Spider spider poisonous or not. Spider cross. Description, features, types, lifestyle and habitat of the cross. The main differences of the mysterious creature

The cross spider, also known as the crusader, araneus, belongs to the family Araneidae. There are 621 species in the genus of crosses. Spiders live all over the world, common in our area. You can meet a predator everywhere - in the forest, on the field, on the edge, in the park, in the garden, in the yard, outbuildings. Often crawls into the house through cracks in the wall, open windows, doors.

Description and photo of the cross spider

The body size of females is from 20 to 40 mm, male - 10 mm. Consists of a round convex abdomen, cephalothorax. The body is covered with a strong shell, the legs are covered with villi. The crusader spider has 10 limbs, of which 4 pairs are walking legs. The anterior ones perform the functions of claws - they capture the victim, hold it in the process of feeding. The legs are symmetrical to the size of the body. The structure does not differ from the typical. The cephalothorax is connected to the abdomen by a thin bridge.

How many eyes does a cross spider have - 8. They are placed on the front of the head. 6 in the center, 2 large on the sides. This provides a broad outlook, but does not provide good vision.

Interesting!

The spider is short-sighted, sees everything in general terms - movement, shadow, silhouette. The organs of smell and touch help to navigate in space. They are located on the legs. Once in an unfamiliar place, the spider gently feels the space initially with its paws, and then moves.

What a crusader looks like depends on the species. The structure of the body is not different, but the color is different.

• The meadow cross lives in places with humid air, a warm climate, and dim light. Painted in brown, yellow, red tones. On the belly on the upper side are white spots in the form of a cross. Thanks to this identification mark, all species of araneus are called crosses. Meadow predator on the grass, preys on small insects.
• The forest cross differs from the garden, meadow in a darker color. The body is dark brown with white stripes. On the abdomen, a characteristic white or brown sign of the cross is clearly visible. Paws are long. The largest cross in Russia. The size, together with the span of the legs, reaches 4 cm.
• The Far Eastern cross is distinguished by its large size. Habitats - forest, field, meadow. The color is brown with different shades. The cross on the abdomen is white or yellowish. Weaves the largest web, which reaches a diameter of 2 m. Even frogs, toads, and snakes can get entangled in strong networks.
• An orange or yellow spider with a cross on its back is an ordinary crusader that lives in the shady places of the forest, field, meadow, garden. Araneus angulatus is a rare species listed in the Red Book. Body size about 18 mm.
• A predator with a red cross on its back is a kind of meadow cross. Bright spots scare off enemies, but do not mean that this representative of the genus is more poisonous.
• A black spider with a white cross on its back is a crusader that lives near swamps, in the forest, in the fields, rarely approaches a person’s house. Outwardly, it resembles a tegenaria.

What a cross looks like depends on the species, but distinguishes them from other representatives of arachnids by a characteristic pattern on the back in the shape of a cross. Hence the name came from.

Where does it live

The species is distributed throughout Europe, some species live in North America. Favorable conditions for existence are high humidity, high temperature, lack of direct sunlight. Ideal habitats are coniferous forests, swamps, edges, hedges. Less often they settle in meadows, fields, gardens, kitchen gardens, outbuildings, residential buildings. In Russia, the CIS countries there are about 30 types of crosses.

On a note!

Once in a person's house, the spider chooses places away from noise and light. Occupies the corners at the top of the room, below the furniture. Weaves a web. It feeds on "domestic" insects -,. To get rid of a spider with a cross on its back, you need to remove its web, throw it out into the street, poison the "living creatures".

Lifestyle

The common cross spider is a resident of the wild, but under certain circumstances. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle, during the day it sits motionless in a shelter or on a web of cobwebs. He weaves it at night. From the leaves he makes a shelter for himself, between the branches he builds trapping nets.

Experts managed to find out how a female cross weaves a web. The network consists of 39 different radii, which expand as they move away from the center, 35 spiral turns, 1245 points of contact of the threads. The radius of the web of a large Far Eastern cross reaches 2 m.

Interesting!

