Insects and spiders live everywhere in Russia. We encounter them in the apartment, on the city streets, in nature. A meeting with some of them may end badly. Although they are miniature, they are extremely dangerous.
Ticks
Every year, dozens of Russians die from tick-borne encephalitis, and the geographic spread of this serious disease is constantly expanding. If previously the most dangerous regions were the Siberian and Ural districts, then in last years The habitat of iscod ticks, which are carriers of encephalitis, has expanded. Residents of the Volga region and central regions of Russia are under threat.
Karakurt
Although karakurt is translated from Turkic as “black insect,” it is, of course, not an insect, but a spider, one of the most dangerous in the world. The traditional habitat of karakurts is the southern regions of Russia, but in Lately cases of karakurt bites were also recorded in the Saratov, Volgograd regions and even in the Moscow region. It is also found in more northern latitudes, but only in summer period- these spiders do not survive cold winters.
Karakurts are also called " steppe widows“Since it is the females that pose a threat to animals and humans, the males of these spiders are smaller and simply cannot bite through the skin.
The female bites the skin with her chelicerae to a depth of 0.5 mm, so one of the emergency methods to prevent infection is to cauterize the bitten area with a lit match, but no later than two minutes after the bite. The main way Treatment for spider venom is the use of anti-karakurt serum and intravenous administration of novocaine, magnesium hydrogen sulfate and calcium chloride.
The karakurts themselves do not attack unless they feel threatened, so you need to be vigilant in their habitats.
Horseflies
One of the most annoying and dangerous insects for humans are horseflies. Despite the name, they see their prey clearly; horse flies are attracted to dark colors of clothing, the smell of sweat and movement.
It is not so easy to protect yourself from horse flies; they are fast and maneuverable, reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour and usually fly in droves. In order to get enough, the female horsefly can fly around several victims. Horseflies are dangerous because they can carry pathogens on the surface of the body. anthrax, filariasis, tularemia and other diseases.
The bites of these insects themselves are painful and dangerous. The female horsefly secretes saliva containing toxins and anticoagulants into the bite site. They prevent blood clotting and cause prolonged bleeding from the wound, which does not heal for a long time. A bonus to a horsefly bite is that a non-healing wound attracts other blood-sucking insects, and toxins in the saliva can lead to allergic reactions, redness and painful swelling of the skin.
Hornets
Hornets are considered the largest wasps in Europe. The working individual of the common hornet reaches a length of 20-25 mm, and the uterus reaches up to 35 mm. Again, only female hornets are dangerous to humans; males do not even have a sting.
Hornet venom has a strong allergenic effect. It contains histamine and some toxins that promote the additional release of this substance from the cells of the affected tissue. Histamine accelerates allergic reactions, so even for people who are insensitive to the components of the poison, a hornet bite will be painful. Hornet venom contains a large number of acetylcholine, which causes severe irritation nerve endings and acute pain at the site of the bite.
Reaction to a hornet attack different people very different. For some, the allergy manifests itself only as swelling, while for others the temperature may rise, headache and heart rate increase. IN in rare cases available anaphylactic shock and even death.
Unlike a bee, a hornet can use its sting many times; after one bite, it retains a sufficient amount of poison, the supply of which is gradually replenished.
Bees
Bees are the real supermen of insects. They are equipped with a unique navigation system that allows them to navigate in space with amazing accuracy. Their visual abilities are limited, but to find the right path, nature has endowed bees with the ability to navigate by the Sun, sense the Earth’s electromagnetic field and remember visual objects.
The bees are incredible and beneficial insects, but they are also very dangerous. According to statistics, people die every year in the world more people from bee and wasp stings than from snake bites.
A tumor from a bee sting appears almost instantly. Even people who are not allergic to bee venom develop redness at the site of the sting. Depending on the sensitivity of the body to the components of bee venom, a person may develop a tumor, an increase in temperature, chills and convulsions, dizziness and vomiting.
Bee stings are especially dangerous in blood vessels, head or oral cavity. It is highly discouraged to swallow bees; this can lead to swelling of the pharynx and can lead to death from suffocation.
