Black widows and brown recluse spiders are the only venomous arachnids known in West Virginia. Though none of the species found in West Virginia are prevalent, care should be taken to avoid them when venturing through their preferred haunts.

Black Widows

Widows build strong, sloppy webs in which the females usually hang upside down. Female widow spiders are bulbous, shiny and 12- to-16 mm long. Males are much smaller with longer legs and are rarely recognized as widows by the lay person. Males are not considered a threat to humans, though they possess venom and can bite. Juvenile widows are usually light colored, and darken to their adult coloration with each successive molt.

The best known of the West Virginia widows is the southern widow, Latrodectus mactans, whose latin name translates as "murderous, biting robber." Like most widows, it prefers dark, cool places in which to build its web -- outhouses, window wells, well covers, and beneath trash.

The red "hourglass" of the southern widow is actually shaped more like an anvil than a perfect hourglass. The southern widow causes many envenomations in humans, particularly in the southern part of its range, where it is most common. .

The northern widow, Latrodectus variolus, prefers undisturbed wooded areas, stone walls, stumps, and similar habitats. The "hourglass" of the northern widow is usually divided into two separate, elongate markings.

Widow bites often are initially painful, but sometimes are not felt. The local skin reaction usually consists of little more than redness around the bite site which disappears within several hours. The venom manifests itself with severe muscle cramping and spasms which usually begins in the legs or abdomen. The abdomen can exhibit a board-like rigidity, and the pain has been compared to that of childbirth or acute appendicitis. Some victims experience anxiety, profuse sweating, nausea, piloerection (hair standing on end), and increased blood pressure. Paralysis, stupor, convulsions, and psychological abnormalities may occur in severe cases. Death may occur in a small percentage of cases, particularly when the victim is a small child or elderly person.

The treatment for widow spider bites may vary according to the age of the victim and the severity of the poisoning: The most common effective treatment is the intravenous administration of the muscle relaxant calcium gluconate, often requiring several courses of treatment to abate the cramping and spasms: Robaxin (Methocarbamol) has been used successfully in cases that did not respond well to calcium gluconate.

Brown Recluse

The recluse spiders have six (rather than the typical eight) eyes, arranged in a horseshoe pattern in three clusters of two eyes each. All recluse spiders, as well as the six-eyed crab spiders, are now considered venomous to humans. The adult brown recluse has a body length of 10-12 mm. This species is also frequently called the "fiddleback" or "violin" spider, due the violin-like marking on the dorsal cephalothorax.

In natural habitats, recluse spiders live beneath rocks and fallen debris. In areas inhabited by humans, they may reside in houses and other buildings and may be found in attics, barns, cellars and storm shelters. They can often be found in the folds of clothing, shoes, or underneath boxes in storage rooms. Most species have a mild temperament and bite only when accidentally pressed against skin.

Recluse bites can produce a slow healing necrotic lesion. The systemic effects of brown recluse spider bite (which occur in a small percentage of cases) include chills, fever, nausea, muscle pain, and other flu-like symptoms. In severe cases, convulsions may occur, as well as abnormalities in the clotting ability of the blood. Bites by the recluse spiders should (for the moment) include treatment of the local lesion and the use of corticosteroids in systemic poisoning.