very closely intertwined threads. In the web there is a hole leading into a crack - under the bark, where the owner himself sits - a medium-sized spider - Titanoeca Schineri L. Koch. (family Dictynidae). The female is inconspicuous and has a pale-colored cephalothorax and a gray-black matte abdomen, while the male has a beautiful reddish cephalothorax, and a black abdomen with white spots. In the leaves of trees and shrubs, skillfully twisted and held in this position with the help of a web, one can often find various species of the genera - Clubiona and Chiracanthium (family Clubionidae); usually these are pale-colored spiders, leaving their shelters with great agility at any alarm; from spiders p. Clubiona is especially common among us: CI. lutescens Westr and CI. pallidula C1; of the genus Chiracanthium, the largest is Ch. punctorium Villers. A very beautiful male of this species has huge, shiny upper jaws of brick-red color, a cephalothorax of the same color and a yellowish abdomen; it willingly settles near water and its nest is often found in panicles of reeds.

Fig.5. ArgiopeBruennichi Scop. Female

A number of sidewalkers live on trees and bushes, many of which are distinguished by their remarkable protective coloring and body shape; of these, Pistius truncatus Pallas with an angular abdomen, as if truncated at the back, is found more often on the branches of oak trees; Tmarus piger Walck., when it sits calmly on a branch, thanks to its color and the peculiar shape of its abdomen, it is very similar to a tree bud; Philodromus poecilus Thor., whose flat body is well adapted for climbing into bark cracks, is remarkable in that its short, rapid run along a tree trunk is replaced by a period of complete rest, during which the spider sits, placing its legs in radii. In this state, the spider becomes completely invisible, since the grayish color and pattern on its body matches the color of the bark.

The most common representative of side walkers on the leaves of trees and shrubs is Philodromus aureolus Thor, a rusty-colored spider that forms several varieties in our country.

A large, peculiar spider, named Micrommata virescens CI. for its bright green color, sometimes flutters on trees, bushes and herbaceous plants; it belongs to a special family Eusparassidae.

Finally, some of the jumping spiders also hunt in the trees; the largest of them is Marpissa muscosa CI. with a strongly elongated and flattened body, found on the bark and under the loose bark of trees; another, also quite large horse - Carrhotus bicolor Walck. can often be seen on the leaves of trees, where it, making large jumps, deftly hunts for insects - in the spring, for example, for Bibio marci L., which sometimes appear at this time in masses and have a slow flight. Of the other horses, Salticus cingulatus Panz and Pseudicius encarpatus Walck are often found on trees, as well as on walls, both with a well-defined protective coloration.

Fig. 6. Pisaura mirahilis CI. Female and her nest on a white acacia branch

Along the edges of groves and in gardens, on herbaceous plants, various species of the genus Heliophanus are found: H. patagiatus Thor., H. auratus S. L., Koch and H. cupreus Walck; All these species are very similar to each other and are characterized by the fact that their abdomen has a very beautiful greenish color with a metallic sheen.

At the edge of groves, in gardens among bushes, on grass, in fences and stone fences, a large spider flgalena labyrinth-hica CI is often found. (family Rgalenidae), sitting in a large structure made of cobwebs that looks like a funnel with a pipe; This funnel serves as both a home and a trap for the spider and sometimes reaches 1 m

in diameter. The spider, always located at the entrance to the tube, rushes with extraordinary swiftness at any insect caught in the funnel, and easily copes with even large dragonflies.

A very rich fauna of spiders lives in gardens and groves on the ground. Since early spring, various representatives of the family have been running around here on last year’s fallen leaves. Lycosidae are wolf spiders that make neither housing nor traps for themselves. Of the small species, the most common among us are: Pardosa chelata O. F. Muller and P. agrestis Westr, and of the larger ones: Tarentula taeniopus Kulcz., T. barbipes Sund., T. cursor Hahn and T. solitaria Herm.

Pisaura mirabilis CI. is also often found, remarkable in its way of life and differing from the rest of Lycosidae in a slightly different arrangement of the eyes and an abdomen strongly pointed towards the posterior end; Therefore, this spider stands out in a special family. Pisauridae. The female of this species carries a large cocoon with her, attaching it to her arachnoid warts and holding it at the same time with her jaws; in general, the female is extremely concerned about her offspring and for the hatched spiders she makes a large chamber out of leaves and cobwebs, the so-called “nursery”, where, under the protection of the mother, the spiders live for some time.

