The cross is a poisonous spider or not, and what will happen if it bites?

Good day. I recalled one case. Angelica, my sister, came to me for a week with her daughter.

They wanted to take a break from the bustle of the city. On the second day, they decided to pick apples. They left for the garden, and a minute later they ran back screaming.

They were so afraid of the spider of the cross. They thought that he would bite and poison them. I had to tell them more about this type of spider. Do you want to know whether a spider is poisonous or not? Should he be afraid? In the article below I will provide a detailed description of this spider.

Cross stitch bite

Spiders are ubiquitous throughout the globe, only they do not inhabit the North Pole. In the world there are more than 30 thousand species of these arthropods, more than 2 thousand species are spider-crosses. On the territory of Russia, there are no more than 2 dozen species of crosses.

You can meet the spider-cross both in nature and in the home of man. The spider chooses dark, damp shelters where it is easiest for him to hide. The arthropod leads mainly a nocturnal lifestyle, during the day it hides near its web.

As soon as the prey enters the web, the hunting thread begins to vibrate, and the spider immediately rushes to meet its victim.

How to recognize a cross

To distinguish a bite of this insect from others, you need to know what a spider-cross looks like. The spider owes its name to the mark in the shape of a cross, which is located at the top of its abdomen. The arthropod has a cephalothorax and a round belly of dark brown color, 8 limbs, which are highly sensitive and 8 eyes.

Arthropods feed on small insects (mosquitoes, midges, flies and aphids), which, falling into the spider's network, cause vibration of the threads. The spider, with the help of sensitive legs, immediately realizes that prey fell into the web.

Then the arthropod kills the captured insect with the help of poisonous teeth. The cross sometimes sometimes eats its victim, but if it is full, it entangles it with a web and hides it in a secluded place.

For breeding, the spider male selects a female with a web and attaches to her hunting network on the side. Then he begins to send signals to the female so that she will notice him.

For some time, mother drags a cocoon with eggs on her belly until she finds a suitable secluded place for him. Having chosen such a place, the spider hangs a cocoon there, and after a short time spiders hatch from the eggs.

Spider Bite Symptoms

Is a spider-cross considered poisonous? Arthropods are not dangerous for large animals and humans, their toxic substance is only enough to kill mice and rats.

However, this does not mean that the spider bite is harmless. A person, as a rule, can suffer from an attack by an arthropod if it accidentally enters the web.

In this case, the spider can attack the person, taking him for a victim. Also for self-defense, a spider-cross will certainly bite a person if he tries to catch him and pick him up.

A small white speck appears at the site of the spider's bite, which has a diameter of no more than 5 kopek coins, the spot is slightly red along the edges. By pain, the cross stitch is similar to a bee sting. Some people may not notice a skin puncture at all.

At the site of the lesion, edema appears, which, depending on the sensitivity of the person to the poisonous substance of the spider, can be quite impressive in size. For allergy sufferers, the spider-cross is considered poisonous. Symptoms of a bite of a cross are:

The greatest sensitivity to a bite of a cross is possessed by children and people suffering from allergic reactions. In allergy sufferers, serious complications are possible in the form of severe edema, difficulty breathing and cardiac disturbances.

If any serious signs of symptoms occur, the victim should be immediately taken to a medical facility.

First aid for a spider bite

There were no deaths as a result of the attack of the cross, but this does not mean that the victim of the arthropod bite does not need help. In such cases, proceed as follows:

1. The bite site should be washed with warm soapy water in order to wash off microparticles of dirt from the skin, and to prevent infection from entering the wound.
2. It is recommended to apply a cold compress to the affected area, ice or a bottle of cold water is suitable. Cold will help reduce pain and relieve the resulting swelling (see Tumor after an insect bite).
3. If there is pain in the head or when the temperature rises, it is better for the patient to give a paracetamol tablet.
4. If an allergy occurs, the victim must be given an available antihistamine.
5. People with allergies, after a bite of a cross, need to ensure complete peace and immobility. Before the arrival of a doctor, a sick person is intensely drunk with warm liquid.
6. The site of the bite can not be cauterized by hot objects, let alone incise the wound. These actions threaten the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the affected surface of the skin and the development of purulent inflammation. Also, the wound should never be combed.

