Sicarius is a genus of recluse spiders that is potentially medically significant to humans. It is one of three genera in its family, all venomous spiders known for a bite that can induce loxoscelism. They live in deserts and arid regions of the Neotropics, and females use a mixture of sand and silk when producing egg sacs. The name is Latin for assassin.
Sicarius spiders can grow up to 1 to 2 inches (25 to 51 mm) long, and have six eyes arranged into three groups of two (known as "dyads"). Physically, they resemble crab spiders and members of the Homalonychus genus. They lack the characteristic violin-shaped marking of the more well-known members of its family, Sicariidae the recluse spiders.
They can live for a very long time without food or water. Some can live for up to fifteen years, making them among the longest-lived spiders, behind the trap-door spiders and tarantulas, many known to live for twenty to thirty years. The oldest recorded spider is Number 16, a trap-door spider killed by a parasitic wasp at forty-three years old.[1]
^"World's Oldest Known Spider Dies at 43, With Lesson for Us". National Geographic. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^ abcMagalhães, I.L.F.; Brescovit, A.D. & Santos, A.J. (2017). "Phylogeny of Sicariidae spiders (Araneae: Haplogynae), with a monograph on Neotropical Sicarius". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 179 (4): 767–864. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
^Arán-Sekul, Tomás; Perčić-Sarmiento, Ivanka; Valencia, Verónica; Olivero, Nelly; Rojas, José M.; Araya, Jorge E.; Taucare-Ríos, Andrés; Catalán, Alejandro (November 2020). "Toxicological Characterization and Phospholipase D Activity of the Venom of the Spider Sicarius thomisoides". Toxins. 12 (11): 702. doi:10.3390/toxins12110702. PMC7694614. PMID 33171968.
^Walckenaer, C. A. (1847), "Dernier Supplément", in Walckenaer, C. A. (ed.), Histoire naturelles des Insects
^Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2020). "Gen. Sicarius Walckenaer, 1847". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sicarius.
(photos of Sicarius and Loxosceles)
Platnick, N. I. 2003. World Spider Catalog.
Vetter, R. 2003. "Causes of Necrotic Wounds other than Brown Recluse Spider Bites".
Vetter, R. 2003. "Myth of the Brown Recluse: Fact, Fear, and Loathing".
April 12, 2024
sicarius, spider, sicarius, genus, recluse, spiders, that, potentially, medically, significant, humans, three, genera, family, venomous, spiders, known, bite, that, induce, loxoscelism, they, live, deserts, arid, regions, neotropics, females, mixture, sand, si. Sicarius is a genus of recluse spiders that is potentially medically significant to humans It is one of three genera in its family all venomous spiders known for a bite that can induce loxoscelism They live in deserts and arid regions of the Neotropics and females use a mixture of sand and silk when producing egg sacs The name is Latin for assassin Six eyed sand spidersFemale SicariusScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaSubphylum ChelicerataClass ArachnidaOrder AraneaeInfraorder AraneomorphaeFamily SicariidaeGenus SicariusWalckenaer 1847Species21 see text Contents 1 Description 1 1 Venom components and effects 2 Taxonomy 2 1 Species 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription editSicarius spiders can grow up to 1 to 2 inches 25 to 51 mm long and have six eyes arranged into three groups of two known as dyads Physically they resemble crab spiders and members of the Homalonychus genus They lack the characteristic violin shaped marking of the more well known members of its family Sicariidae the recluse spiders They can live for a very long time without food or water Some can live for up to fifteen years making them among the longest lived spiders behind the trap door spiders and tarantulas many known to live for twenty to thirty years The oldest recorded spider is Number 16 a trap door spider killed by a parasitic wasp at forty three years old 1 Venom components and effects edit Like all recluse spiders these produce a dermonecrotic venom that contains sphingomyelinase D an enzyme in the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase family It is somewhat unique to them otherwise only found in a few pathogenic bacteria The venom causes bleeding and damage to many organs of the body though only S ornatus and a few others have been proven to be extremely toxic on the order of Hexophtalma hahni or several other African sand spiders 2 It has also