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What does a karakurt spider look like. Spider karakurt and his deadly "kiss" Photo of karakurt

Karakurts are small in size. Their body is spherical, slightly tear-shaped. The female is 3-4 times larger than the male. Its size varies from 1 to 2 centimeters. The male is only 5 millimeters long. The color of the spiders is radically black, but red or dark orange spots may be present on juveniles, sometimes with a white or yellow outline. In adults, such spots may be absent. European species of black widows living along the Mediterranean coast have a characteristic luster of the body. The hairline is completely absent.

How does it look in the photo

Another distinguishing feature of karakurts is their long front paws.

Where is found

Karakurt can be found on the territory of the countries of the former Soviet Union:

  1. In Kazakhstan. Most often in desert areas.
  2. In the steppes of Kyrgyzstan.
  3. In Russia, they live throughout the south of the country. Most often found in the Astrakhan and Rostov regions, in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Southern Urals. In recent years, they began to come across in the Saratov, Volgograd and Novosibirsk regions, in Altai.
  4. In the Crimea, almost throughout the peninsula.
  5. In Ukraine. In cities in the south that have access to the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in some cities in the east and south (Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Mariupol).
  6. in Azerbaijan.
  7. In Kyrgyzstan.

Where else can you find this spider

In countries located on the coast of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Caspian Seas. Ranging from southern Europe to the Near and Middle East, as well as North Africa.

Every year its habitat increases. Over the past few years, karakurt has been spotted in the more northern regions of Russia and Eastern Europe, even in the Moscow region. Although, such a climate is completely unsuitable for him, and with the onset of cold weather, the spider itself and its cocoons die.

Crimean karakurt

The most dangerous representative of the poisonous inhabitants of the Crimea, even more dangerous than the Crimean steppe viper. Lives throughout the peninsula. Happens in bulk.



Where he likes to settle in nature

European species of these spiders prefer desert and steppe areas with sparse vegetation. A favorite place is the shores of salt lakes, which are often found in the Crimea. In coastal vegetation on beaches, in sagebrush thickets, on wastelands and along river banks, in ravines and in garbage heaps. They often settle in colonies. A characteristic feature of the dwelling of the karakurt colony is a chaotic layer of cobwebs on the surface of the earth.

How to determine the habitat of this spider


How dangerous are they to humans?

Karakurt, of course, is a danger to humans and domestic animals. Its poison is very toxic and under adverse conditions can lead to death, which is periodically recorded in the Crimea. Only adult females are dangerous. The male is so small that it cannot bite through human skin. The spider attacks only in case of real danger to it. The most common bites to the arms and legs are mostly due to human inattention.

When are the most dangerous?

The most dangerous females of karakurt are during the mating period, before and after that. In June-July there is a mass migration of females in search of a new nest. More often, it is during this period that bites of humans and domestic animals occur.

How to stay safe while hiking

You need to be especially careful in June-July when hiking in the Crimea, the southern regions of Russia and the countries of Central Asia. Since during this period, the female karakurt can choose her housing, shoes left near the tent, clothes thrown on the grass, and the tent itself.

What happens when you bite. Symptoms

The first minutes after the bite are asymptomatic. Black widow chelicerae are so thin that the bitten person may not feel anything. Severe pain comes within an hour, most often after 10-15 minutes. The lower back, chest, calves and abdomen hurt the most due to muscle cramps. Because of this, they can make an incorrect diagnosis, for example, a heart attack or a stomach ulcer. Pain usually lasts 1-2 days.

To determine the cause of pain, you should pay attention to the presence of local redness that appears at the site of the bite.

There are quite a few deaths from spider bites in Crimea, but still there are people who died on contact with it.

Possible symptoms of poisoning:

  • dyspnea;
  • swelling of the face;
  • frequent heartbeat and acceleration of the pulse;
  • dizziness and loss of consciousness;
  • headache;
  • vomiting and nausea;
  • heavy sweating;
  • weakness and feeling of heaviness;
  • dilation of the pupils and their shift forward or to the side;
  • difficulty breathing due to bronchospasm;
  • painful erection;
  • problems with urination;
  • nervous irritation;
  • delirium and blackout of consciousness;
  • elevated temperature;
  • convulsions or paralysis of the limbs;
  • conjunctivitis.