If the cross-piece attacks the child, it is necessary to seek medical help immediately, since the spider venom is toxic to small children.

Bite Prevention

Spider attack can be prevented by following simple rules:

Interesting facts about the cross

The spider has an excellent appetite, in one day he is able to eat as much food as he weighs. If a large or poisonous insect, which is a threat to the life of an arthropod, enters the web, the spider tries to get rid of it as quickly as possible. To do this, he simply cuts off his web, and an insect that is unfit for food falls.

Since ancient times, people used the web of the cross as an antibacterial agent, so if you have bitten a spider, you can attach its own web to the wound.

The crosses do not pose a potential danger to human life, but this does not mean that you can try to catch a spider. The bites of the crosses are quite painful, especially for young children. For people who are prone to allergies, they can result in serious health consequences.

Is it worth it to be afraid of a spider-cross, its appearance, bites and poison?

The spider-cross belongs to the family of spiderworms. They live in almost every country, except for the southern and northern latitudes. This type is the most common.

Favorite places of the insect: fields, gardens, shrubs near ponds, groves, forests, in very rare cases, they live on the facades of walls and cornices of buildings. Mostly the crosses choose places with very high humidity.

Crowns of trees in neglected gardens or impenetrable forests became a favorite place for a spider-cross. It is possible to determine what exactly this spider lives here on the wheel-shaped web. Considering that the web itself is destroyed under the influence of other insects, wind, trees, people, they are forced to dissolve it every two days and weave again.

Insect appearance

Because of the peculiar cross on the back, the spider got its name - a cross. The cross itself is formed from white and light brown spots. Abdomen creating a round, brown color. On the body are 4 pairs of legs that are hypersensitive, and 4 pairs of eyes directed in different directions.

The eyes of an insect provide an opportunity to observe the world around us from all sides. An interesting detail: the vision of spiders is fuzzy, they see only the outlines of objects or their shadows.

Particular activity of insects is observed at night, during the day they hide in their shelters. At night they weave a web. In the afternoon, females can also become active. It can be a hunt for flies, butterflies. The unique creature freezes in one pose, which at first glance gives the impression that he is dead, but this is a trick for the victim.

The external structure of the spider-cross. Spiders have 8 legs, with very sensitive sense of smell. Their abdomen is rounded, resembling a drop.

On the abdomen there are spots that form the shape of a cross. There are 4 pairs of eyes on the head, which make it possible to provide a wide view.The spider-cross is a poisonous hunter, so vision for him is a matter of life and death.

What are they eating?

This species belongs to carnivores. For food, they need aphids, flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Spiders are waiting for their potential victim in the middle of the web to which the signal thread is attached.

As soon as an insect flies up to the web and gets into it, then trying to get out, they create a web vibration, so the cross in the center receives a signal about a potential victim. Given that there are olfactory organs on the legs of the spider-crosses, they can also hear the victim with their paws.

After receiving the signal, the insect approaches the victim and, using a bite, introduces poison - chelicera into the body. Some crosses immediately eat the victim, while others leave food in reserve. They spin the victim in a web and hide from prying eyes in the foliage.

These insects eat a lot. For a day they need an amount of food equal in weight to their own. Almost always, the spider-cross is at the post, he hunts.

During the day, he only takes a small amount of time to rest, while the signal thread remains tied to the leg.

They throw such from the web, breaking it. Dangerous for these creatures are wasps and flies that leave their larvae on the body of another animal. If such a fly or wasp leaves its larvae on a spider, then they themselves will begin to eat and develop it.

The main differences of the mysterious creation

These spiders belong to the species of dioecious animals. When the mating occurred, the male dies, and the female is actively engaged in the preparation of a cocoon for future offspring. Most often, small egg spiders appear in the fall. At first, the woven cocoon is on the back of the female, and then she carries it to a secluded and safe place.

