The mere thought of falling victim to a spider bite, whether venomous or not, is enough to cause anxiety to a great number of people. Although entomologists and other experts have repeatedly claimed that spider bites are not considered medically significant, the common fear of sustaining a bite from a spider cannot be discouraged with scientific data.
Many people who live in urban areas far away from the supposedly spider-populated regions of Australia and South America should not consider themselves safe from spider bites, as 82 percent of all spider bites are inflicted by species that exist all over the world. It may also be of interest to many people that only six spider families are responsible for these 82 percent of spider bites. But it should also be noted that the majority of these spider bites were not considered medically significant.
Six percent of the above mentioned spider bites were, however, medically significant. The most common culprit behind these bites were Australian redback spiders, which will not come as a surprise to many people. These spiders are categorized as widow spiders. The family of spiders that are documented as being responsible for the majority of bites, dangerous or otherwise, were huntsman spiders. Huntsman spiders exist all over the world, including the United States. The particular huntsman species known as Heteropoda venetoria is responsible for the greatest number of bites worldwide, but these bites are not believed to be medically significant. Other than huntsman spiders, both wolf spiders and jumping spiders are known for causing many of the spider bites sustained by humans. Wolf spiders have been known to inflict wounds that lead to tissue necrosis, but these cases are quite rare. It is also worth noting that spider bites, unlike insect stings or bites, almost never cause allergic reactions, even in individuals that are disposed to allergic reactions to insect stings.
Have you ever sustained a bite from one of the spiders mentioned in the above article?