At night, the female weaves nets; during the day, the victim is caught in her. The damaged areas are eliminated by the spider, and new coils are formed in place. Birds are natural enemies, but their activity decreases with the onset of darkness. The crossbar can work quietly.

The lifespan of a spider is theoretically 2 years. Under natural conditions, it is somewhat shorter. How long a spider spider lives as a pet depends on the correct care. Quietly lives up to 2 years.

Food

The main diet consists of insects of various sizes. Flies, wasps, hornets, grasshoppers, locusts, caterpillars, butterflies come across in the spider's trapping webs. Snakes, frogs, toads, and mice get entangled in large, strong webs.

There is no internal digestive system, the liquefaction of food occurs externally. The spider bites the victim, injects poison that paralyzes the muscles, immobilizes the prey. The cross launches saliva into the insect's body, wraps it in cobwebs, and waits for several minutes. In 5-20 minutes, the insides of the victim turn into a liquid mass, which the predator sucks.

reproduction

The mating season begins at the end of summer. The female waits for the male on her web, feels his approach by the fluctuation of the nets. After fertilization, weaves a cocoon, lays up to 250 eggs inside. Carries with him, then leaves in a secluded place. In this state, the young hibernate. Spiderlings are born at the end of April.

The maturation period lasts several months. During this time, the nymphs molt about 5 times, increase in size, acquire a characteristic color. By the end of summer they become sexually mature. Caterpillars serve as food for young animals.

On a note!

How adult spiders hibernate - they hide in the crevices of walls, utility rooms, forest litter, tree hollows. They show activity with an increase in air temperature in the spring.

Poisonous or not crusader

The poison is toxic to invertebrates, vertebrates. It affects the body of rats, mice, humans, rabbits. Sheep, horses, guinea pigs, dogs are resistant to poison. For insects, invertebrates, a crusader attack is fatal. Animals have a temporary deterioration in well-being, external irritation.

The crusader is not dangerous to humans. At the sight of people, the spider tries to hide unnoticed. However, in case of a threat to their own lives, they can bite. There are 2 small spots on the body. Initially, there is pain, burning. The next day there is suppuration. In people with weakened immune systems, children after the general state of health worsens. There is weakness, nausea, headache, dizziness, discomfort in the abdomen. The condition returns to normal in a few days.

The cross-spider can be found in the forest, park, on the window frames of village houses and cottages. Most of the time, the spider sits in the center of its trapping web of sticky thread - cobwebs.

The body of the spider consists of two sections: a small elongated cephalothorax and a larger spherical abdomen. The abdomen is separated from the cephalothorax by a narrow constriction. Four pairs of walking legs are located on the sides of the cephalothorax. The body is covered with a light, strong and rather elastic chitinous cover.

The spider periodically molts, shedding its chitinous cover. During this time it grows. At the front end of the cephalothorax there are four pairs of eyes, and below a pair of hook-shaped hard jaws - chelicerae. With them, the spider grabs its prey.

There is a canal inside the chelicerae. Through the channel, the poison from the poisonous glands located at their base enters the body of the victim. Next to the chelicerae are short, covered with sensitive hairs, the organs of touch - the leg tentacles.

At the lower end of the abdomen there are three pairs of arachnoid warts that produce cobwebs - these are modified abdominal legs.

The liquid released from the spider webs instantly hardens in the air and turns into a strong cobweb thread. Different parts of spider warts secrete different types of webs. Spider threads vary in thickness, strength, stickiness. The spider uses different types of cobwebs to build a trapping web: at its base, the threads are stronger and not sticky, and the concentric threads are thinner and stickier. The spider uses the web to strengthen the walls of its shelters and to make cocoons for its eggs.

Internal structure

Digestive system

The digestive system of a spider consists of a mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines (anterior, middle and posterior). In the midgut, long blind outgrowths increase its volume and absorption surface.

Undigested residues are brought out through the anus. The spider cannot eat solid food. Having caught prey (any insect), with the help of a web, he kills it with poison and lets digestive juices into his body. Under their influence, the contents of the caught insect liquefies, and the spider sucks it up. Only an empty chitinous shell remains from the victim. This type of digestion is called extraintestinal.