It is important to know that if a bee stings, you do not need to kill it immediately. Firstly, unlike a wasp, without a sting, the bee itself will die, and secondly, the killed bee releases Chemical substance, which will be an alarm signal for its relatives.
Poisonous spiders in Russia are not such a rare phenomenon. A meeting with them can end in quite big troubles, even hospital bed and even death. The latter happens rarely and only in the case of untimely or incorrectly provided assistance.
There are no disagreements here either among specialists or among ordinary people no and cannot be. Karakurt is the only one of all the representatives of arthropods living in the vast expanses of our country whose bite can be fatal.
Appearance
Only females reaching a size of 15-20 mm are dangerous to humans. They have two distinctive signs that prevent karakurts from being confused with other representatives of arthropods. There are exactly 13 bright spots or dots on the upper side of the black abdomen. Naturally, there is no time to count them, but the very combination of black with bright spots should serve as a signal of danger. On the underside of the abdomen there is one equally bright spot in the shape of an hourglass.
Habitats
Karakurts are thermophilic. They live on Southern Urals, in the Caucasus and in the Black Sea regions. However, recently the habitat of this spider has expanded to more northern regions Russia, right up to the Moscow region. Explain it global warming, but more optimistic scientists are sure that this happens only in very hot years, and not always.
Consequences of a bite
Karakurt, who has a very strong poison, unlike other spiders, it is very aggressive and bites not only for the purpose of self-defense. He can attack purposefully, so you should not only tease him, but also approach him with great caution. The bite itself is very painful, and after 10-15 minutes the pain spreads throughout the person’s body and becomes almost unbearable.
If assistance is not provided in a timely manner, which consists of administering a special serum, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, fever, headache and dizziness, tremors, profuse sweating, a feeling of heaviness in the chest.
First aid
The only thing that can be done for the victim is to take him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
Other poisonous spiders of Russia
In the vastness of the Russian Federation, you can meet other representatives of arthropods that are capable, if not of killing a person with their bite, then of causing a lot of painful sensations.
Bagworm (bag spider). This spider is aggressive enough to attack even in the absence of direct danger. The bite is not fatal, but is accompanied by very severe pain, which can spread very quickly throughout almost the entire body.
Pouch spider False black widow. First of all, it is dangerous because it often gets into living quarters. After the bite, acute, prolonged pain, weakness and fever are felt. Symptoms may last up to two days.
As you can see poisonous spiders This is far from uncommon in Russia, but only the female karakurt should be greatly feared. You can easily cope with the consequences of bites from other arachnids on your own. However, seeing a doctor is highly recommended.
First aid for a spider bite
Not everyone can distinguish one type of spider from another, despite the fact that the colors and patterns on their abdomens are different. And they all differ from each other in size and length of their legs. However, often people begin to panic and simply do not pay attention to what their offender looks like.
In most cases, symptoms begin to appear quite quickly and first aid should also be prompt, but thoughtful.
- The first thing to do is wash the wound with soapy water.
- The next action should be aimed at preventing the spread of the poison. This is achieved in two ways: immobilize the affected limb with a splint and apply a tight bandage above the bite site, thereby reducing blood circulation.
- It is worth applying to the wound itself cold compress, which will also delay the action and spread of the poison.
- Drinking more will also be a reducing factor. It will also help remove poison from the body.
- In order to relieve painful symptoms, you can give the victim an aspirin tablet.
Having done all this, there is no need to calm down. It is imperative to take the victim to a doctor, even if he is a few kilometers away. The clinic will provide more qualified assistance and will be able to accept emergency measures in case of complications.
Of course, you can add some more aspects, covering the question: are there poisonous spiders in Russia and what to do if you encounter them. But this information will be for specialists. Ordinary people need to remember that under no circumstances should they play and have fun with spiders. But you shouldn’t just destroy them either.
Spider (lat. Araneae) belongs to the phylum arthropod, class Arachnida, order Spiders. Their first representatives appeared on the planet approximately 400 million years ago.
Spider - description, characteristics and photographs.
The body of arachnids consists of two parts:
- The cephalothorax is covered with a shell of chitin, with four pairs of long jointed legs. In addition to them, there is a pair of claws (pedipalps), used by mature individuals for mating, and a pair of short limbs with poisonous hooks - chelicerae. They are part oral apparatus. The number of eyes in spiders ranges from 2 to 8.