recently been proven that Sicarius thomisoides contains active sphingomyelinase D very similar to that of Loxosceles laeta and Sicarius ornatus and that its bite can cause serious damage in humans 3 Taxonomy editThis genus was erected by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1847 with the single species S thomisoides 4 In 2017 the number of species decreased after a phylogenetic study showed that the South African species formerly included here were actually distinct instead belonging to the genus Hexophthalma 2 It is one of only three genera in its family and is placed in the same subfamily as Hexophthalma 2 Sicariidae Loxoscelinae Loxosceles recluse spiders Sicariinae HexophthalmaSicarius Species edit As of March 2020 update it contains twenty one species found in South America 5 Sicarius andinus Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Peru Sicarius boliviensis Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Bolivia Peru Brazil Paraguay Sicarius cariri Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2013 Brazil Sicarius crustosus Nicolet 1849 Chile Sicarius diadorim Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2013 Brazil Sicarius fumosus Nicolet 1849 Chile Sicarius gracilis Keyserling 1880 Ecuador Peru Sicarius jequitinhonha Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Brazil Sicarius lanuginosus Nicolet 1849 Chile Sicarius levii Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Chile Argentina Sicarius mapuche Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Argentina Sicarius ornatus Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2013 Brazil Sicarius peruensis Keyserling 1880 Peru Sicarius rugosus F O Pickard Cambridge 1899 El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Sicarius rupestris Holmberg 1881 Argentina Sicarius saci Magalhaes Brescovit amp Santos 2017 Brazil Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer 1847 type Chile Sicarius tropicus Mello Leitao 1936 Brazil Sicarius utriformis Butler 1877 Ecuador Galapagos Sicarius vallenato Cala Riquelme Gutierrez Estrada Florez Daza amp Agnarsson 2017 Colombia Sicarius yurensis Strand 1908 Peru ChileIn synonymy S deformis Nicolet 1849 Sicarius fumosus Nicolet 1849 S irregularis Mello Leitao 1940 Sicarius rupestris Holmberg 1881 S minoratus Nicolet 1849 Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer 1847 S nicoleti Keyserling 1880 Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer 1847 S patagonicus Simon 1919 Sicarius rupestris Holmberg 1881 S rubripes Nicolet 1849 Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer 1847 S terrosus Nicolet 1849 Sicarius thomisoides Walckenaer 1847Transferred to Hexophthalma Sicarius albospinosus Hexophthalma albospinosa Purcell 1908 Sicarius damarensis Hexophthalma damarensis Lawrence 1928 Sicarius dolichocephalus Hexophthalma dolichocephala Lawrence 1928 Sicarius hahni Hexophthalma hahni Karsch 1878 also Sicarius testaceus Sicarius spatulatus Hexophthalma spatulata Pocock 1900 See also editList of Sicariidae speciesReferences edit World s Oldest Known Spider Dies at 43 With Lesson for Us National Geographic 30 April 2018 Retrieved 2020 04 11 a b c Magalhaes I L F Brescovit A D amp Santos A J 2017 Phylogeny of Sicariidae spiders Araneae Haplogynae with a monograph on Neotropical Sicarius Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 179 4 767 864 Retrieved 2018 07 20 Aran Sekul Tomas Percic Sarmiento Ivanka Valencia Veronica Olivero Nelly Rojas Jose M Araya Jorge E Taucare Rios Andres Catalan Alejandro November 2020 Toxicological Characterization and Phospholipase D Activity of the Venom of the Spider Sicarius thomisoides Toxins 12 11 702 doi 10 3390 toxins12110702 PMC 7694614 PMID 33171968 Walckenaer C A 1847 Dernier Supplement in Walckenaer C A ed Histoire naturelles des Insects Gloor Daniel Nentwig Wolfgang Blick Theo Kropf Christian 2020 Gen Sicarius Walckenaer 1847 World Spider Catalog Version 20 0 Natural History Museum Bern doi 10 24436 2 Retrieved 2020 04 11 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sicarius Arachnology Home Pages Loxosceles Recluse spiders Biodiversity Explorer Family Sicariidae photos of Sicarius and Loxosceles Platnick N I 2003 World Spider Catalog Vetter R 2003 Causes of Necrotic Wounds other than Brown Recluse Spider Bites Vetter R 2003 Myth of the Brown Recluse Fact Fear and Loathing Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sicarius spider amp oldid 1211267607, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
