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SPIDER: inseparable companion of WITCHES

by SofiaMann

Last updated: 04/08/2012
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SPIDERS.....AND WITCHES

"Spinner of webs, an archtrickster, and a silent and murderous trapper, the spider was tiny enought to hide in the hood of a witch's cloak as a familiar and whisper instruction in her ear" (Lehane 106). Margaret Wyard, an accused witch of Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, England, confessed to having a spider among her familiars.

Many people fear or dislike spiders but, for the most part, spiders are beneficial because of their role as predators of insects and other arthropods, and most cannot harm people. Spiders that might injure people-for example, black widows-generally spend most of their time hidden under furniture or boxes, or in woodpiles, corners, or crevices. The spiders commonly seen out in the open during the day are unlikely to bite people.

Witches love spiders and they carry it around.

Learn how to make your own spider for Halloween.

Contents at a Glance

CHILEAN RECLUSE
Fear of spiders
It's fear of spiders an instinctive reac...
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A CHILEAN RECLUSE SP...
Chilean Tiger Spider vs Brown Recluse
DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TIGER SPIDER?

The average size of mature Chilean Recluse spiders is approximately 5/8 of an inch, with a leg span of 1.5 to 2 inches. Male and female are similar in size. The Chilean Recluse is one of the largest recluse spiders.

Chilean Recluse spiders are generally yellowish-brown to reddish-brown in color, with a darker colored violin shaped marking on the top of the cephalothorax (not the abdomen). The violin is easy to see in the photos on this page. The abdomen is a uniform color, with no markings on it.
Chilean Recluse spiders, and the other related recluse spiders, have six eyes arranged in three pairs of two. This is a rather unique feature, as most spiders have eight eyes. A magnified view of the eyes can be seen in a photo below.

The Chilean Recluse is known to have a necrotic bite. This means that the bite causes severe damage to the skin and surrounding tissue, resulting in a large open sore, called a necrotic lesion, that takes a long time to heal. In some cases, systemic effects (i.e. headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, joint stiffness, and/or fever) have been reported as well. Of all the recluse spiders, the Chilean Recluse reportedly has one of the most venomous bites.

Fear of spiders

Many people are afraid of spiders

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It's fear of spiders an instinctive reaction or learned from our elders?

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DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A CHILEAN RECLUSE SPIDER?

Araña rincon hembra 1 de 3: by lapaman2153 | video info

8 ratings | 22,476 views

curated content from YouTube

Chilean Tiger Spider vs Brown Recluse

I found this spider on my wall, don't kill it!
It's called Araña Tigre, or Tiger Spider, it's harmless to humans. But it is the principle predator of the Araña de Rincón (Loxosceles laeta), or Chilean Recluse.
This Chilean Recluse is even more dangerous than its really dangerous North American counterpart, the Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa).

DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TIGER SPIDER?

SPIDER BITES

Halloween spider, witch, Arana de Rincon Loxosceles laeta, Chilean Recluse, Brown Recluse Loxosceles reclusa, necrotic arachnidism, loxoscelism, gangrenous spot of Chile, How to make a beaded spider, Halloween Decorations & Treats for Parties, How to Make a Spider Body Out of Pipe Cleaners, How to Make a Spider Web for Halloween Decorations, Tips for Adding Spider Webbing to Halloween Decorations, How to Make an origami Spider, Spider Bites reactions, first aid treatment of a spider bite, necrotic bite, venomous bites, spider bite symptoms

Unlike mosquitoes, spiders do not seek people in order to bite them. Generally, a spider doesn't try to bite a person unless it has been squeezed, lain on, or similarly provoked to defend itself. Moreover, the jaws of most spiders are so small that the fangs cannot penetrate the skin of an adult person. Sometimes when a spider is disturbed in its web, it may bite instinctively because it mistakenly senses that an insect has been caught.

The severity of a spider bite depends on factors such as the kind of spider, the amount of venom injected, and the age and health of the person bitten. A spider bite might cause no reaction at all, or it might result in varying amounts of itching, redness, stiffness, swelling, and pain-at worst, usually no more severe than a bee sting. Typically the symptoms persist from a few minutes to a few hours. Like reactions to bee stings, however, people vary in their responses to spider bites, so if the bite of any spider causes an unusual or severe reaction, such as increasing pain or extreme swelling, contact a physician, hospital, or poison control center.

Sometimes a person may not be aware of having been bitten until pain and other symptoms begin to develop. Other species of arthropods whose bites or stings may be mistaken for that of a spider include ticks, fleas, bees, wasps, bedbugs, mosquitoes, the conenose (kissing) bug (Triatoma protracta), deer flies, horse flies, and water bugs (Lethocerus spp.).

For first aid treatment of a spider bite, wash the bite, apply an antiseptic to prevent infection, and use ice or ice water to reduce swelling and discomfort. Bites or stings from a variety of arthropods can result in an itching wound. Rather than scratching, if necessary, try to relieve the itch with medication. Scratching can break the skin and introduce bacterial infection, which you or even a physician may mistake for an arachnid bite. If you receive a bite that causes an unusual or severe reaction, contact a physician. If you catch the critter in the act, save it for identification, preserve it (or whatever parts of it remain), and take it to your county UC Cooperative Extension office. If no one there can identify it, ask that it be forwarded to a qualified arachnologist.

Do you have a story of spiders?

Some good or bad memory?

Reply

JosePedro Nov 15, 2011 @ 8:19 am | delete

I don't like spiders.

Reply

Omanaomamana Nov 12, 2011 @ 8:59 pm | delete

Funny lens.

Reply

gypsyman27 May 24, 2011 @ 4:12 pm | delete

I don't remember any encounters with spiders, but I think they are useful for getting rid of nuisance insects like flies. See you around the galaxy...

Reply

Sami4u Oct 1, 2010 @ 12:18 am | delete

Hi,

I was bitten once by a spider :( my leg was numb for awhile and itched and turned red. Not fun.

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MAKE YOUR OWN SPIDER FOR HALLOWEEN

How to make a beaded spider

Halloween Decorations & Treats for Parties : How to Make a Spider Body Out of Pipe Cleaners

How to Make an origami Spider

How to Make a Spider Web for Halloween Decorations : Tips for Adding Spider Webbing to Halloween Decorations

What's the best Halloween costume ever?

Is yours here?

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SPIDER: inseparable companion of WITCHES

SPIDERS.....AND WITCHES

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

CHILEAN RECLUSE

Fear of spiders

Many people are afraid of spiders

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

It's fear of spiders an instinctive reaction or learned from our elders?

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A CHILEAN RECLUSE SPIDER?

Chilean Tiger Spider vs Brown Recluse

DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TIGER SPIDER?

SPIDER BITES

Do you have a story of spiders?

Some good or bad memory?

MAKE YOUR OWN SPIDER FOR HALLOWEEN

How to make a beaded spider

Halloween Decorations & Treats for Parties : How to Make a Spider Body Out of Pipe Cleaners

How to Make an origami Spider

How to Make a Spider Web for Halloween Decorations : Tips for Adding Spider Webbing to Halloween Decorations

What's the best Halloween costume ever?

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