Circulatory system

The spider's circulatory system is not closed. The heart looks like a long tube located on the dorsal side of the abdomen.

Blood vessels branch off from the heart.

In a spider, the body cavity has a mixed nature - in the course of development it arises when the primary and secondary body cavities are connected. Hemolymph circulates in the body.

Respiratory system

The respiratory organs of the spider are the lungs and trachea. Lungs, or lung sacs, are located below, in front of the abdomen. These lungs evolved from the gills of the distant ancestors of aquatic spiders.

The spider-cross has two pairs of non-branching tracheas - long tubes that deliver oxygen to organs and tissues. They are located in the back of the abdomen.

Nervous system

The nervous system of a spider consists of the cephalothoracic ganglion and numerous nerves extending from it.

excretory system

The excretory system is represented by two long tubules - Malpighian vessels. With one end, the Malpighian vessels blindly end in the body of the spider, with the other they open into the posterior intestine. Through the walls of the Malpighian vessels, harmful waste products come out, which are then brought out. Water is absorbed in the intestines. Thus, spiders conserve water, so they can live in dry places.

Reproduction. Development

Fertilization in spiders is internal. The female cross spider is larger than the male. The male carries the spermatozoa into the female genital opening with the help of special outgrowths located on the front legs.

She lays her eggs in a cocoon woven from a thin silky cobweb. The cocoon weaves in various secluded places: under the bark of stumps, under stones. By winter, the female cross spider dies, and the eggs hibernate in a warm cocoon. In the spring, young spiders come out of them. In autumn, they release cobwebs, and on them, like on parachutes, they are carried by the wind over long distances - spiders are resettled.

Millions of different spiders live in nature, killing entire armies of insects that are dangerous both for humans and for their homes.

And if not for these arthropods, then the number of mosquitoes, moths, aphids and other insects would be much larger, which would cause great discomfort to people and animals.

What it looks like: description, internal and external structure of the body

One of the most common representatives of the family of round-web spiders is the cross-spider, with more than 1000 varieties. Consider the brightest representatives of this family, which are the main characteristics of the body structure.

Common cross (Araneus diadematus)

This type of cross is a small spider.

Its external characteristics are as follows:

• the body of an adult male reaches a maximum of 1.1 cm, females are larger, specimens up to 4.0 cm can be found;
• the body cover consists of a strong shell of a yellow-brown hue, which changes during the molting period;
• wondering how many legs an ordinary cross has, you need to know that the spider has 8 legs, each of which plays its role in the life of an arthropod;
• the sense organs are well developed. The spider has a good sense of smell and taste, thanks to the hairs that cover the entire body, it easily captures even the smallest fluctuation or vibration;
• four pairs of eyes, each of which is turned in different directions, create an extensive horizon.

Important! Despite the large number of eyes, arthropods of this species are short-sighted. They can only see shadows and outlines of large objects.

Angular (Araneus angulatus)

Another type of spider-cross, which is listed in the Red Book in many countries.
External differences are represented by the following indicators:

• females reach small sizes, a maximum of 1.8 cm, but they are still larger than the male, whose length is only 1.2 cm;
• they do not have a cross, instead, small humps in the amount of 2 pieces, which are located in the abdomen;
• the whole body is dotted with light-colored hairs;
• the oral apparatus is located on the cephalothorax;
• eyes count 8 pieces;
• there are 4 pairs of legs on the body.

In general, the parts of the body and the respiratory organs are no different from other representatives.

Marble (Araneus marmoreus)

This type of spider has its own external differences:

• has significant sexual dimorphism. Females grow much larger than males. Their length is up to 18 mm, spiders grow up to 8 mm;
• these arthropods are endowed with an extensive range of colors and patterns. However, the most common is an orange belly and a black pattern. It is this variation that gives the species its name.

The remaining organs, as well as the digestive and respiratory systems, are the same as those of other spiders of this species.

Where does it live and how long does it live

Habitat - wet and damp terrain. The greatest probability of meeting with him can occur in places where a large number of trees grow, where they stretch their web, as well as along the banks of reservoirs and even in the attics of various buildings.