It can be cracks or small holes in the bark of a tree. New offspring emerge from the cocoon in spring. They become young individuals ready for mating by the end of summer, and then the old female dies.

When a spider finds a female, he carefully approaches her web, and always weaves his thread in case of a retreat. Females can perceive a potential groom for their prey and lunch. Then the male jerks the web very carefully and as soon as she reacts and throws it to the prey, he runs away along his woven web.

Such games can last several minutes until the female understands that her fiance has come. Further, mating occurs, and here the male needs to be alert. As soon as the process has taken place, the female becomes a hunter again, and the male can become its victim. Therefore, he has to quickly run away after mating.

How do these insects breed

From 300 to 800 eggs are placed in a cocoon prepared in advance. They have an interesting amber color. Since the cocoon has rather thick walls, the future spiders are not afraid of either frost or water.

Thus, eggs are stored until spring, and with the onset of heat, young offspring appear. Some time young spiders sit in a cocoon. This is due to ignorance of the environment, and their fear of learning new things, but over time they all leave the shelter and begin an independent life.

All movements of the considered individuals are carried out only due to their web, this is due to the fact that their legs are very weak. They travel with the help of a fair wind. An interesting fact: on its web, a spider cross can fly up to 400 kilometers.

Bite hazard

The cross-spider bites and lets in its poison not only in insects, but also in humans. Most often this happens in the case of direct contact of the individual and the human hand. It is worth knowing some rules to avoid unpleasant contact with this poisonous spider:

If you were bitten by a crusader spider, then within 5 minutes the following symptoms will appear:

• Headache;
• General weakness;
• Joint aches, pain throughout the body;
• The bite site begins to itch and tingle;
• Subcutaneous hemorrhages may occur.

For a person, the bite of a poisonous cross-spider is not fatal, but first aid should not be neglected. Such manipulations should be done:

The benefits to humans

Despite the fact that spiders can let poison into the human body and pose a danger, their web has useful properties and can be used in various fields.

The web has an excellent antibacterial effect, so it can be used to disinfect wounds.

In optical instruments where ultra-precision is needed in the calculations, a web of this spider is used.

Microbiologists made a discovery and developed a unique air analyzer based on a crusader web. It is the web that captures all the microparticles that are in the air, and from them the composition of the air is determined.

Cross spiders are unique animals that can be useful to humanity.

Where does the spider-cross live and is dangerous for humans?

The spider-cross belongs to the family of orbits, a type of arthropod. Recognizing this insect is easy by the characteristic white spots on the back, forming a pattern that resembles a cross. Which, in fact, gave the name to the spider.

Where does the insect live?

There are about 2,000 species of spider-crosses that live throughout the globe. Most of the varieties of this insect live in Eurasia, several species can be found in the territory of the former Soviet Union.

Particularly attractive to the cross are places with high humidity, where insects are usually abundant.

Is cross-spider dangerous for humans?

The spider-cross is a poisonous insect.Its poison is toxic, and can be dangerous for both small animals and humans. The bite of a spider-cross is not fatal, but it can cause trouble.

Sometimes a bite of a spider-cross is accompanied by general weakness, pain in the head and joints, burning and pain directly at the site of the bite. The cross-spider during the laying of eggs is the most dangerous for humans, since it is at this time that it has the highest concentration of poison.

Ordinary cross

Ordinary cross (Latin name Araneus diadematus) - a species of spiders from the family of orbits.

Appearance

The main distinguishing features of the spiders of the crosses are the presence of white spots on the abdomen, which form a symbol drawing similar to a four-pointed cross.

The ordinary cross is yellowish-brown in color, sometimes blackish in color, with brown rings on the legs. The male is about 10 millimeters long, the bases of the 2nd pair of legs are greatly thickened. The female is on average 16 millimeters long, on the bases of the 2nd pair of legs along a large tooth, the abdomen is very thick.