What to do if bitten by a karakurt

First aid

If you know for sure that you were bitten by a black widow, then traces of poison should be visible at the site of the bite. This poison can be partially neutralized thermally, since the jaws of the karakurt bite through the skin by only half a millimeter. One of the most popular options is cauterization of the bite site with 2-3 match heads. This method was proposed by professor of zoology, entomologist and doctor of biological sciences Pavel Marikovsky. Put the match heads on the affected area and set it on fire. It will hurt, but the poison under the skin will partially collapse. It is important to carry out this procedure no later than 2 minutes after the bite, otherwise the poison will penetrate deeper and not collapse. Also, you can cauterize with any metal object strongly heated over the flame of a lighter.

Urgently to the hospital

You must immediately contact a medical institution. Explain to the hospital that there is a suspicion of a karakurt bite. Otherwise, you may be misdiagnosed with all the ensuing consequences.

Mortality from the bite of the "black widow" is 4-6% of the number of those bitten. At risk are children and people suffering from chronic diseases.

What victims of the bite of a black widow say in a Kazakhstan hospital

What is treated in the hospital

As a rule, the bitten person is left in the hospital, in the toxicology or intensive care unit. Antikarakurt serum is introduced. After taking the necessary drugs, it will take some time to recover. Neurological effects may last for several months.

  1. A specific diet is prescribed.
  2. It is advisable to drink more liquid.
  3. Limit physical activity.

How to prevent a bite

Adults. In the habitats of poisonous spiders, try to wear closed shoes and long trousers. Pay attention to the web, located closer to the ground. Do not camp or picnic in such places. Just be careful.
Remember that in the Crimea, karakurts are found even on the beaches, in the coastal grass.

Children. Tell your child about karakurts. If you are walking in an area where it can live, and you see cobwebs on the ground, change the place for a walk to a safer one.

So he weaves a web among the stones


Summarize. Karakurts are dangerous but not aggressive and attack, mostly due to our inattention when we get too close to them. By observing the precautions described above, you will have a trouble-free rest on trips to the southern coastal countries.

Video of the fight between karakurt and scorpion

How they breed

Spiders are quite prolific. They lay several thousand eggs in one year. Once every few years, mass outbreaks of karakurt breeding are recorded. For laying cocoons, the female is looking for a reliable shelter. Most often, these are various earthen burrows, sewer and ventilation openings, at the entrance to which one can observe a dense layer of cobwebs, of a chaotic shape. A favorite place under the leaves at the base of the plant. There, the female lays cocoons, each of which contains more than a hundred eggs. Cocoons are in such a shelter throughout the cold period, and young spiders hatch in the spring, closer to April-May, when it is already warm enough. After mating, the female very rarely eats the male. This is characteristic only of the Australian species of karakurt. That is why they are called the black widow.

In the wild, the spider lives only 1-2 years.

Little spiders are born hungry. So much so that sometimes they can eat each other.

The spider has enemies. Among them

  1. Wasps. They can sting a spider, and it dies.
  2. Hedgehogs. Invulnerable to spider attacks.
  3. Rider beetles. They lay their larvae in the cocoon of the karakurt. Naturally, a new offspring of rider beetles will hatch from the egg.
  4. Sheep, goats and pigs. These are the most, since a herd of such animals is able to trample down a tub with karakurt eggs. At the same time, pigs, goats and sheep do not suffer from bites.

Who eats

The spider eats only insects. Among them:

  • locust;
  • may beetles;
  • grasshoppers;
  • invertebrate animals.

The process of eating the victim is as follows:

  1. The spider spins a web for insects to get in.
  2. Once the prey is caught, it injects poison into it to paralyze it.
  3. Now he begins to eat it, by sucking it out. Only the chitinous cover remains of the insect.

The karakurt spider, called the "black widow", is related to the family of web spiders and to the Spider order. These arthropod invertebrates live 10 to 14 months for males and females, respectively. In nature, you can find several varieties of these insects - white karakurt, as well as black spider and others. The considered class of insects is the most poisonous in the world. Females are called black widows for the reason that they have a common biological feature - biting the head of males after mating. The bite of a karakurt can cause mortal danger to any person exposed to it.

External characteristics of the spider-karakurt

Consider a detailed description of adults. For appearance, several characteristic features can be distinguished, what a karakurt spider looks like.

  • A smooth body without hairline, which gives the insect a noble appearance, similar to a harmless creature;
  • In females who have reached adulthood, the body looks like a ball and has a size of 1.5-2 cm. The male has slightly different indicators.
  • Only the male spider is distinguished throughout its life by the presence of pronounced red spots on its back.

