• The insect is called the black widow, as the female karakurt ruthlessly eliminates her suitors after mating. With rapid movements of the paws, she braids them with cobwebs and inflicts a deadly bite. Therefore, among the people, the female karakurt is compared with a widow.
  • At the beginning of the 20th century, the karakurt was considered a particularly dangerous insect, from the bites of which up to 400 people per year and about 350 livestock died.
  • Karakurt spiders, hatched from eggs, live in a cocoon for about six months, and then leave their home. At the same time, they actively eat each other and as a result only the strongest survive.
  • Without medical intervention, the spread of spider venom in the human body for more than 3 days is fatal.
  • In order to protect herself from enemies, the black widow is able to pretend to be dead in a split second, shrinking and falling to the ground from the web.

Despite the fact that karakurt is considered one of the most poisonous insects among I never thought that someday I would write about these spiders, but they got to the Rostov region, where I live. My city is located on the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, and for the last three years these spiders simply do not give life to residents of the private sector located by the sea. Now, every summer, a special service walks around the coastal private sector, which catches these spiders, and their egg layings are simply immediately burned out by fire. In our city, there were cases when karakurts bit local residents, people were urgently hospitalized to the hospital! Fortunately, everyone was saved, but the neighborhood with these spiders is very unpleasant and dangerous! They winter well with us, in short, they have taken root well!

Black, scary and ominous, with long thick legs, with shiny black eyes, and a bright red stripe on the abdomen - these spiders terrify Almaty residents. As employees of the Institute of Zoology told a NUR.KZ correspondent, these spiders are not so dangerous. These are the so-called "false karakurts".

False karakurts are very similar to the "original" - rather large, black, long-legged spiders. But one thing distinguishes them: a bright red stripe on the abdomen. In a real karakurt, the whole body and paws are not as glossy as those of a false one, but velvety, and there are red stripes only on the lower part of the abdomen, or even they do not exist at all.

In addition, a real karakurt prefers to settle away from a person, while a false one, on the contrary, settles within the city and feels great among people. Unlike false, real karakurt loves the steppe, and settles under stones or in rodent burrows. Around his lair there is always a web, in which dead grasshoppers and other insects usually hang.

A species from the family of web spiders enjoys not quite deserved notoriety. The spider karakurt received such fame for the reason that there are much more dangerous and poisonous species of arachnids. But in the Soviet Union, he was considered for a long time. There were no developed means of communication then, and people knew little about the fauna of other continents and countries.

Description

Spider karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) belongs to the genus. The name is of Turkic origin and is used on the territory of the CIS and adjacent countries of Central Asia. The first part of the word "kara" does not cause discrepancies and means "black". The second part is usually translated as "worm". And here doubts arise. Depending on how the first letter of the word “kurt” is written in Latin: k or q, the meaning of the word changes. In addition to "worm", it can mean "beetle" or "wolf". The last two names are more suitable for the spider.

On a note!

In Europe, tracing paper from the Latin name is more popular: thirteen-pointed widow. This name is based on the appearance of the Asian karakurt.

area

Karakurts are steppe spiders that prefer dry terrain with warm winters. The territories where karakurts live occupy the entire dry belt of the Eurasian continent: from Spain to the steppe part of China.

In Russia, the northern boundary of the distribution of karakurts is 50 ° N. sh. But in the hot summer, these spiders were also met to the north. They even came across on the shores of Lake Onega.

Interesting!

With a high degree of probability, arthropods penetrated the north not by themselves, but with the help of humans. They cannot take root there and die in winter.

In Central Asia, 3 types of karakurts live on the same territory at once:

  • thirteen-pointed (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus);
  • Dal's karakurt (Latrodectus dahli);
  • white (Latrodectus pallidus).

Thirteen-point is divided into 2 subspecies: Asian and European. The second name of the latter is the European widow.

Appearance

Karakurts are medium-sized spiders. The body of the female is 1 to 2 cm long. The male is only 4-7 mm in size. The female has a very large, almost spherical abdomen and long paws sticking out from under it. In the photo of the karakurt spider, you can see that the longest are the first and last pair. On the posterior surface of the abdomen are arachnoid warts, through which the silk thread is released into the external environment.

The cephalothorax appears very small compared to the body. But the spider has very powerful chelicerae designed to bite through the chitinous shell of a large locust.

Internal structure

In this respect, karakurt does not stand out among others. In the cephalothorax are located:

  • poison gland;
  • esophagus;
  • sucking stomach;
  • gastric outgrowths;
  • anterior aorta.

