New geographic records of the brown spider Loxosceles amazonica Gertsch, 1967 (Araneae, Sicariidae) in Northeastern Brazil and its medical importance

Abstract

Introduction: Loxosceles species, known as brown-spiders, are considered to be of medical importance, being responsible for the most severe form of araneism in Brazil. Loxosceles amazonica is a still little-studied species with wide geographic distribution in Northern, Northeastern, and Central-Western Brazil, although it is reported in a few localities. Objectives: new geographic records of L. amazonica are reported in northeastern Brazil in this study. Methods: occasional records for this spider were obtained in herpetological studies or fortuitously in urban environments, between September of 2011 and August of 2012. Results: specimens were found in the States of Paraiba (Matureia and Serra Branca), Pernambuco (Serra Talhada), and Maranhao (Itapecuru Mirim, Santa Ines, Arari, Buriticupu, and Bom Jesus das Selvas) in a synanthropic form associated with houses in altered areas, and in an autochthonous form in secondary forests, in Amazon and the Caatinga domains. Conclusions: there is little information about the epidemiology of accidents with L. amazonica, however, it is likely that the species is the primary etiological agent of loxoscelism in its distribution area, which allows recognizing the species as of medical importance.