Letter: Description of Two Cases of Spider Bites Attributed to Loxosceles rufescens (Araneae, Sicariidae) in Albania

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  Letter: Description of Two Cases of Spider Bites Attributed to Loxosceles rufescens (Araneae, Sicariidae) in Albania Fewer than 0.5% of spider species are medically significant, with the genus  Loxosceles  responsible for most dermonecrotic envenomings. 1 , 2  In the Mediterranean,  Loxosceles rufescens  is the primary species associated with loxoscelism. 2  This synanthropic spider thrives in human dwellings, typically biting only when inadvertently provoked. 1 , 3 , 4  Its venom, containing sphingomyelinase D, triggers local inflammation and necrosis, 1 , 5  and rarer the acute localized exanthematous pustulosis. 6  Diagnosis is often challenged by initial painlessness, leading to frequent misidentification as bacterial infections. 2 , 4 , 5  These cases in Albania highlight the need for improved clinical recognition of regional spider-bite occurrences. 7 Two cases were retrospectively documented via interviews and photos. Infor...

First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil

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First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Microtrombidiidae is one of the most diverse families in the Parasitengona, with more than 120 genera and 400 species. The genus Araneothrombium was originally described from larvae parasitizing juvenile orchard orbweaver spiders (Tetragnathidae) in Costa Rica. To date, there are no records of microtrombidiid mites associated with Brazilian spiders. This study reports the first larval description of Araneothrombium parasitizing three different families (Araneidae, Salticidae, Sparassidae) of juvenile spiders in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Herein, a new species, Araneothrombium brasiliensis Bassini-Silva, Welbourn and Jacinavicius n. sp., is described. This discovery expands the known distribution of the genus Araneothrombium, which was previously only recorded in Costa Rica, to now also include Brazil. With this new record, the genus is confirmed to occur in at least two countries in the Neotropical region. The morphological characteristics of the new species were analysed using light and scanning electron microscopy, providing insights into its morphology.

Bassini-Silva, R., Welbourn, C., Ochoa, R., Brescovit, A. D., & de Castro Jacinavicius, F. (2025). First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil. International Journal of Acarology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2025.2566344