The spider's heart is located in the abdomen, like all other organs:

  • liver;
  • ostia;
  • posterior aorta;
  • intestines;
  • spider gland;
  • trachea;
  • female's ovaries.

The genital opening and the seminal receptacle are located on the underside of the abdomen, closer to the cephalothorax.

Color

The European and Asian subspecies of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus differ from each other in the color of the spots on the abdomen. The Asian has large red spots in the amount of 13 pieces. Sometimes these spots are outlined by a white border. The European subspecies has mild white spots. Both subspecies coexist in the same territory and often interbreed.

On the territory of Central Asia, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus shares its range with two other species: Dal's karakurt and white karakurt. The photo and description of these spiders coincide almost completely. The exception is color. Karakurt Dalia - black without any marks. White karakurt is the only light representative of the genus of black widows and the color of its abdomen is really white. The head is light brown.


On a note!

White karakurt is the least poisonous representative of the genus of black widows.

Lifestyle

Karakurts can hunt both at night and during the day. Its not the correct form, like, but a disorderly heap of trapping threads. The web is also oriented not like other netters - vertically, but in a horizontal plane. The main prey of spiders are locusts and grasshoppers. These invertebrates usually move on the ground. A web located horizontally near the habitat of the arthropod is better suited for catching such game. The karakurt itself can wait for the victim, located in a shelter above the web. For a dwelling, the karakurt chooses rodent burrows or ventilation system openings.

On a note!

Karakurt are fertile. The female can lay 1000-1300 eggs per year. Once every 10-20 years there is an outbreak of arthropods.

The life span of karakurts is less than a year. The juveniles hatched in April become capable of breeding in June. At this time, spiders begin to migrate, looking for secluded places protected from heat. In shelters, they weave temporary webs for mating.

After fertilization, the female eats the male and goes in search of a suitable place where she can lay her eggs. Having found a suitable shelter, the spider hangs 2-4 cocoons with eggs in it. In April, hatched young growth to new habitats.

In the same area, that is, throughout Eurasia, there are spiders that look like karakurt in appearance and size. These are web spiders from the same family Theridiidae as karakurts. But they belong to the genus steatodes. Since steatodes look almost like karakurts, they received the unofficial name "false widows".

On a note!

Large steatoda (Steatoda grossa) has pale light spots on the abdomen, similar to the color of the European subspecies of karakurt.

The color of the abdomen in steatodes can be:

  • with beige or white spots;
  • with a thin red line covering the abdomen along;
  • with a yellow stripe down the back;
  • with small red spots.

Because of the latter, the steatoda is mistaken for a poisonous karakurt spider. But the steatoda is not so poisonous, and it does not entail serious consequences. According to the initial signs: increasing pain, sometimes nausea and headache - the action of the poison of steatoda and karakurt is similar. This also makes it difficult to distinguish one spider from another. But from the poison of steatoda, the body can recover on its own in a few days.

Bite symptoms and first aid

The male karakurt is not dangerous to humans, as it is not able to bite through the skin. The female bites to a depth of 0.5 mm. The poison of these arthropods rarely leads to death, especially after the appearance of anti-karakurt serum, but the victim is provided with a lot of unpleasant sensations.

Females are not aggressive and attack only when threatened. But they can consider the accidental touching of the web as a threat.

On a note!

Camels and horses are especially sensitive to poison.

But sheep can be used as an anti-karakurt weapon. They are insensitive to poison and trample spider nests on pastures.

Symptoms

The action of the poison is instantaneous. A burning pain appears at the site of the bite of the karakurt, which spreads throughout the body within 10-15 minutes. There are very severe pains in the chest, abdomen and lower back. There is a spasm of the abdominal muscles. There are signs of general poisoning of the body:

  • rapid pulse;
  • heartbeat;
  • dyspnea;
  • vomit;
  • tremor of the limbs;
  • pallor or, conversely, the face turns red due to the rush of blood;
  • heaviness in the chest area;
  • pupil dilation;
  • uncontrolled movement of the eyeball;
  • in men, priapism is possible;
  • bronchial spasm.

On a note!

Later, you can notice a delay in urination and defecation. In the later stages, nervous excitement is replaced by severe depression. Perhaps the appearance of delirium and clouding of consciousness. Fatal outcome is rare, but it cannot be ruled out.

Treatment and first aid

Treatment is carried out in stationary conditions. In the absence of antikarakurt serum, novocaine, magnesia and calcium chloride are administered intravenously. The victim still needs to be taken to the hospital, and for this you need to know what to do if you are bitten by a karakurt somewhere far from civilization.

First aid can only be provided for the first 2 minutes. The affected area is cauterized with a burning match. Under the influence of high temperature, the poison is destroyed. But in this case, the victim must be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.