The deadly threat to human life is the poison of this insect, which, penetrating under the skin, slowly kills.

Spider venom

The poison of the karakurt is located in the cephalothorax, its glands are connected by ducts with small claws in the upper jaws. There is also a muscular membrane in the glands, due to the fact that there is a sharp contraction of the muscles, the victim instantly receives a portion of the poison. The female and the male pose an identical danger, and based on biochemical data, the karakurt has poison - TOXABULMIN, it spreads along the paths, and there are several fractions. The sensitivity of warm-blooded victims to poison substances varies. The karakurt spider “appearance is shown in the photo” especially affects camels, horses, and people.

Where is the spider common

White karakurt, as well as black individuals and their other varieties, are found mainly in hot countries in which good conditions are created. Most often they can be found in Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia, in the Crimea, such spiders were also found in the Rostov region. Features of the settlement of individuals depend on individual climatic conditions. Usually these poisonous creatures live in the holes of mice, in the area of ​​cracks in mud concrete walls, as well as in sagebrush steppes, on wastelands and in other places. Such individuals do not live in deserts, in places with excessive humidity. In the Crimea and in the Rostov region, spiders are especially common because of the weather conditions that are attractive to them.

Karakurt lifestyle

Karakurt (from the genus of black widows) prefers to create a nest near the stem base on the grass or on the ground. They are engaged in weaving spherical cocoons, eggs are placed in them, and a trapping net is located. The last elements are made, like cocoons, from tight cobwebs, which have a tensile coefficient of 30%. The construction of cocoons begins at the time of July or August. A week later, small spiders appear there, but their release occurs only next year, when the air temperature reaches 30 degrees.

How a spider bites

The bite of a karakurt carries a serious danger, but this statement is not 100% true. Human skin cannot be bitten by a male, but a female representative can easily cope with this task. However, it is her glands that are poisonous. White karakurt and black individuals are of particular danger during the mating season, when nesting occurs.

Bite symptoms

A person bitten by a karakurt suffers from several symptoms that manifest themselves quite clearly.

  • 10 minutes after the bite, the breaking of the body begins, chills appear;
  • there is a severe headache, an unpleasant sensation in the lower back;
  • the chest area, abdominal area, upper and lower press suffer;
  • after the first signs, an inexplicable weakness may appear;
  • the person begins to turn pale, tears flow, nausea appears;
  • there is a clouding of the general consciousness, especially at the last stage;
  • there is a state of severe depression and overwhelming fear.

First aid for a bite of a karakurt involves the introduction of an antidote - a special serum. This event must be done the first 10 minutes after the bite in order to prevent the death of the bitten person.

In favor of the spider, we can say that the first insect never attacks. A bite occurs when a person steps on a nest or on a female.

What to do with a bite

If you decide to take a walk around the outskirts of your city or go on a picnic, it is recommended to take matches with you. If a spider has bitten you, you need to quickly burn the affected area with a match, this will make the poison formulas destroyed. If the spider is labeled, you need to go to the nearest specialized medical facility and administer an antidote. Serum is quite expensive, so funds are often used to replace it.

  • Introduction to the subcutaneous region of 0.1% potassium permanganate, 5 ml;
  • performing household chores.

It is worth remembering that after the first procedures, the poison (it doesn’t matter who bit - Crimean or Caucasian karakurt) will not be completely neutralized, relief will come only after a few weeks. Everything will depend on the season and age of the individual, as well as on the amount of poison injected under the skin.

Thus, a biting spider poses a danger to humans. We examined what a karakurt looks like from his photo, and you can also get acquainted with the features of life that the karakurt spider leads on the video.

Who in the world is scarier than a rattlesnake? This is not a huge bear and not a terrible tiger - this is a small spider, the name of which makes you shudder! Black widow karakurt... its bite is 15 times more poisonous than the bite of a rattlesnake! Look at the photo of the karakurt spider and remember not to get into its "web" ...

The name of this eight-legged creature comes from the Turkic words "kara" (black) and "kurt" (worm). The scientific name of the karakurt is Latrodectus tredecimguttatus. This bloodthirsty creature belongs to the order of spiders, the family of spider-web spiders and is referred by scientists to the genus of black widows. This animal is considered one of the most poisonous spiders in the Crimea. Having met him on a hot afternoon, it is better to run away from him wherever your eyes look, otherwise he will certainly want to get to know you better. By the way, the same applies to other animals of the Crimea, for example -.