Did you know? 2.5 billion years ago, the first spiders appeared on Earth, which gave life to more than 30 thousand species of spiders that live almost everywhere today.

More than 30 species of spiders live in Russia and the former CIS countries, including Ukraine. This species of arthropod is a hermit predator, and the main feature of its behavior is an extremely negative attitude towards its own kind. At night, these arthropods weave their trapping webs, and during the daytime they hunt their prey.

What does it eat

The main diet of the spider are small insects. The female during the day absorbs food in an amount equal to her weight. When an inedible insect enters the web, the spider gets rid of it by breaking the threads.
He also tries to avoid flies and wasps, which can lay eggs on other animals. Hunting occurs in two ways: in the center of the web or from a nearby shelter.

The predator is not able to immediately consume food, so it quickly injects aggressive juice into the caught prey, places the prey in a cocoon and waits for the victim's insides to turn into a nutrient solution. This process takes about 1 hour, after which the spider sucks out the prey, and the cocoon remains.

Spider spider web

All the webs that spiders weave are no different from one another, since the ability to weave a web is inherent in these predators at the genetic level. Only females are engaged in weaving such beautiful, intricate patterns.

Did you know? In microbiology, the web is used as the thinnest optical fiber to identify the composition of the air located in the atmosphere.

The web has strictly 39 radii and 1245 points of their attachment to the spiral, which, in turn, consists of 35 turns. The threads that make up the web are light, but at the same time they are very strong - they are used by the inhabitants of the tropics for weaving nets and fishing gear. In addition, the threads are very elastic.
In the process of arranging her creation, the female uses two types of threads. The base and radii are woven from dry fibers of a strong structure without a sticky coating and stretched between the branches.

Then the spider begins to weave the threads, which are located from the center to the edges, and the spiral thread, which will be the basis for the trapping spiral. After the work done, the spider lays a web with an adhesive base from the center of her creation.

The spiders themselves move only along dry threads, so they do not stick to their trapping webs. It takes about one hour for the spider to weave the entire web.

poisonous or not

The venom of the brown cross contains heat-labile hemolysin, which has a negative effect on blood cells.

However, its dose is so small that it can only harm small animals. For humans, a spider bite is not dangerous, but minor discomfort may occur if you are allergic to animal bites.
At the site of the bite, there is a quickly passing minor pain and itching. To quickly relieve these symptoms, it is necessary to wash the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin with soap and apply something cold, ice if possible, then apply an ointment to relieve inflammation.

Important! The spider never attacks first - a bite is possible with accidental contact.

Reproduction and offspring

The mating season for spiders takes place in August. During courtship, the male, in order not to become a victim, carefully approaches the edge of the web, pulls the strings with his paws and waits until the female responds in kind. Then mating occurs, after which the male dies.

If you like walking in the forest, then you probably came across a large spider with a cross on its back, weaving skillful webs in tree branches. That's what it's called - a cross. This is the most common genus of arachnids in our latitudes, numbering over 2 thousand species. Is it worth it to be afraid? You may not be afraid, but you should be afraid. The arthropod avoids contact with a person, but if you try to catch it or crush it by negligence, a rather painful bite cannot be avoided.

Let's get to know each other better

A spider with a cross on its back gave the name to a whole genus of arachnids, although not all crosses have such a bright sign. The arthropod belongs to the family of orb-weaving spiders. The species of interest to us is an ordinary cross, it is common in the middle lane and in the south of Russia, it is afraid of the cold, therefore it does not climb into the northern regions.

What do crosses look like?

The female cross is larger than the male and can reach a length of 2.5 cm. The representative of the opposite sex is half the size. Let's dwell on the most striking identification signs.

• Coloring. The body of the spider is yellowish-brown in color, covered with whitish, as if camouflage, spots. In individuals living in the sun, the color is darker, in the shade - lighter. On the upper part of the abdomen, several oblong and rounded spots stand out, forming a white pattern in the shape of a cross.
• Large round belly. If there is one, then you have a “girl”. In males, the abdomen is narrow and not as convex.
• A lot of hairs that cover the cephalothorax, abdomen, limbs. They perform not only a protective, but also a tactile function.
• Darker rings are visible on walking legs.

