ID Request (Spider Bite)

[Once Bitten]

Hi all,

I recently suffered what appears to be a spider bite, then a couple days later I found this spider (pictured below) in an adjacent room. This is not necessarily the same spider that bit me of course, but I'm looking to get an identification as I know very little about spiders. This picture is very zoomed in. I'd say from one leg to the opposite leg it was probably about a quarter inch, definitely less than half an inch. And of course the body is much smaller than that. From googling, my best guess is that it's a juvenile black widow, which lines up with the symptoms of the bite I have (probably from an adult female black widow).

FWIW, my bite area is on the inside of my biceps. I did not see any spider at the time I first felt it, so it's likely that the bite took place earlier. At first it felt like a mild sting/itch, not much different than a mosquito bite. But then over the course of the next 36 hours, an area about 4" in diameter around the bite became red, swollen, and somewhat firm. It does itch, but not incredibly so. I have mostly abstained from scratching it. Also, the second night I slept on it, I felt a tiny bit of pain in other parts of my upper arm and even all the way up in my hand on the same arm.

Anyways, I would greatly appreciate if anyone can confirm this identification as I need to determine if I need to go to the ER and/or hire an exterminator. I just moved into this house in Seattle a month ago and this spider was seen in the basement with a small cobweb-type web. It's been 48 hours since the bite so far and I'm about to sleep on it again. Obviously monitoring to see how the bite area progresses. Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[RebelWolf]

Hi,

Looking at the image, I think it's more of a brown widow spider due to its brown and creme colors. And brown widow venom is weaker than black widow venom where the symptoms are not nearly severe as the black widows venom and the latrodectism that comes after the bite. Again, seems like a brown widow or a look alike, maybe I could be wrong, are there any othe photos of this spider you have? Where is the spider now? What other symptoms have you experienced?

I'm not sure if any of this helps. Hope for the best

 

[ColeopteraC]

Hi all,

I recently suffered what appears to be a spider bite, then a couple days later I found this spider (pictured below) in an adjacent room. This is not necessarily the same spider that bit me of course, but I'm looking to get an identification as I know very little about spiders. This picture is very zoomed in. I'd say from one leg to the opposite leg it was probably about a quarter inch, definitely less than half an inch. And of course the body is much smaller than that. From googling, my best guess is that it's a juvenile black widow, which lines up with the symptoms of the bite I have (probably from an adult female black widow).

FWIW, my bite area is on the inside of my biceps. I did not see any spider at the time I first felt it, so it's likely that the bite took place earlier. At first it felt like a mild sting/itch, not much different than a mosquito bite. But then over the course of the next 36 hours, an area about 4" in diameter around the bite became red, swollen, and somewhat firm. It does itch, but not incredibly so. I have mostly abstained from scratching it. Also, the second night I slept on it, I felt a tiny bit of pain in other parts of my upper arm and even all the way up in my hand on the same arm.

Anyways, I would greatly appreciate if anyone can confirm this identification as I need to determine if I need to go to the ER and/or hire an exterminator. I just moved into this house in Seattle a month ago and this spider was seen in the basement with a small cobweb-type web. It's been 48 hours since the bite so far and I'm about to sleep on it again. Obviously monitoring to see how the bite area progresses. Thanks in advance for your responses.

View attachment 351528

The spider pictured is just a harmless orb weaver (looks like a missing sector orb weaver) but I’m unfamiliar with U.S. spiders. It’s nothing dangerous however...

What makes you so sure a spider bit you? (pics of the bite would be appreciated) There are plenty of other candidates.

If it gets any worse in the next 24 hours or new symptoms begin to arise I doubt it could hurt to check it out. You may learn the identity of the assailant there as well.

Hi,

Looking at the image, I think it's more of a brown widow spider due to its brown and creme colors. And brown widow venom is weaker than black widow venom where the symptoms are not nearly severe as the black widows venom and the latrodectism that comes after the bite. Again, seems like a brown widow or a look alike, maybe I could be wrong, are there any othe photos of this spider you have? Where is the spider now? What other symptoms have you experienced?

I'm not sure if any of this helps. Hope for the best

Definitely not a brown/false widow, the legs would be much longer and the abdomen far more glossy.

 

[RebelWolf]

Definitely not a brown/false widow, the legs would be much longer and the abdomen far more glossy.

Yeah, you're definitely right. After some digging, my claims as false, it is some kind of orb weaver, although with the size and image, it was difficult to make out

 

[The Snark]

But then over the course of the next 36 hours, an area about 4" in diameter around the bite became red, swollen, and somewhat firm.

Thickening or hardening of the surrounding area is a typical classic symptom of a secondary infection. Potentially MRSA. Keep very clean and covered and if symptoms persist, pus or weeping becomes evident, pain increases, or you develop any cardio, pulmonary or neurological symptoms seek professional advice immediately.

Always keep in mind, even the most benevolent charming spider as that orb weaver has a thing about kissing dead bodies and they don't brush their teeth very often.

 

[NYAN]

FWIW, my bite area is on the inside of my biceps. I did not see any spider at the time I first felt it, so it's likely that the bite took place earlier. At first it felt like a mild sting/itch, not much different than a mosquito bite. But then over the course of the next 36 hours, an area about 4" in diameter around the bite became red, swollen, and somewhat firm. It does itch, but not incredibly so. I have mostly abstained from scratching it. Also, the second night I slept on it, I felt a tiny bit of pain in other parts of my upper arm and even all the way up in my hand on the same arm.

These are not anywhere close to the symptoms of Latrodectism, which come from widow spider envenomations. The only similarities are redness at the bite site. The medically significant species of widow spider cause muscle cramps, sweating, and other neurological symptoms.

Your spider is in the Theridiidae family, maybe a Perasteatoda sp.

Your main error here is determining that random lesion on arm + finding a random spider = spider bite. Spiders don’t just randomly bite people, contrary to popular belief.

Go to a dermatologist if you feel the need to; there’s nothing anyone can do here over the internet to diagnose you.