Abstract
Humankind has always been fascinated by venomous animals, as their toxic substances have transformed them into symbols of power and mystery. Over the centuries, researchers have been trying to understand animal venoms, unveiling intricate mixtures of molecules and their biological effects. Among venomous animals, Latrodectus Walckenaer, 1805 (widow spiders) have become feared in many cultures worldwide due to their extremely neurotoxic venom. The Latrodectus genus encompasses 32 species broadly spread around the globe, 14 of which occur in the Americas. Despite the high number of species found in the New World, the knowledge on these spiders is still scarce. This review covers the general knowledge on Latrodectus spp. from the Americas. We address widow spiders’ taxonomy; geographical distribution and epidemiology; symptoms and treatments of envenomation (latrodectism); venom collection, experimental studies, proteome and transcriptome; and biotechnological studies on these Latrodectus spp. Moreover, we discuss the main challenges and limitations faced by researchers when trying to comprehend this neglected group of medically important spiders. We expect this review to help overcome the lack of information regarding widow spiders in the New World.
Highlights
Among the members of the Araneae order, Latrodectus spp. are well known for constituting a hazard to humans
Maretić [4] reported similarities in the clinical symptoms of the envenomation caused by distinct species of widow spiders, such as L. mactans, L. hesperus, L. variolus, and L. bishop; L. tredecimguttatus (Eurasia); L. cinctus, L. indistinctus, and L. menavodi (Africa); L. hasselti (Oceania); and the semicosmopolitan L. geometricus
It is worth mentioning that the Instituto Vital Brazil (Niterói, Brazil) has already registered an anti-Latrodectus serum produced against L. curacaviensis venom [126, 127], which could potentially be used in the near future to treat the accidents caused by widow spiders in the Brazilian territory
Summary
Among the members of the Araneae order, Latrodectus spp. (widow spiders) are well known for constituting a hazard to humans. Maretić [4] reported similarities in the clinical symptoms of the envenomation caused by distinct species of widow spiders, such as L. mactans, L. hesperus, L. variolus, and L. bishop (the Americas); L. tredecimguttatus (Eurasia); L. cinctus, L. indistinctus, and L. menavodi (Africa); L. hasselti (Oceania); and the semicosmopolitan L. geometricus. For this reason, in this review, we described the general clinical symptoms of latrodectism using reports from the American continent and comparing them, when necessary, with reports from elsewhere. It is worth mentioning that the Instituto Vital Brazil (Niterói, Brazil) has already registered an anti-Latrodectus serum produced against L. curacaviensis venom [126, 127], which could potentially be used in the near future to treat the accidents caused by widow spiders in the Brazilian territory
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