The web of crosses

The main feature of the crosses is a very skillfully built network for catching insects. It is located vertically or somewhat obliquely and stretched between the trunks or branches of trees and consists of cobwebs of two genera: thick, dry, non-sticky and thin, sticky, covered with small droplets of a very sticky substance.

From the first, the spider makes a triangular or polygonal frame of the entire network and radial threads of the network, radially diverging from its center. Adhesive threads cross radial and form either a spiral or a system of concentric circles (more precisely polygons, since the sticky threads are stretched in a straight line from beam to beam).

The middle part of the web also has non-sticky circular threads. A spider usually sits here, but often he arranges a dwelling near the edge of the net and draws a thread to it, from the shakes of which he finds out when an insect gets into the web and sticks to sticky threads.

The spider either simply kills the insect and eats it (sucks) in place, or pre-wraps it with cobwebs and in this form drags it into the nest.

A very large prey, dangerous to the web, the spider sometimes releases itself, breaking off the nearest threads. The spider experiences the greatest difficulties in constructing the skeleton, the web frame between the removed objects.

To draw a base between two points, he either runs around the ground, branches from one point to another, releasing a cobweb and then pulling it, or lets out a cobweb in the wind so that it sticks to the end of a distant object, or, finally, hangs on a cobweb and swings, until it reaches the removed item.

In case of danger, the spider either descends on the cobweb to the ground, or it causes the entire network to tremble quickly so that the outline of its body merges and it becomes almost invisible.

Habitat

An ordinary cross is found in all corners of Europe. He lives in forests and thickets of shrubs, especially near water, as well as in buildings.

They reach puberty in late autumn, and the female lays about 100 yellow eggs, wrapping them with a delicate web, and carefully protects them. In autumn, adults die, and in spring young spiders emerge from the eggs.

Is a spider dangerous to humans?

Ordinary crosses produce toxic substances in their bodies through which they paralyze their victim. There have been cases when the crosses used poison to protect themselves from enemies - insectivorous mammals - and even attacked humans.

After a few minutes, a person bitten by a cross, begins to feel a headache, aching joints, if he was bitten by a large spider, then the temperature may rise. Usually, all symptoms disappear after a few hours.

Common Cross (Araneus diadematus)

Cross-spiders are distinguished by the fact that on the dorsal side of the abdomen they have light spots that form a cross-shaped pattern. More than 1000 species of spider-crosses are known, of which several dozen live in the USSR.

Usually settles in the crowns of trees, arranges hunting nets between branches, and makes a refuge for itself from leaves. Typical wheel-shaped tenets immediately attract attention when visiting a forest, garden or a grove.

Sometimes a spider web can be found among the shrubbery or under the eaves and in the bindings of the window frames of abandoned buildings.

If a male and a female spider-cross are found during the excursion, they must be compared and the presence of sexual dimorphism is established (the male is smaller than the female and differs from her in a strong bloating at the ends of the pedipalps).

Under natural conditions, the spider's hunting net takes up much more space than is necessary for it when kept in captivity.

Every one to two days, spider-spiders destroy the cobweb and weave a new one, since the trap network becomes unusable from the ingress of not only small insects, but also large ones, from which the spider is released, breaking off cobwebs around unsuitable prey.

The construction of a new network usually occurs at night, and by morning it is already ready to catch insects. Such diurnal activity is an example of the spider’s worthwhile behavior, as it’s getting fewer enemies at night: insectivorous birds sleep, but for others it is not visible in the dark.

Despite the lack of light, the construction of a new network at night is very successful, since the spider is guided in his work not by sight, but by a sense of touch.

The network of an adult female cross-spider has a strictly defined number of radii and spirals of adhesive threads and a constant distance between adjacent turns.

So, for example, it was established that in its hunting net there are 39 radii, 35 turns of the spiral and 1245 points of attachment of the radii to the spiral. The observed automatism of the building instinct of the spider is the result of programming the entire complex of movements in the nervous system, which is fixed genetically in heredity, and therefore is characteristic of all individuals.