- Abdomen with breathing holes located on it and six arachnoid warts for weaving webs.
The size of spiders, depending on the species, ranges from 0.4 mm to 10 cm, and the span of their limbs can exceed 25 cm.
Coloring and pattern on individuals different types depend on the structural structure of the integument of scales and hairs, as well as the presence and localization of various pigments. Therefore, spiders can have both dull, monochromatic and bright colors of various shades.
Types of spiders, names and photographs.
Scientists have described more than 42,000 species of spiders. About 2,900 varieties are known in the CIS countries. Let's consider several varieties:
Blue-green tarantula (lat. Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens)– one of the most spectacular and beautifully colored spiders. The tarantula's abdomen is red-orange, its limbs are bright blue, and its carapace is green. The size of the tarantula is 6-7 cm, with a leg span of up to 15 cm. The spider’s homeland is Venezuela, but this spider is found in Asian countries and in African continent. Despite belonging to tarantulas, this type does not bite spiders, but only marks special hairs located on the abdomen, and only in case of severe danger. The hairs are not dangerous for humans, but they cause minor burns on the skin, similar in effect to nettle burns. Surprisingly, female chromatopelma are long-lived compared to males: the lifespan of a female spider is 10-12 years, while males live only 2-3 years.
Flower spider (lat. Misumena vatia) belongs to the family of side-walking spiders (Thomisidae). Color varies from absolutely white to bright lemon, pink or greenish. Male spiders are small, 4-5 mm long, females reach sizes of 1-1.2 cm. Species flower spiders distributed throughout European territory(excluding Iceland), found in the USA, Japan, and Alaska. The spider lives on open area, with an abundance of flowering herbs, as it feeds on the juices of those caught in its “embraces” and.
Grammostola pulchra (lat. Grammostola Pulchra)- a variety that is natural environment lives only in Uruguay and southern regions Brazil. A rather massive spider, reaching a size of 8-11 cm, with a dark color and a characteristic “metallic” sheen of hairs. In nature, it prefers to live among the roots of plants, but almost never digs its own burrows. Pulhra often becomes a pet among connoisseurs of exotic pets.
Argiope Brünnich or wasp spider (lat. Argiope bruennichi) – a spider with an unusual coloring of the body and limbs - yellow, black and white stripes, for which it received its name. True, the male wasp spiders are not so bright, and they are smaller in size than the females: the “young ladies” reach a size of 2.5 cm, and together with the legs - 4 cm, but the male rarely grows more than 7 mm in length. The species is widespread in Europe, Asia and southern Russia, in the Volga region and in North Africa. The Argiope spider lives in meadows with an abundance of grass, on the edges of forests. The web of the argiope is very strong, so it is difficult to tear it, it will only stretch under pressure.
Hunter bordered (lat. Dolomedes fimbriatus) widespread on the Eurasian continent and occurs along the shores of bodies of water with standing or very slow flowing water. Often settles in marshy meadows, shady forests or gardens with high humidity. The body length of the female edge hunter varies from 14 to 22 mm, the male is smaller and rarely larger than 13 mm. The color of spiders of this species is usually yellowish-brown or almost black, with light yellow or white stripes on the sides of the abdomen.
(lat. Lycosa tarantula)- a species of spider belonging to the family of wolf spiders (lat. Lycosidae). Lives in the open spaces Southern Europe: often found in Italy and Spain, digs burrows half a meter deep in Portugal. The size of the tarantula is impressive - up to 7 cm in length, individuals are usually colored red, less often - brown, with several transverse stripes on the body light color and one longitudinal.
Spiny orb-weaving spider or " horned spider» (lat. Gasteracantha cancriformis) distributed in the tropics and subtropics, in the southern part of the USA, in Central America, in the Philippines, in Australia. The size of the female is 5-9 mm, the width reaches 10-13 mm. Males are 2-3 mm long. The legs of the spiny spider are short, and there are 6 spines along the edges of the abdomen. The color of the spider is very bright: white, yellow, red, black. On the abdomen there is a pattern of black dots.