How to recognize karakurt among other spiders?

Adults of these poisonous arachnids are of medium size.

Females are much larger than males. Compare for yourself: if the body length of males ranges from 4 to 7 millimeters, then females grow up to 2 centimeters!

The body color of karakurts is black. But there are a great many black spiders, you say, and not all of them are deadly poisonous! Karakurts have one distinctive feature - these are its spots. These blotches are red, sometimes they are bordered by white rims. It is noteworthy that when the spiders become fully mature, sometimes these spots disappear altogether ... therefore, when relaxing in the Crimea, bypass, just in case, the side of all black spiders!


Where do karakurts live

These dangerous creatures can be found in Asia, for example, in Kazakhstan. Karakurts also live in Europe, in particular on the territory of Ukraine. In our country, you can get acquainted with karakurt in the Crimea. North Africa is also included in the habitat of these poisonous creatures.

Karakurt lifestyle

For a comfortable stay of these representatives of the genus of black widows, a warm autumn and a hot summer are needed. But when the temperature rises above the norm in the summer months, karakurts can migrate to more northern regions.

Steppe areas are especially welcomed by these spiders. Karakurt likes to settle on wastelands, slopes of ravines, in ditches, ruins, salt marshes.

This black spider builds its home in animal burrows, cracks in the earth's crust.


What does karakurt eat

Insects such as grasshoppers, locusts can get on the "dining table" of this predator. Sometimes karakurts also feed on other invertebrates.

Reproduction of karakurts


Black widow karakurt is a real predator.

The breeding season for karakurts is July - August. On a woven web, the female lays eggs, "packed" in a cocoon. A week later, small spiders appear from them. It is noteworthy that young spiders do not leave the cocoon until the spring of next year. They winter in this very cocoon.

Enemies of karakurt - who are they?

These arachnids are attacked by rider beetles. In addition, herds of sheep often trample, without knowing it, entire clusters of karakurts.

The bite of a karakurt - why is it dangerous, and what to do if the “kiss” did take place?

If you are bitten by this poisonous spider, then right away you may not even feel it. The sensation of pain comes only after 10 - 15 minutes. Severe pain instantly spreads throughout the body, and if timely assistance is not provided, then such an unpleasant “surprise” can end in death for a person. The poison of one small karakurt is quite enough to kill an adult.

Spiders are one of the most ancient land animals on our planet; they descended from a crab-like ancestor. Now the detachment of spiders includes more than forty thousand different species.

Karakurt belongs to the class of arachnids, order - spiders, is a representative of the genus Latrodectus, the poison of these spiders deadly to animals and humans.

The habitat of the karakurt includes the territories of the tropical zone of Africa, Central and Western Asia and southern Europe. In our country, these spiders live in the Caucasus, Crimea, in the south of the Urals, but recently their range has expanded to the north. They are met in the Moscow region, in Rostov-on-Don, in Orel. Karakurt loves to settle in wastelands, in ravines, on the banks of reservoirs.


The structure of the karakurt is practically no different from the structure of other spiders. Its body is divided into two sections: the front section of the body, with four pairs of eyes, is covered with a hard chitinous shield. The second section is the abdomen, which is covered with an elastic membrane. Spider glands are located in this part of the body. On the head of the body there are two pairs of modified limbs - chelicerae and pedipalps, behind which are walking legs. Spiders have eight of them.

Chelicerae consist of one limb, at the end of which there is a claw, where the poisonous gland opens. They are designed for grasping and holding prey, as well as for protection from enemies.

Pedipalps are similar to legs, but shorter. They are the organ of touch, they usually do not take part in the movement. In mature males. They are somewhat modified.

Lifestyle

The main difference between a male and a female in karakurt is size. The female is almost twice the size of the male. It can reach two centimeters in length, while the male does not grow more than seven millimeters. In addition, the male has red spots on the abdomen. The female has a deep black body. Karakurts, like other spiders, are good runners, and can cover fairly long distances and at high speed. This is all the more surprising, because muscle fibers are completely absent in the spider's limbs.

In addition to locomotion, the spider uses its legs to dig holes and weave webs. There are also olfactory and tactile organs on the legs.

Karakurts, like all spiders, are predators. They catch their prey with webs. Spiders pierce their prey with chelicerae, releasing venom and digestive juices. Having entangled the victim with a web, they leave it for a while. Digestive juices quickly digest the prey, after which the spiders suck out the resulting broth.

mating games

The female karakurt, before the mating games, leaves the nest, and is in constant motion, leaving behind a special double thread, along which the male finds her.