From here it becomes clear why young spiders are able to build a spider web and catch prey like adults.

However, in order for the spider to perceive the tuning fork's sound as a prey signal, you must touch it to the network, otherwise sounding outside the vibrations of the web will take the spider to flight (negative vibrotaxis).

This is due to the fact that the vibration of spider webs is perceived by the spider as a tactile sensation that it receives when it enters the prey network, and the sound outside the web scares him, since it can come from an approaching enemy.

The spider is afraid of wasps and flies flying up to it, laying eggs on living objects. So, for example, the fly’s melanophore swearing can be attributed to the enemies of the spider, which takes advantage of the immobility of the spider, waiting for prey in a state of hidden activity, sits on its back and instantly lays an egg in the body of its victim.

Vibration of the spider web can be obtained when not only the tuning fork, but also other musical instruments (harp, violin). In this case, the spider also leaves its shelter if the trembling of the web is similar to the signals of its prey.

Hence the false notion of spiders' "love" for music. If a spider is pushed off the object on which it is sitting, it will begin to descend to the ground with the help of the web allocated to it.

It is not dangerous for a person, but a burning pain, hemorrhages in the subcutaneous tissue, headaches, weakness, sometimes colic and joint pains are felt at the site of the bite. Tissue necrosis may develop at the site of the bite. The treatment is symptomatic.

The poison contains thermolabile hemolysin, which acts on the erythrocytes of a rabbit, rat, mouse, and human, while the erythrocytes of a guinea pig, horse, sheep, and dog are resistant to it.

Dangerous spiders or what to do if a spider has bitten?

Spiders are the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, according to scientists, these arthropods appeared on Earth more than 400 million years ago. It should be noted that all spiders are predators and their poison is a weapon with which they get their own food and also defend themselves. And this means that any spider is a priori poisonous.

Spiders rarely attack a person, they bite only in cases if they are disturbed. Therefore, when you see a spider indoors or outdoors, you do not need to take it with your hands. Spider bites can be either deadly or just unpleasant, but not life-threatening. Almost all spiders have glands that secrete poison.

Small spiders are not dangerous, because they simply can not bite through human skin, and the toxic substance released is too little to cause any trouble.

Bites of larger spiders can be dangerous. It is difficult not to notice a spider bite - it looks like a hornet bite, it immediately causes pain and burning.

In Russia, there are many species of spiders. What arthropods should be feared, and what if the dangerous encounter could not be avoided?

According to experts, the poison of the Black Widow is 15 times stronger than the poison of a rattlesnake. The black widow spider bite usually causes acute pain, as with a needle prick, followed by a feeling of numbness; sometimes pain appears in the area around the bite.

In addition, spastic pains and stiffness of the muscles of the abdomen, shoulders, back, or chest develop. A sharp tension of the abdominal muscles, dilated pupils are characteristic.

Other possible symptoms are anxiety, anxiety, excessive sweating, headaches, dizziness, swelling of the eyelids, skin rash and itching, nausea, vomiting, increased salivation and general weakness. In severe cases, excitement, delirium, bronchospasm with difficulty breathing are possible.

An angry spider can shed fine hairs that, if it comes in contact with the skin or eyes, can cause an allergic reaction (e.g., urticaria, Quincke's edema, bronchospasm) in sensitive people. The pain from a bite of a tarantula persists for a day, gradually subsiding. Lethargy, drowsiness, sweating, palpitations may be noted.

Cross spider. Cross spiders are one of the most common arthropod species in the world. The spider got its name due to the characteristic mark on the body - a figure in the form of a cross is clearly visible on the abdomen.

A spider bite for a person does not pose a mortal threat, however, a burning sensation will be felt at the site of the bite, there may be a malaise in the form of a headache and aching joints. The bite site may retain some swelling for several days.

Home spider. There are several types of home spiders - black, gray, brown and others. Most often in everyday life there is a kind of black domestic spider - Badumna insignis, which prefers to live both inside the house and outside - in window frames, walls of the building, that is, wherever it will not interfere with weaving its web.