Peacock spider(lat. Maratus volans). The color of this spider comes in all sorts of colors: red, blue, light blue, green, yellow. The coloring of females is paler. An adult reaches a size of 4-5 mm. Males attract females with their beautiful outfit. The peacock spider lives in Australia - in Queensland and New South Wales.
Smiling spider (lat. Theridion grallator) or a spider with a happy face is completely harmless to humans. This one lives unusual spider on Hawaiian Islands. Its body length is 5 mm. The color of the spider can be varied - pale, yellow, orange, blue. This species feeds on small fish, and the bright coloring of the individual helps confuse enemies, especially birds.
Black Widow (lat. Latrodectus mactans)- it is very dangerous and poisonous species spiders Lives in Australia North America, and is also found in Russia. The size of females reaches 1 cm, males are much smaller. The body of the black widow is black, and on the abdomen there is a characteristic red spot in the shape of an hourglass. Males are brown with white stripes. The bite is deadly.
Karakurt (lat. Latrodectus tredecimguttatus)- This is a type of deadly poisonous spider from the black widow genus. The female karakurt has a size of 10-20 mm, the male is much smaller and has a size of 4-7 mm. On the belly of this scary spider There are 13 red spots. In some varieties, the spots have borders. Some mature individuals are devoid of spots and have a completely black shiny body. Lives in Kyrgyzstan, in the Astrakhan region, in the countries Central Asia, in the south of Russia, Ukraine, in the Black Sea and Azov regions, in the south of Europe, in North Africa. Karakurt was also seen in Saratov region, Volgograd region, Orenburg region, Kurgan region, in the south of the Urals.
Spiders live everywhere and are found in all corners globe. They do not live only in areas where the surface of the earth all year round hidden under an ice shell. The number of species in countries with humid and hot climates is greater than in temperate or cold ones. With the exception of a few species, spiders are ground dwellers and live in built nests or burrows, being active at night.
Tarantula spiders and other species of mygalomorph spiders live in the crowns of equatorial trees and shrubs. “Drought-resistant” species of spiders prefer burrows, ground crevices and any shelter at ground level. For example, digger spiders (atypical tarantulas) live in colonies, settled in individual burrows located at a depth of up to 50 cm. Some species of mygalomorphic spiders close their burrows with special flaps made of soil, vegetation and silk.
Haymaking spiders (long-legged spiders) love to live in damp, dark caves, abandoned animal dens, cellars and old barns. In residential buildings, centipedes are found hanging upside down on warm, southern windows.
Jumping spiders live in a wide variety of places: in forests, deserts, mountains, and also build webs on stones and brick walls houses.
Sidewalk spiders (crab spiders) most They spend their lives sitting on flowers waiting for prey, although some members of the family can be found on the bark of trees or the forest floor.
Representatives of the family of funnel-web spiders place their webs on tall grass and bush branches.
Wolf spiders prefer damp, grassy meadows and swampy wooded area, where they are found in abundance among fallen leaves.
The water (silver) spider builds a nest underwater, attaching it to various bottom objects with the help of webs. He fills his nest with oxygen and uses it as a diving bell.
What do spiders eat?
Spiders are quite original creatures that eat very interestingly. Some types of spiders may not eat for a long time - from a week to a month or even a year, but if they start, there will be little left. Interestingly, the weight of food that all spiders can eat during the year is several times greater than the weight of the entire population living on the planet today.
How and what do spiders eat? Depending on the species and size, spiders forage and eat differently. Some spiders weave webs, thereby organizing clever traps that are very difficult for insects to notice. Digestive juice is injected into the caught prey, corroding it from the inside. After some time, the “hunter” draws the resulting “cocktail” into his stomach. Other spiders, while hunting, “spit” sticky saliva, thereby attracting prey to themselves - beetles and orthoptera, and some species are able to drag them into their home or earthworm and eat them there in peace.
The queen spider hunts only at night, creating a sticky web bait for unwary moths. Noticing an insect next to the bait, the queen spinner quickly swings the thread with her paws, thereby attracting the attention of the prey. The moth happily hovers around such a bait, and having touched it, it immediately remains hanging on it. As a result, the spider can calmly attract it to itself and enjoy its prey.