The process of mating games is preceded by rather long dances. The male twitches his abdomen, briskly moves his pedipalps.

The spider approaches its partner with the greatest caution, but the females show aggression only when they are not ready. Females do not attack partners, but favorably accept courtship.

Male rivalry during mating season is a common occurrence. One female collects near her up to ten applicants fighting among themselves. The strongest and most agile drives away other males and proceeds to mating games.

During mating games, the female karakurt enters a state of catalepsy and remains motionless for quite a long time. In this state, it is not dangerous for the male.

Caring for offspring


Caring for offspring in females of karakurt is pronounced during the incubation period. First of all, they look for a place for future masonry, digging a nest in the ground, or adapting abandoned rodent burrows for this. Before entering the nest, she pulls on trapping nets. And only then lay cocoons with eggs. Females remain in the nest for the entire incubation period. Usually juveniles appear in April.

With the advent of offspring, the maternal functions of the female are fulfilled and the juveniles, attached to the cobwebs, are carried by the wind. By the beginning of summer, young karakurt reaches maturity and is capable of mating.

Natural enemies of karakurt

Karakurts have many enemies in the wild. Herds of grazing animals trample the grass and destroy the nests of karakurts. Hedgehogs are not susceptible to the poison of karakurt so they feed on them fearlessly. A large number of beetles and wasps lay their larvae in spider cocoons, destroying the entire brood.

Karakurt and man

The venom of the karakurt has a neurotoxin in its composition and is close in action to the venom of rattlesnakes. Hyperemia occurs at the bite site, which quickly disappears. A quarter of an hour later, sharp pains appear in the abdomen, chest, legs go numb. All this is accompanied by mental excitement, convulsions, headache. The heartbeat slows down, arrhythmia appears, blood and protein appear in the urine. The victim's condition becomes critical. The most effective remedy is antikarakurt serum. With timely administration, the patient's condition quickly normalizes.

It should be noted that karakurts are never the first to attack. Spiders are only aggressive when disturbed. The most dangerous are the bites of females. The largest number of bites occurs in June-July - the time of annual migrations.

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There are more than 3,000 species of various spiders on earth.
The vast majority of them are poisonous in one way or another.
In order to determine how significant the danger to a person is, several main factors must be taken into account:
1. Can this spider bite through human skin. If not, then the danger is minimal and the toxicity of the poison can be neglected.
2. Features of the action of the poison - local or general organism.
local action- swelling and pain in the bitten place. In the worst case, local tissue necrosis and trophic ulcers at the site of the bite. In this case, secondary purulent and anaerobic infections are dangerous.
General body effects of poison- poisoning of the whole organism, the effect on organs and organ systems. In the most severe case - their destruction, and, accordingly, death.

The greatest danger to humans and animals is represented by spider species that can bite through the skin, and whose venom has a pronounced all-organism effect.

It is to these types that spiders of the genus Latrodectus(from the Greek "Latro" - a robber and "Dectus" - biting). There are two most common collective names for spiders of this genus: "black Widow"(Black Widow Spider) and "karakurt"(translated from Turkic - "black bug", "black insect").
These spiders have become widely known due to the toxicity of their venom to humans and agricultural animals and their extremely wide distribution.

Spreading

Representatives of this genus of spiders are common in Eurasia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.
On the territory of Europe karakurts are especially common in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, Moldova, the south of Ukraine, the south of Russia, and the countries of the Caucasus region.
In Russia 50 degrees north latitude is considered the northern border of the range of karakurts. Most often, karakurt is found on the Don, in the Volga region, in the Caucasus, in the South Urals.
In some years, karakurt was met on the shores of Lake Onega (Akimushkin, 1972).
Crimean peninsula considered the traditional habitat of the karakurt.
On the mainland of Ukraine, karakurt is most common in Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Donetsk regions.
There is a myth that karakurt was brought to Ukraine in the middle of the 20th century. These statements are completely untrue. Scientists are aware of the statistics of the late nineteenth century on latrodectism(bites and poisoning by karakurt of humans and animals).
Middle Asia. It is believed that on the territory of Uzbekistan and neighboring states there are at least three types of karakurts - Karakurt Dalia(Latrodectus dahli), karakurt thirteen-pointed(Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) and white karakurt(Latrodectus pallidis). This is the only light-colored representative of this genus.