Fig.7. Agalena labyrinthica Cl. The female and her nest are between the leaves, part of the leaves is cut out in front; a chamber suspended on strands of web is visible, the wall of which is embedded with the remains of the spider's food. The cocoon is inside the chamber

Under soil clods and in the dead

the cover of forest plantations provides shelter for many species belonging to various families; from the family Lycosidae include Trochosa ruricola de Geer and Tr. terricola Thor., extremely common among us; A small web spider, Crustulina guttata Wid., is also often found in the dead cover. et Reuss, with very hard integuments and light spots on the abdomen. Numerous species of this family also live here. Drassidae and Clubionidae. Among the representatives of the first family we can name Zelotes barbatus L. Koch., Z. apricorum L. Koch and Z. praeficus L. Koch, and from the family. Clubionidae - Rgroeca Chrysea L. Koch.

Carefully examining the dead cover of the forest, we will also find peculiar sidewalkers - Oxyptilla horticola S. L. Koch and Ox, brevipes Hahn.

These are small, slow-moving spiders with a body covered with blunt spines.

In the dead forest floor you can also find jumping spiders - Ballus depressus Walck (small stocky spiders with hard covers, reminiscent of the body shape of ants), Myrmarachne formicaria de Geer and Synageles venator Lucas; The male of the first of these ant-like spiders has extremely elongated and extended forward upper jaws, which are metallic green in color.

A very rich and unique fauna of spiders lives near water, along the banks of rivers and ponds overgrown with plants. Among the orb weavers, you can always find here in greater numbers the large flraneus cornutus Cl, which, in addition to the usual net, makes itself a shelter from a web somewhere on a reed leaf, and here on various plants you can often find a small orb weaver - Singa nitidula S. L. Koch.

Rice. 8. Lycosa narbonensis Latr. Female crawling out of a hole

Representatives of the family also live in the reed thickets. Tetragnathidae, of which the most common among us are Tetragnatha extensa L.,

Rice. 9. Lycosa narbonensis Latr. Female with cocoon

T. Solandri Scop, and T. striata L. Koch. These spiders have an extremely characteristic appearance: their body is very elongated and usually has a golden metallic tint, the legs are long and thin, the jaws, especially in males, are long and set far forward. The nets strongly resemble orb weavers, but always have a large hole in the middle. The spider Clubiona phragmitis C. L. Koch (family Aubionidae) is quite often found on the leaves of reeds, and the small spider Donacochara speciosa Thor can be found in dry reed stems. (family Linyphiidae). In damp places on various plants, especially on the leaves of cereals, sometimes a peculiar sidewalker, TibeHus oblongus Welck, somewhat reminiscent of a spider of the genus Tetragnatha, is found in large numbers. Its body is highly elongated and bears dark longitudinal stripes; when the spider is at rest, its legs are extended along the length of the body: the 2 front pairs of legs go forward, and the 2 back pairs go back; This pose and coloring make the spider less noticeable if it does not move. On the water, among aquatic plants, for example, on the leaves of water lilies, you can see a large, slender olive-colored spider with light longitudinal stripes on the cephalothorax and abdomen - this is Dolomedes, fimbriatus CI. (family Pisauridae). Usually on the water, it places its legs in a star-shape, with the tips of the hind legs on the plants, while the rest of the legs lie freely on the water; at the slightest alarm, the spider deftly hides in the water and can remain there for a long time. Finally, in the water of ponds and slowly flowing rivers, overgrown with aquatic plants, lives the “water spider” - firgyroneta aquatica CI. (family Rgalenidae) is the only one of our spiders that spends its entire life in water. This spider makes a shelter underwater from a web in the shape of a bell; often the spider makes its home in empty shells of mollusks.

On moist, swampy soil, sometimes almost free of plants, close to water, and sometimes even on the water itself, very agile spiders from this family run. Lycosidae; the most common of them are Pirata piraticus CI., Pardosa amentata CI., P. riparia CL Koch and flrctosa leopardus Sund.

In damp places, under fallen leaves, and occasionally on plants, you can find Pachygnatha Clercki Sund spiders. and P. listeri Sund. (family Tetragnathidae).

Here, in the moist plant remains, there are often very small spiders, usually shiny black in color - these are various types of the family. Erigonidae, the most common of which is Erigonatra Blackw. In our buildings - residential buildings, barns, stables, etc. you can always find a number of different spiders. By exterminating flies, cockroaches, moths, mosquitoes, including malarial ones, these “house” spiders bring us undoubted benefit, but their significance has not yet been studied with sufficient completeness. The most common of these “house” spiders in our country are the haymaking spiders: Pholcus alticeps Spassky and Ph. ponticus Thor. (family Pholcidae). They are pale-colored, extremely long-legged spiders that make large webs; females carry their cocoons, holding them in their jaws; disturbed spiders make such fast swinging movements in their web that it is impossible to see the contours of the animal,

Rice. 10. Thomisus albus Gmelin. Female on yarrow inflorescences

Also common in houses are the web spiders Teutana castanea CI., T. triangulosa Walck. and T. grossa S. L. Koch. The latter species, somewhat reminiscent of karakurt in size, shape and body color, usually lives in dark places - under cabinets, sofas, in dark restrooms, etc.