Large tropical tarantula spiders happily hunt small frogs
Aquatic species of spiders get their food from the water, using their webs to catch tadpoles, small fish or midges floating on the surface of the water. Some spiders, which are predators, due to the lack of victims, can get enough and plant foods, which can include pollen or plant leaves. Haymaking spiders prefer cereal grains.
Judging by numerous notes from scientists, great amount Spiders destroy small rodents and insects several times more than animals living on the planet.
back to contentsHow does a spider weave a web?
In the back of the spider's abdomen there are from 1 to 4 pairs of arachnoid glands (arachnoid warts), from which a thin thread of web stands out. This is a special secret, which today many call liquid silk. Coming out of thin spinning tubes, it hardens in air, and the resulting thread turns out to be so thin that it is quite difficult to see with the naked eye.
In order to weave a web, the spider spreads its spinning organs, and then waits for a light breeze so that the spun web catches on a nearby support. After this happens, he moves along the newly created bridge with his back down and begins to weave a radial thread. When the base is created, the spider moves in a circle, weaving thin transverse threads into its “product”, which are quite sticky.
It is worth noting that spiders are quite economical creatures, so they absorb damaged or old webs, after which they reuse them. And the web becomes old very quickly, since the spider weaves it almost every day.
All spiders are essentially predators; among them there are also poisonous ones, which are worth knowing and fearing! In this article we will provide brief information about spiders that you should pay special attention to.
KARAKURT. The most dangerous spider Russia, of course, can be called Karakurt, lives mainly in the south of Russia (for example, in Crimea), but like others southern spiders may migrate to other regions during abnormal heat.
Karakurt (from the Turkic: “kara” - black and “kurt” - worm) the owner of a very dangerous poison, which can lead to death if help is not provided in time. A karakurt bite causes unbearable pain spreading throughout the body. Only a serum developed against the venom of these spiders can save the bitten person. It is worth saying that only female karakurts are dangerous, which can be identified by a mark on the abdomen made in the form of a red hourglass.
SOUTH RUSSIAN TARANTULA(mizgir) is a large spider whose venom is not life-threatening. However, its bite causes quite severe pain and can also lead to allergic reactions and the appearance of a tumor at the site of the bite.
HEIRACANTIUM- is the most poisonous spider in middle lane Russia. Usually hidden under the foliage of bushes and small trees. Attacks when there is danger in self-defense. After a bite, a person feels burning pain, nausea, vomiting, weakness, body aches, body temperature rises sharply, and a headache. The bite site may turn red or even blue and, after some time, becomes covered in blisters. Symptoms usually disappear 2 - 3 days after the bite, the mark on the skin remains longer. If the condition of the bitten person worsens, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
SOLFUGA- aka salpuga or phalanx. In Russia it is found on south coast Crimea. These creatures are active at night and have a high speed of movement. They can bite in self-defense. The bite is not poisonous, but is quite deep and causes infection, as a result of which the wound begins to fester significantly. Therefore, you should suck out the bite site, spitting out the infected saliva, and then treat the wound with an antiseptic; then it is recommended to lubricate the bite site with a gel (ointment) containing an antibiotic. Well, don’t forget about the doctor; if possible, be sure to seek help.
SPIDER - NETWORKER- belongs to the subspecies of the cross, but it is much smaller than the usual cross, and its web is more chaotic. The bite is dangerous not because of the spider's venom, but because of the possible infection, so it would be a good idea to see a doctor.
PURSE SPIDER(bagworm) is an aggressive spider, you can stumble upon it in the Rostov and steppes of the Volgograd region. The bite causes severe pain, affecting large areas of the human body.
FALSE BLACK WIDOW — Acute pain, fever, weakness - all this will last from several hours to 2 days! Widespread in Dagestan, they like to invade the homes of local residents.
BLACK FASHHEAD- will also give a feeling of pain for about a day. This spider bites quite rarely, the main thing is not to pick it up.
ARGIOPE- a very dangerous spider; an allergic reaction to a bite can provoke severe abscesses and even lead to tissue necrosis.