Systematics

Scientists traditionally disagree on how many species of karakurt spiders inhabit our planet. According to some, there are 20 of these species (Bucherl, 1956), according to others (Levi, 1959), there are only 5 species, and everything else is subspecies and geographical races. In the second half of the 20th century, on the one hand, species new to science were repeatedly described, on the other hand, the independent status of previously described species was questioned and they were reduced to synonyms. So, the final point on this issue has not yet been set. At the moment, most scientists tend to recognize the independent status of the following species:

Latrodectus antheratus (Badcock, 1932) (Paraguay and Argentina)
Latrodectus apicalis Butler, 1877 (Galapagos)
Latrodectus bishopi Kaston, 1938 (USA)
Latrodectus cinctus Blackwall, 1865 (Kuwait)
Latrodectus corallinus Abalos, 1980 (Argentina)
Latrodectus curacaviensis (Müller, 1776) (Antilles, South America)
Dal's karakurt - Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 (Central and Central Asia)
Latrodectus diaguita Carcavallo, 1960 (Argentina)
Latrodectus elegans Thorell, 1898 (China, Myanmar, Japan)
Latrodectus erythromelas Schmidt & Klaas, (Sri Lanka) 1991
Brown or gray widow - Latrodectus geometricus C. L. Koch, 1841 (Central, South, North America, Japan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Hawaii, Africa ... the species range is constantly expanding)
Redback spider – Latrodectus hasselti Thorell, 1870 (Southeast Asia, Oceania, New Zealand)
American black widow - Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 (North America western, Israel)
Latrodectus hystrix Simon, 1890 (Yemen, Socotra)
Latrodectus indistinctus O. P.-Cambridge, 1904 (Namibia, South Africa)
Latrodectus karrooensis Smithers, 1944 (South Africa)
Red capito – Latrodectus katipo Powell, 1871 (New Zealand)
Latrodectus lilianae Melic, 2000 (Spain)
Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775) (USA)
Latrodectus menavodi Vinson, 1863 (Madagascar)
Latrodectus mirabilis (Holmberg, 1876) (Argentina)
Latrodectus obscurior Dahl, 1902 (Cape Verde, Madagascar)
White karakurt - Latrodectus pallidus O. P.-Cambridge, 1872 (Central Asia, South of Russia, Middle East, Iran, North Africa, Cape Verde)
Latrodectus quartus Abalos, 1980 (Argentina)
Latrodectus renivulvatus Dahl, 1902 (Africa, Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
Latrodectus revivensis Shulov, 1948 (Israel)
Latrodectus rhodesiensis Mackay, 1972 (South Africa)
Latrodectus thoracicus Nicolet, 1849 (Argentina and Chile)
Thirteen-spotted karakurt or European black widow – Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi, 1790) (SW Europe to China)
Latrodectus variegatus Nicolet, 1849 (Chile, Argentina)
Latrodectus variolus Walckenaer, 1837 (USA and Canada)

Appearance of karakurt thirteen-point

Female. Body length 1-2 cm.
Most female spiders of the genus Latrodectus are velvety black in adulthood, sometimes with a slight brownish tinge.
Some species have spots or red stripes on the abdomen. Sometimes these spots are thinly edged with a white stripe.
In karakurts living in Europe, only immature females have similar spots on the upper side of the abdomen, and also have an hourglass-shaped pattern on the underside, but as they grow older, the red spots often disappear altogether. Finally, an adult a sexually mature female may be practically devoid of red spots.
Popular articles on the Internet, most often, are accompanied by photographs of American and Australian species of "black widow" in which the pattern on the body is well developed at any age. Such publications are somewhat disorienting and contribute to the emergence of false and irrelevant images among the population.
males much smaller than females. The body of an adult male is 4-7 mm.
The coloring is black. On the lower side on the abdomen of the spider there is a red hourglass-shaped pattern, on the upper side there are three rows of red dots edged in white.
Larval stages. Spiders of the first age are about 1 mm in size. The coloration is brownish-gray with white dots and stripes in place of which red dots will later appear.
From the second to the sixth, in males, and from the second to eighth, in females, the coloration is black with white, and later with red spots.
Karakurt eggs are translucent whitish, located in a dense pear-shaped cocoon (see photo).
Cocoon, about 8-15 mm in diameter, greyish-yellow, ivory, in some species and tinged with orange, contains 50 to 600 eggs.