Otherwise, the structure of a spider with a cross is the same as that of other arachnids - 4 pairs of legs and simple eyes, a piercing-sucking type of mouth apparatus (jaws). All this is located on the cephalothorax.

Habitat

Krestovik loves sheltered from the sun, wet places, so he settles in thickets of shrubs, on trees, in tall grass. The "unsociable" nature of the hermit is manifested in the fact that he can often be found in neglected places - in abandoned plots, run wild gardens, in dilapidated country houses. Here, a spider with a cross on its back is expanse - know, braid everything with a trapping web, no one will disturb.

Lifestyle

Night hunter, predator, hermit, tireless worker - these are perhaps the most significant characteristics of the nature and lifestyle of the cross.

Potential victims are small insects, which our hero catches with the help of a wheel-shaped web, arranged almost vertically. She is very sticky. Flies, mosquitoes, aphids, once in the net, stick tightly, and when trying to get out, they get even more tangled.

Every night the spider works - inspects the network, weaves new ones. If someone too big, for example, a bumblebee, got caught in the net, the cross prefers not to get involved and breaks the web.

Interesting! In weaving trapping nets, the spider-cross is a virtuoso. This "talent" is laid down at the genetic level. And no matter how many networks are compared, they are all made according to the same principle. Exactly 39 thick threads-radii diverge from the center, 35 turns of sticky web are fixed on them in a circle. Accordingly, there are always 1245 attachment points. Here is such spider arithmetic!

Features of spider hunting

A spider with a white cross on its back hunts from ambush. He does not sit on a web, but hides in a special shelter, usually among dense foliage. To the lair from the center of the trap there is a “signal thread”, which the cross is watching. The slightest fluctuation of the thread - the hunter is right there.

The spider holds the entangled insect with the help of its jaws. To immobilize the victim, it pierces the chitinous cover with sharp chelicerae, injects poison. After that, it swaddles the prey with a bundle of cobwebs. In addition to poison, the spider injects a digestive enzyme into it, which literally digests the insides. The fact is that the spider's digestive system is able to absorb ready-made nutrients, and the digestion process itself takes place remotely, in fact, inside the body of the victim.

After a while, the cross-spider again approaches its prey to feast on lunch.

Interesting! This is a rather voracious arthropod. Every day, the cross eats up to a dozen insects, and it can catch several hundred! If there is a lot of prey, it leaves in reserve. In this case, the victim is only paralyzed and wrapped in a cocoon, digested as needed.

The basic Instinct

The mating season begins towards the end of summer. Cross females behave like real ones - after fertilization they eat a partner. In autumn, the female lays eggs (about 300 pieces), around which weaves a dense cocoon of soft cobwebs. For some time she wears it on herself, then hides it in a secluded place, attaching it to some surface. After which he dies.

Juvenile spiderlings appear in the spring of the next year, but reach sexual maturity only after wintering, the next summer.

Interesting! The web is not only a hunting device, but also a means of transportation for spiders. The arthropod throws out a light thread and it is carried by the wind. In this way, they cover a distance of up to 400 km.

The benefits of crosses

A spider with a cross on its back benefits a person.

1. He eats a huge number of insects, many of which harm the garden and vegetable garden.
2. In folk medicine, the web is used. It is a powerful antibacterial agent, which is used in the "field" conditions for disinfection and healing of wounds.
3. Adhesive web is able to capture the smallest microparticles. Scientists use this property to analyze the composition of air in a given area.
4. The inhabitants of the tropics rely on the strength of the cobweb - weave nets and fishing nets from it.

The danger of a cross for a person

The bite of a spider with a cross is no more dangerous for a person than if it were stung by a bee. Feels like an instant sharp prick. A swelling appears at the site of the bite, a small white spot in the puncture zone, the skin around it turns red, itches. The body is freed from toxins in 24 hours.

More severe symptoms are felt by people suffering from an allergic reaction to insect stings. They may experience:

• headache;
• weakness and aches in the joints;
• chills;
• temperature rise;
• swelling, including mucous membranes;
• burning, tingling of the bite;
• thickening of the skin in the lesion.

