Interactions Between the Chilean Recluse Spider (Araneae: Sicariidae) and an Araneophagic Spitting Spider (Araneae: Scytodidae).
In Chile, all necrotic arachnidism is attributed to the Chilean recluse spider, Loxosceles laeta Nicolet, a species that shares the microenvironmental habitats with the spitting spider Scytodes globula Nicolet. The latter species has been proposed as a potential predator of L. laeta. For this research, we studied the interaction between both species during individual encounters to assess the possibility of population regulation of L. laeta cohorts exposed to this potential predator. We found that in most encounters S. globula prevailed. Also, S. globula preys on spiderlings of L. laeta, with a population effect on cohorts of this species. These findings suggest that S. globula may be influencing L. laeta populations in central Chile. The population regulation of L. laeta by predation would be important because this species, in the absence of predators, has a high reproductive rate, and it can maintain populations of large size. However according to our results, although S. globula may aid in the reduction of both spiderling and adult L. laeta populations, and perhaps other Loxosceles species, it is insufficient for biological control of Loxosceles species. Its presence together with other control measures such as hygiene of the rooms can help to decrease loxoscelism incidence.
Programa de Salud Ambiental, Instituto de Salud Poblacional, Escuela de Salud Pública Salvador Allende G., Santiago, Chile. Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. CP: 8380413 and Departamento de Zoología; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. Corresponding author, e-mail: mcanals@uchile.cl.
Mauricio
M
Canals
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, CP: 8820808 Chile.
Nicolás
N
Arriagada
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, CP: 8820808 Chile.
Rigoberto
R
Solís
D000818:Animals; D063287:Brown Recluse Spider; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013112:Spiders
Loxosceles laeta; Scytodes globula; loxoscelism; spider predation