In cellars, barns, and stables there is a spider with extremely fast movements - Tegenaria Derhami Scop. (family Rgalenidae); he makes himself a large cobweb in the corners of buildings, often heavily clogged with particles of plaster, sawdust, etc., and therefore sometimes has a very untidy appearance.

Occasionally in cellars and basements you can find a rather large and very beautiful spider with a red cephalothorax and legs and an ivory-colored abdomen; It differs from the rest of the spiders of our fauna in that it has not 8, but only 6 eyes; this is Dysdera crocota S. L. Koch. Sem. Dysderidae, to which this spider belongs, is generally quite sharply separated from other families and has a number of primitive characters. It should be noted that of our “house” spiders, D. crocota, Teutana grossa and Tegenaria Derhami are cosmopolitan.

Some types of family Drassidae are also quite common in houses; such, for example, is Scotophaeus loricatus L. Koch. - a spider of medium size and nondescript coloring; its male is characterized by the fact that its abdomen in its front part from above bears a small triangular shield made of hard chitin.

A small, slender spider, Lephthyphantes nebulosus Sund, is also a common inhabitant of various buildings. (family Linyphiidae), which is easily recognized by the dark, fork-shaped pattern on the upper side of the cephalothorax.

Rice. 11. Argiope bmenichiScop. Female on the net

On the walls of buildings, using convenient places, a large orb moth, Rraneus ixobolus Thor., spreads its nets, often placing its traps directly opposite the windows. This spider, despite its large size, can hide in very narrow crevices, since its body is flattened. In these same narrow spaces, somewhere under a loose board, the spider places its large, also flattened cocoons; however, sometimes these cocoons can be found on old trees, under loose bark. Finally, in greenhouses, and sometimes in houses, brought here with indoor plants, one comes across a web spider with a very high abdomen; this is Theridiontepidariorum S. L. Koch, which is cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical countries; Usually, along with the spider, its cocoons can be found. The spiders discussed in this essay play an important role in nature. For humans, while exterminating harmful insects, they are, with very few exceptions, useful. The biology of spiders, which have diverse, sometimes very complex instincts, is of great interest to naturalists. Despite all this, spiders usually attract little human attention. However, there is a period of the year when, if not the spiders themselves, then at least their webs, involuntarily interest everyone. Such a period is autumn. On clear autumn days, with a light, evenly blowing wind, you can observe an interesting phenomenon of the so-called “Indian summer”: spider threads of different lengths rush through the air; these threads adhere to each other, linger on telegraph wires, settle on plants, on the ground, on dresses; by the end of the day, the surface of the soil and plants are woven with a web, silvering in the rays of the setting sun.

The origin and meaning of this phenomenon are now fully explained. Young spiders of many species hatch from cocoons just in the fall, and since spiders are pronounced predators, it is, of course, very important for them to settle away from each other. It is for this purpose that the web serves them. Each spider climbs tall plants, a pole, etc., and, having waited for a favorable moment, releases a web thread, which is immediately caught by the wind; when the length of this thread is sufficient to hold the spider in the air, it bends its legs and flies along with the web, carried away a considerable distance from its place of birth.

Preparations for the destruction of cockroaches are professional means for combating insects.

Far East

A striking representative of the spiders of the Far East is:

Digger spider

The name of the spider speaks for itself. It is found in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, in the Sakhalin Region. The mole rat can be identified by its very massive and prominent chelicerae; they are 2.5 times the thickness of the legs. Size – from 1 cm to 1.5 cm, color – reddish brown. They live in groups. The place of residence is an earthen burrow, covered from the inside with a cobweb, which protrudes to the surface in the form of a tube.

Diggers are very shy and unsociable; the likelihood of meeting them is negligible. All his time he sits in ambush in his underground house, waiting for prey. Despite its terrifying appearance, the mole rat is harmless to humans.

Spiders have settled all over the planet; they can be found in absolutely every country in the world. A considerable part of these eight-legged creatures live in Russia. Moreover, among them there are also quite harmless representatives who can kill a person with just one vinegar. Fortunately, there are few such people in the Russian Federation. Let's find out what poisonous and dangerous spiders have settled in Russia.