Note! Most often, the cross bites a person when he picks it up or the arthropod accidentally gets under the clothes. There were cases when the spider climbed into the tent through an open window.

First aid for a bite

To minimize with a cross on your back, do not neglect first aid. It should be remembered that along with the poison, an infection can enter the wound, which will do no less harm, and maybe even more than the toxin itself. What should be done first?

1. Wash the bite site thoroughly with cold, running water and soap.
2. If the swelling is severe, apply a cold compress, you can use ice for a short time.
3. Take an antihistamine such as suprastin, loratadine, zodak.
4. After some time, an ointment can be applied to the site of the lesion, which relieves itching and swelling (Fenistil, Sinaflan).

If the cross has bitten a child, do not wait for a reaction to the poison, immediately consult a doctor.

Precautionary measures

Although crosses are quite common, direct contact with them is not difficult to avoid.

Going into the forest, wear closed clothes, avoid thickets if you notice circular webs of cobwebs in them.

Arriving after the winter at the dacha, carefully inspect the window openings, cornices, avoid the set cobwebs, do the cleaning with gloves. The same applies to gardening.

If you find a cross, admire it from a distance, do not touch it with your hands.

What is a spider-cross:

Spider cross or common cross is very common in nature. It can be observed on the banks of rivers, lakes, wet meadows, forests, as it loves damp places.

Belongs to the family of roundworms. It is believed that this representative of a kind is a hermit and does not like arthropods of other species. Is the cross spider dangerous for humans? This question is in every person's head, and we will try to give a detailed answer to it.

Let us consider in more detail what it is, what its features are, what danger it poses to a person.

A cross or a crusader does not choose a specific continent for his dwelling according to any parameters, he lives everywhere.

Appearance of an adult

According to the description of the appearance, everyone can determine that at least once in his life he met with the bearer of this sign on the back, but not everyone knows what to expect from him.

The insect got its name precisely because of the uncomplicated coloring. On its back there are several light spots that form something similar to a cross. The tone of its color depends on the place of its stay.

That is, for example, if the spider is in direct sunlight, then its color fades and becomes pale brown, if in shaded thickets, then dark brown. This feature saves the spider from pests, which can be birds or other insects, for example, flies that can lay eggs right in the crusader's torso.

The sizes depend on the sex of the adult, that is, the male reaches up to 10 mm, and the female up to 20 mm. some female specimens reach 26 mm in length. In the short life of a spider, molting occurs, a period when the chitinous cover changes. It is at this time that the growth of the body occurs.

On a small head are two pairs of black eyes, which is very characteristic of arachnids. This feature helps the insect to quickly orient itself at the sight of the victim. But the spider cannot clearly see its enemy or food, it only reacts to movement or shadow, the outlines of objects. The body of the insect is densely covered with small hairs, which play the role of organs of touch, they feel any vibration that occurs around.

The spider has 4 pairs of legs, at the end of which there are three claws. Insects are especially active at night, in the daytime they prefer to hide in the leaves of trees or tall grass.

Reproduction and life cycle

Individuals of these spiders are dioecious, that is, a female and a male. The mating season between them takes place in August. After mating occurs, the female eats the male, but sometimes it happens that the male manages to escape.

Video: Female kills male after mating

From the threads of the web, the uterus weaves a cocoon in which eggs are laid. The female always carries this dense bag with her or hides it in a secluded place, but at the same time she protects it with dignity. Egg laying takes place in autumn. In early spring, little spiders hatch from the cocoon. Their maturation, that is, their puberty, comes by the summer. After that, the mother dies.

The male is looking for a suitable female for himself, but at the same time he knows that he can be eaten by her, therefore, next to the female web, he weaves threads for himself, along which he can escape. After visiting the female several times, they mate and the cycle repeats again.

For one clutch, from 300 to 800 eggs are laid in a cocoon, which overwinter well, and in the spring, at the first warm days, babies appear. At first they are in a cocoon, but with the establishment of constant warm weather, they begin to spread and lead an independent life.

Diet

The diet of crosses is very diverse.

It can be:

• Drosophila flies;
• flies;
• mosquitoes;
• bees;
• grasshoppers;
• other small insects.