Biology

Shortly after cocoon formation, the larvae leave the eggs (first instar) but do not leave the cocoon. They hibernate inside the cocoon, and only in spring, having molted in it, the second instar larvae leave the cocoon shell.
After that, the spiders stick together and weave a common web. This makes it easier for them to catch and eat even large prey. At this moment, with a lack of food, the strongest individuals can prey on the weakest.
Gradually, as they grow older, the spiders begin to migrate and weave an individual web.
Different types of karakurts prefer different places for weaving a trapping net. Thus, some American species often settle in buildings and vineyards, while European karakurts prefer the sparse vegetation of sagebrush dry steppes, wastelands, spontaneous dumps and the oppressed vegetation of beaches and shores of salty reservoirs. They can also be found in fields with sparse vegetation (tomatoes, melons, grapes).
Karakurt feeds on a wide variety of insects, arachnids and other arthropods - horse beetles, dark beetles, locusts, grasshoppers, wasps and even predatory centipedes and scorpions.
Mating of karakurts occurs as the females mature. In different species, the ritual of "courtship" is approximately the same, but the finale can differ significantly. At first, the male sneaks up to the female, vibrating and swinging the web in certain ways. This vibration "hypnotizes" the female. She relaxes, stops moving. After that, the male quickly fixes it with a web and fertilizes. After that, the males of some species freely leave the mating place. So the scary story about the mandatory eating of males is a myth. Only the males of some Australian species are eaten. In European and most Asian species, the male is at risk in three ways:
- the female is not yet ready to mate and she will eat any male before mating;
- the female has already copulated and is not inclined to do so in the future, while the male is overly annoying;
- in the conditions of artificial cultivation of karakurt, some females are generally not inclined to mate and eat any male.

Moreover, when mated females were kept together with the males that fertilized them, a situation was sometimes observed when the male remained alive even a month after mating. This is despite the fact that the vessels for the individual maintenance of females did not exceed 10 cm in height and 3 cm in diameter.

In nature, an adult female spins a loose, somewhat chaotic web of characteristic, very strong threads.
Next to the web, a nest-dome is arranged, hidden by plant leaves or other shelter (stone, depression in the ground, household garbage).
She attaches cocoons to the upper part of the dome, the number of which (1-5) depends on the type of karakurt and on the feeding of the female.
The female is next to the cocoons until the onset of cold weather. After the first severe frost, she dies.
By this time, inside the cocoons, the first instar larval spiders have already left their eggs and are waiting for the onset of spring.

Bite statistics and dynamics

Karakurt never attacks large animals himself. Cases of a person being bitten by a karakurt are either an accidental coincidence, or self-defense in the absence of an opportunity to escape.
The most dangerous are immature females of the last ages and adult females.
Male karakurt are too small to bite through human skin and inject enough venom to cause serious poisoning.

Daily dynamics

The period of mass migration of immature females of the last age and adults before and immediately after mating is the most dangerous.
Spiders at this time are already large enough to bite through human skin, and the dose of poison released is sufficient to seriously poison the body. And, most importantly, they are actively moving and looking for new shelters and a place to weave a new trapping web. At this moment, they can penetrate into houses, outbuildings, open tents of tourists, into shoes and clothes thrown on the ground, places of unorganized accommodation for shepherds and agricultural workers. It is at this moment that the number of people bitten at night can reach more than 60% of the total number of victims. The peak of migration depends on the specific geographical point and the temperature schedule of each specific year. Usually it is June and the first half of July. Later, the female may start migrating in case of destruction of shelters with her cocoons or in case of lack of food in the place chosen by her earlier.
The rest of the time, the bite can occur if a person crushes the female or grabs her with his hand, in the process of agricultural work or during rest. The number of bites at this time falls on the daylight hours.

A bit of history

The first reliable data on the bites of karakurt on the territory of the Russian Empire are given by K.N. Rossikov in 1904. He reports that in the Ural region alone in 1896 there were at least 10 deaths. In Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in the same year, there were about 100 cases of fatal bites of people by karakurt. Rossikov also gives veterinary statistics (horses, camels) and documents more than 300 bites per year with a mortality rate of about 28%.

At present, in Ukraine (information from the media), from 60 to 80 people are admitted to hospitals with a diagnosis of "karakurt bite" every year.