Heiracantium. The residence of this arthropod is the North Caucasus, but sometimes cheiracantium is also found in other parts of our country.

A bite of a cheiracantium on the human body is practically not noticeable. After a bite, a person experiences pain for several days, and then everything goes away by itself, so experts assure that no antidotes are required.

Argiope. Agriope is a black and yellow striped spider that lives in southern Russia, in the Volga region and in Crimea. Prefers meadows, roadsides and forest edges. The abdomen has a striped black-yellow-white pattern, therefore it is also called a spider-wasp. The bite of this spider is not fatal, but if it bites through the skin, then the bite site will swell and slightly hurt.

Erezus is black. In Russia, lives in the Novosibirsk region, is listed in the Red Book of the Ryazan region in the category of rare species. It leads a normal lifestyle, populating the holes of beetles, cracks and voids under the stones.

Although the spider is very beautiful, it should not be touched. Erezus are poisonous, their bites are painful. In the place of the bite, instant pain is felt, which is replaced by a feeling of numbness. Unpleasant sensations disappear after 2 to 6 days. Erezus is not a danger to human life.

What to do to not bite?

Whatever the case, it is very important to be vigilant when meeting a spider. Particularly careful should be people who do not understand the species of these arthropods. It is best to take measures that will prevent a bite. Namely:

1. do not touch the spider
2. while walking in nature do not put your hands in different burrows, under snags, etc.
3. shake off unwanted spiders - don't try to hit the spider on yourself
4. when working in the basement, on the street or in places where spiders are usually found, wear gloves on your hands, your legs should not be bare.
5. clean the house more often - most spiders love dark, untouched places.

What to do if a spider has bitten?

Many spider bites only cause a local reaction, including pain, redness, swelling. To treat these symptoms, wash the bite area with soap and water, apply a cold compress and take a simple analgesic such as paracetamol.

Urgently see a doctor if:

Are spiders poisonous?

More or less poisonous every spider. But most bites are not dangerous to humans, but can even be painless. For example, a bite of a cross or a house spider resembles a needle prick and nothing more.

But the spider bite of Karakurt is poisonous. It doesn’t hurt, but the disease is very serious. Usually bites a person when he is sleeping. During sleep, a person does not feel a bite, but after about five minutes a sharp pain at the site of the bite makes him wake up.

The bite of the bitten numb and he can’t walk, begins to torment suffocation, thirst, pain in the abdomen, lower back and chest. Breathing becomes superficial, eyes fill with blood, sweat appears, temperature rises or falls.

In severe cases, the death of a person after a bite of a black widow occurs in an hour or two. The percentage of deaths is the same as from the bites of a viper. It happens that bites of spiders (probably males) are easily tolerated by people. And the measures taken in time help to avoid deaths.

If it is known for sure that the bite caused the spider karakurt, you need to immediately burn the place of the bite with a match - it helps a lot. But if you do this in two to three minutes, then this method will not help. Subcutaneous injection of a potassium permanganate solution near the wound will not help either, which is often done already an hour after a bite by a doctor. Best of all, of course, helps anti-caracourt serum.

A tarantula is another poisonous spider. His bite causes less, but it is more painful. There is no pain throughout the body, but a person feels drowsiness, heaviness.

In the fight against these spiders, folk anti-caracourt remedies are harmful and meaningless. Shepherds, settling for the night, usually drive cattle more than once through those places where they want to go to bed. Litter spread, and watered around with water, surround themselves with a hair lasso.

But, none of these folk remedies will protect against karakurt and tarantulas. They crawl well through all the obstacles, and even water is a completely milestone for them.

And driving cattle or burning grass in general plays a trick on the shepherds, because cattle destroy the tenet of karakurts, and they simply have to go in search of new living spaces, crawling at night on sleeping people.

If you need to spend the night in the field, it is better to choose flat ground, without vegetation, ravines or potholes in which Karakurt people like to settle.