They pose a great danger to humans. But these predators are huge and will not go unnoticed. You should know that creatures that are difficult to notice can pose a much greater danger, because they do not exceed a five-ruble coin in size. One of these is the spider karakurt. In this article you will find a description and photo of the karakurt spider, as well as learn a lot of new and interesting things about this spider from the genus of black widows.

Karakurt looks like a medium-sized spider. Females of karakurt significantly exceed males in size. The female karakurt grows to a size of 2 cm, while the male karakurt has a size of only 0.7 cm.


Karakurt looks quite unusual. The karakurt spider has a black body, and on its abdomen it has red or orange spots of various shapes. Both male and female karakurt have this coloration. Sometimes there may be a white stroke around the spots. Often, when reaching maturity, the karakurt spider can become completely black without spots.


Where does karakurt live?

Karakurt lives in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, in Iran and Afghanistan, along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in North Africa, in southern Europe and Ukraine. In Russia, karakurt lives in the southern regions. The karakurt spider is especially common in the Astrakhan region, the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea.


In especially hot periods, this spider can migrate to the northern regions, but in such regions the karakurt lives only until the onset of winter. The most favorable living conditions for karakurt are those areas where there are hot summers and warm autumns. Karakurt lives in desert and steppe zones, on wastelands, salt marshes, slopes of ravines and abandoned buildings.


Karakurt bite

The poison of the karakurt is quite strong, so the bite of the karakurt can be fatal. Fortunately, the karakurt only attacks if disturbed. The poison of karakurt affects both animals and humans. The bite of a karakurt is imperceptible at once and manifests itself within 10-15 minutes. During this time, the poison of karakurt is already spreading throughout the body and the first signs of toxic poisoning begin to appear. Symptoms of a karakurt bite begin with a burning pain that spreads throughout the body. Typically, patients complain of severe pain in the chest, abdomen and lower back.


Also, a karakurt bite has the following symptoms: increased heart rate, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, headache, trembling, vomiting, sweating, spasms in the bronchi and urinary retention. In the later stages of poisoning, a person begins to darken consciousness and delirium. Fatal cases have been recorded in humans and farm animals bitten by a karakurt.


Experts say that people with strong immunity will more easily endure the bite of a karakurt than those weakened by diseases or allergies. It should be remembered that the highest concentration of poison in black widows occurs during the mating season and after laying eggs; in other seasons, bites are less terrible. Males, in principle, do not pose a danger, since they do not have poison and, due to their small size, cannot bite through the skin.


To neutralize the action of the poison of karakurt, anti-karakurt serum is used. Novocaine, calcium chloride and magnesium hydrosulfate are also administered intravenously, which give positive results. If it is impossible to get medical help, you should burn the bite of a karakurt with a burning match. But this must be done no later than 5 minutes after the bite. You can also burn the bite site with a hot metal object. Since the spider bites through the skin to a depth of only 0.5 mm, the poison that has not had time to be absorbed is destroyed by heating. But even after cauterization, you must seek medical help.


Livestock suffer from karakurt bites, especially camels and horses. These animals often die from the poison of the karakurt. Once every 10 years, mass reproduction of the karakurt spider occurs, during these years animal husbandry suffers great losses. Now karakurt is destroyed with the help of insecticides, which are sprayed on the soil. Of course, the poison of the karakurt is not aimed at harming humans or livestock, but serves the spider only to get food. Karakurt eats various beetles, flies, locusts, cicadas and grasshoppers.


The karakurt spider is called the black widow, as the female karakurt kills her husband after mating. But the black widow of the karakurt will not survive the eaten husband much, because with the onset of cold weather, the female dies.


Karakurts become capable of breeding at the beginning of summer and begin migration in search of partners. With the onset of heat (July-August), females and males of karakurt arrange temporary networks for mating. After that, the female karakurt is looking for a secluded place to equip the lair, where she can place cocoons with eggs.


Such a place often becomes various depressions in the soil, abandoned rodent burrows, as well as drainage of ventilation systems. At the entrance to the lair, she stretches a chaotically intertwined web. The female karakurt hangs 2-4 cocoons in the den, where they survive the winter.


In April, karakurt cubs will leave their cocoons. With the onset of summer, mature karakurt cubs will go in search of partners. Despite the fact that the karakurt spider is very prolific and has a very strong poison, it still has enemies in nature. The enemies of the karakurt spider are hedgehogs, wasps and riders. Also often comes the destruction of the laying of karakurt eggs by herds of sheep and pigs, which simply trample them.

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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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