Symptoms of a bite and poisoning with karakurt poison

The jaws (chelicerae) of the karakurt are very small and thin. The venom of these spiders has no local irritating effect. The combination of these two factors leads to the fact that, according to statistics, up to 58% of those bitten do not notice the moment of the bite.
The poison injected subcutaneously is gradually spread by the blood throughout the body. Before the first symptoms of poisoning, it takes from 10 minutes to an hour.
There is a sharp pain in the region of the lymph nodes, in the lower back and in the chest.
The pain gradually increases and convulsions appear, which can cover the entire body.
Severe pain in the lower back and calves of the legs can last for several days.
Pain and burning in the abdomen can also last for several days.
These pains are usually accompanied by severe tension in the abdominal muscles (rigidity). Which often leads to an erroneous diagnosis - "acute abdomen", which in turn indicates a purulent infection of the peritoneum. As a result, a person bitten by a karakurt may end up on the operating table.
After 1-2 days, the pain subsides and returns only at the time of convulsions.
Gradually, the pain shifts to the limbs. The calves of the legs are especially sore. There is burning sensation in the feet. Paralysis of the lower extremities may develop.
Bitten feel weakness, periods of strong nervous excitement may be replaced by loss of consciousness. Hallucinations, delusions, symptoms of manic-depressive psychosis, fear of death are not uncommon. Excitation, lasting more than three days, is gradually replaced by apathy. There is a speech disorder, short-term amnesia is possible.
When examining the bitten, swelling of the eyelids and the entire face is noted. Vessels of the face and sclera of the eyes are hyperemic. Hemorrhages in the sclera are possible, as well as all signs of conjunctivitis.
Sweating of the patient is strongly strengthened.
Those bitten often have shortness of breath and a feeling of pressure in the chest, up to suffocation. Moist rales are heard in the lungs. Possible bronchospasm.
There are also violations of the heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and urinary system, up to paralysis of the bladder.
Men have painful priapism.
When bitten by a karakurt, the patient must be delivered to a medical institution. Otherwise, the prognosis will be extremely unfavorable.
Death can occur either as a result of respiratory arrest (spasms, pulmonary edema), or as a result of a violation of cardiac activity.
Even with the most favorable outcome, there is a loss of ability to work for several months. Possible long-term nervous disorders. There may be consequences in the form of kidney and vascular disease, which will require separate long-term treatment.
They inject the poison much deeper, and the burn will only increase necrotic phenomena at the site of the bite.
When cauterizing, the easiest way is to attach one or two match heads to the bite site and set fire to them with another match. Or, heat a small metal object over a lighter and burn the bite with it. It can be the tip of a nail file, a penknife, a thin part of a hair clip, the bend of an invisible hairpin, the tip of nail scissors, the tip of a key ....
Cauterization of the bite site is effective only in the first 1-2 minutes after the bite. If you have been looking for matches for more than two or three minutes, then you need to forget about cauterization and move towards the nearest medical facility. Preferably finding an escort.
Regardless of whether you cauterized the bite or not, you should go to the nearest hospital. If for some reason (you have no obvious symptoms, you were not believed ...) you were not admitted to the hospital, do not leave it. Wait for the first symptoms right there.
Here is an excerpt from a letter bitten by a karakurt man:

“... It was at the beginning of August 2009 ... even before the bite, I noticed that karakurts in Sevastopol come across at almost every step, although this had never happened before! In general, an abnormally massive outbreak!
So, being in the historical center of the city (an abandoned courtyard, abundantly overgrown with wormwood and haze), I sat on an old bench. When I moved my foot, shod in flip flops, I felt something run through, but I didn’t immediately attach any importance ... and only after 5-7 minutes I noticed a female karakurt, who was sitting on my leg, and even a clear bite mark above the ankle.
Immediately realizing that there could be consequences, I immediately went towards the 1st City Hospital (10 minutes walk from the bite site). When I came to the emergency department and tried to explain what happened, the intern who received me said that I was suspicious and cheated myself, since I did not have any external signs of a bite (temperature, dizziness, etc.), but only a bite mark ! This is how I left the hospital, but 4 hours after the bite, I felt a sharp pain in my back, I was thrown into a fever ... then I somehow stopped a taxi and went to the hospital again, then I don’t remember! I came to my senses after 25 minutes, when I was lying in a hospital bed, and doctors were standing nearby ... I once again clearly explained the circumstances of the bite to them and they decided to treat me with hormonal drugs due to the lack of serum!
It’s better not to remember the first day in intensive care, the symptoms are just hellish ...
In general, I was discharged on the 4th day, after which I bypass the karakurts. And to tell this story in one message is simply unrealistic ... "