Journal article
First report of brown widow spider sightings in Peninsular Malaysia and notes on its global distribution
Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Vol.21(1), Art. 11
2015
Abstract
Background
The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus Koch, 1841) has colonised many parts of the world from its continent of origin, Africa. By at least 1841, the species had successfully established populations in South America and has more recently expanded its range to the southern states of North America. This highly adaptable spider has been far more successful in finding its niche around the world than its famous cousins, the black widow, Latrodectus mactans, found in the south-eastern states of North America, and the red-back, Latrodectus hasselti, found mostly in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Methods
We performed an extensive web search of brown widow sightings and mapped the location of each sighting using ArcGIS. Specimens reputedly of the species L. geometricus were collected at three localities in Peninsular Malaysia. The spiders were identified and documented based on an examination of morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding.
Results
The spiders found in Peninsular Malaysia were confirmed to be Latrodectus geometricus based on their morphological characteristics and DNA barcodes. We recorded 354 sightings of the brown widow in 58 countries, including Peninsular Malaysia.
Conclusion
Reports from the Americas and the Far East suggest a global-wide invasion of the brown widow spider. Herein we report the arrival of the brown widow spider in Peninsular Malaysia and provide notes on the identification of the species and its recently expanded range.
Details
- Title
- First report of brown widow spider sightings in Peninsular Malaysia and notes on its global distribution
- Authors/Creators
- M. Muslimin (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaJ-J Wilson (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaA-R.M. Ghazali (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaK.A. Braima (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaJ. Jeffery (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaF. Wan-Nor (Author/Creator) - Universiti Putra MalaysiaM.E. Alaa-Eldin (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaS-W Mohd-Zin (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaW.S. Wan-Yusoff (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaY. Norma-Rashid (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaY.L. Lau (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaM. Rohela (Author/Creator) - University of MalayaN.M. Abdul-Aziz (Author/Creator) - University of Malaya
- Publication Details
- Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Vol.21(1), Art. 11
- Publisher
- BioMed Central Ltd as part of Springer Nature
- Identifiers
- 991005540060707891
- Copyright
- © 2015 Muslimin et al
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 1 Clinical & Life Sciences
- 1.181 Molecular Toxicology
- 1.181.2229 Scorpion Envenomation
- Web Of Science research areas
- Toxicology
- Tropical Medicine
- Zoology
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science