To catch its food, the cross spider uses a trapping web. If a very large prey or flies and wasps that lay their eggs on the spider come across it, then the insect, breaking the threads, releases it.

If a small fly or other edible insect comes across in the net, then the crusader eats food immediately or, having entangled it in a cocoon, hides it in a secluded place so that other individuals do not eat his breakfast. The process of hunting is very interesting. After weaving the web, the spider hides in the foliage or sits quietly to the side. After the fly is caught, it begins to flutter, creating vibrations that are transmitted to the spider along a signal thread woven into the web.

After that, the insect crawls up to the caught victim and pierces it with its jaw apparatus. The crusader uses external digestion, that is, while catching a fly, the insect injects digestive juice into its victim, which completely dissolves it from the inside. The spider can only suck out the prepared contents.

Is it poisonous?

There is a statement that the cross is very dangerous for humans, but in fact it is a myth. In reality, a spider with a cross is dangerous and poisonous to small animals, which can be mice, rats and other rodents.

For people and large animals, such as cows, horses are not dangerous, except for itching and burning after being bitten by a spider.

What is useful spider crusader

First, we dispelled the myth that the cross spider is poisonous to humans. Secondly, it should be proved that it brings considerable benefits in nature. An adult cross, of any kind, destroys a large number of insect pests that are carriers of dangerous diseases.

1. Strong web threads have been used since ancient times for weaving fishing tackle: nets and nets.
2. is the basis of many fabrics and decorations. For example, the French wove stockings and gloves from the threads of spider webs.
3. Even scientific research uses the web. It is used in microbiology to determine the composition of atmospheric air.
4. Some scientists have long been using the web in measuring optical instruments.
5. It is believed that the cross web has disinfecting and antiseptic properties, as it is able to destroy bacteria and viruses.

Therefore, if you meet a spider on your way with a cross on the outside of the abdomen, you should not run away “like fire”, remember that it is not dangerous, but very useful.

Crusader Spider Bite Danger

There are about 2 thousand crusaders in the world, only 30 of them can be found in Russia. All of them have almost the same features of life, but differ only in appearance, habitat and distribution area. It cannot be said that one species is more dangerous than the other. This saying can only be applied to specific insects that will become spider food.

If you still had to face the cross carrier, then in some cases it may remain invisible, that is, you will not feel the bite and the consequences. But sometimes they can be pronounced.

Bite symptoms

The bite is obtained by accidentally breaking the web. It doesn't specifically attack people.

If the bite did occur, then you can notice this by the following symptoms:

• redness of the bitten place;
• burning;
• short-term pain;
• slight increase in body temperature;
• headache.

All symptoms appear within five minutes. If during this time nothing has appeared, then the danger has passed. Not a single death from a bite of a cross has been noted in the history of mankind.

Help with a bite

To disinfect and remove redness from the skin, you must perform the following measures:

1. Wash the wound with soap and running water to eliminate infection.
2. You can apply dry ice or cold application.
3. To eliminate headaches and relieve fever, you can drink antipyretic drugs.
4. With intolerance to the poison of the cross, an allergic reaction may occur. To eliminate it, you need to take an antihistamine.
5. In the case when the situation does not change, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Precautionary measures

Even if the bite is not fatal, it can be a big nuisance.

To avoid this, you need to follow some rules:

1. When spending the night in nature, you have to sleep in a tent, so before spending the night, check the fabric room for the invasion of "eight-legged guests".
2. Before putting on clothes and shoes, check for a spider inside. The same goes for bedding.
3. If a web is found, it is better not to contact it, since only “evil” females of the cross are weaving the web.
4. If you have a spider in front of you, you should not run away, it is better not to do anything at all and protect small children from it.

Conclusion

The opinion that all spiders are poisonous is one hundred percent true, but their poison is dangerous to varying degrees. Someone's bites can be fatal for a person, some will simply cause minor irritation.

The latter concerns the crusader spider and its relatives of this genus. Even if an unpleasant meeting with him occurred, a number of rules must be followed, and the threat to health will pass.

Video: Spider-cross Araneus diadematus