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17 February 2015Despite the fact that the territory of the Russian Federation for the most part does not have areas and climate suitable for the habitat of poisonous spiders, some of them are still found in the vastness of our Motherland. To avoid becoming a victim dangerous creatures. Russia has a huge diversity of flora and, and its vast expanses are home to more than 40 species of arachnids from 32 families, for a total of about 1070 species! However, despite their attractive appearance, some individuals can be quite dangerous not only to humans, but also to animals.
The most dangerous spider, rarely found in Russia, is the karakurt, which is often called the “black widow”. Appearance The arthropod is quite bizarre: the body has 30 bright red dots located on the upper side of the abdomen, the body itself is a rich black color. As the spider matures, the red dots on its abdomen disappear and it acquires a rich, shiny black color. This type of poisonous spider can be found in the Crimea, the North Caucasus, and the southern part of the Urals. After a karakurt bite, poison instantly spreads throughout the body, causing severe pain and poisoning. If measures to save the victim are not taken in a timely manner, it is possible death. What does it have to do with more dangerous than karakurts, there can only be their females. If the bite of a poisonous spider could not be avoided, it is necessary to very quickly cauterize the bite site with burning matches and send the victim to the hospital as quickly as possible, where he will have to lie for at least two days.
Poisonous spiders are rare in Russia
Another no less dangerous spider living in Russia is South Russian tarantula, which is sometimes called mizgir. This arthropod is no more than 30 mm in size, reddish in color with a darker abdomen. Tarantulas mainly live in the few deserts on our territory, but sometimes they are spotted in the Oryol, Saratov, Rostov regions. Distinctive feature The tarantula has a black cap, which identifies it among harmless comrades of the same color. A tarantula bite, although not fatal, can cause severe allergies, and in people susceptible to allergic reactions, anaphylactic shock is possible, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.
The third place in danger among arthropods is occupied by the eight-legged Cheiracanthium, which, although quite peaceful, if it senses danger, it can bite painfully. Cheiracanthium has an elongated, light-colored body yellow color. The spider lives in the North Caucasus, but is sometimes seen in Russia.
The web spider is one of the safest poisonous spiders, belonging to the subspecies of cross spiders, which got their name from the cross-shaped pattern on the abdomen. This type of spider belongs to the family of orb-weavers, which spin large, radical webs. The size of the web spider does not exceed 25 mm in length, and the body can shimmer different colors. This spider, like Cheiracanthium, can only be dangerous if it gets scared. The venom of the web spider is practically harmless, but its bite can cause blood infection, so you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
When vacationing in Crimea, you should be wary of karakurts, meetings with whom most often end in problems. It is no less dangerous to encounter scolopendra on the Crimean coast, whose home representatives are simple centipedes. Even though the scolopendra does not consider humans as prey, its bites are not uncommon. It’s easy not to get caught in the path of centipedes: they are nocturnal animals. When a scolopendra bites, it injects an analogue of gastric juice into the victim’s blood, which leads to inflammation, swelling of the bite site and severe pain, which, however, quickly pass, and nothing threatens the person.
All types of spiders attack when they sense danger
Salpugs, or phalanges, are also not uncommon in the Crimea, and together with centipedes they lead night look life. A person can only be bitten in self-defense; the bite, although not poisonous, together with saliva can transmit a lot of infection into the blood, which will lead to suppuration. Therefore, immediately after a bite, saliva must be immediately sucked out and spat out without swallowing, and then washed with an antiseptic with an antibiotic.
Argiope is a representative of arthropods that harm humans, has a length of up to 1.5 cm and is similar to wasps. The interest of these spiders is that the females eat their males. The danger of argiope lies in the strongest allergic reaction, accompanied by severe forms of abscesses, and sometimes tissue necrosis.
The list of spiders dangerous to humans living in Russia concludes with the Crimean tarantula, the length of which is no more than 3.5 cm. The spider has a light grey colour, lives in minks that he digs in the Crimea. Crimean tarantula attacks only when it senses danger. When attacking, this spider takes a pose in which it raises its front legs up, resting on its hind legs. Its bite is no more painful than a wasp sting, but in some cases it can even provoke fever, nausea, chills and inflammation of the lymph nodes. Therefore, the bite site needs to be treated.
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