''Sicarius'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
recluse spider
The recluse spiders (''Loxosceles'' (), also known as brown spiders, fiddle-backs, violin spiders, and reapers, is a genus of spiders that was first described by R. T. Lowe in 1832. They are venomous spiders known for their bite, which sometimes ...
s that is potentially medically significant to humans. It is one of three genera in its family, all
venomous spiders known for a bite that can induce
loxoscelism
Loxoscelism () is a condition occasionally produced by the bite of the recluse spiders (genus ''Loxosceles''). The area becomes dusky and a shallow open sore forms as the skin around the bite dies (necrosis). It is the only proven type of necro ...
. They live in deserts and arid regions of the
Southern Hemisphere, and females use a mixture of sand and silk when producing egg sacs. The name is Latin for assassin.
Description
''Sicarius'' spiders can grow up to long, and have six eyes arranged into three groups of two (known as "dyads"). Physically, they resemble
crab spiders
The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of th ...
and members of the ''
Homalonychus'' genus. They lack the characteristic violin-shaped marking of the more well-known members of its family,
Sicariidae
Sicariidae is a family of six-eyed venomous spiders known for their potentially necrotic bites. The family consists of three genera and about 160 species. Well known spiders in this family include the brown recluse spider and the six-eyed sand ...
the
recluse spiders.
They can live for a very long time without food or water. Some can live for up to fifteen years, making them among the longest-lived spiders, behind the trap-door spiders and tarantulas, many known to live for twenty to thirty years. The oldest recorded spider is
Number 16, a trap-door spider killed by a parasitic wasp at forty-three years old.
Venom components and effects
Like all recluse spiders, these produce a
dermonecrotic venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
that contains
sphingomyelinase D
Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase D (EC 3.1.4.41, sphingomyelinase D) is an enzyme of the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase family with systematic name sphingomyelin ceramide-phosphohydrolase. These enzymes catalyse the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin, res ...
, an
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
in the
sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase
Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.12, also known as neutral sphingomyelinase, sphingomyelinase, or SMase; systematic name sphingomyelin cholinephosphohydrolase) is a hydrolase enzyme that is involved in sphingolipid metabolism reactions. ...
family. It is somewhat unique to them, otherwise only found in a few
pathogenic bacteria
Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often Probiotic, beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The n ...
. The venom causes
bleeding
Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
and damage to many organs of the body, though only ''
S. ornatus'' and a few others have been proven to be extremely toxic on the order of ''
Hexophtalma hahni'' or several other African sand spiders.
It has also recently been proven that
Sicarius thomisoides
''Sicarius thomisoides'' is a species of spider in the family Sicariidae, found in Chile. It is the type species of the genus '' Sicarius''. Its correct name has been the source of confusion. It has often been known by the synonym ''Sicarius ter ...
contains active sphingomyelinase D, very similar to that of
Loxosceles laeta
The Chilean recluse spider, ''Loxosceles laeta'', is a highly venomous spider of the family Sicariidae. In Spanish, it (and other South American recluse spiders) is known as ', or "corner spider"; in Brazilian Portuguese, as ' or "brown spider". ...
and
Sicarius ornatus
''Sicarius ornatus'' is a species of venomous spider found in South America (Brazil). It has a highly toxic venom like the other South American sicariid, ''Loxosceles laeta'' and the African '' Hexophthalma hahni'', but there are few human bites ...
, and that its bite can cause serious damage in humans.
Taxonomy
This genus was erected by
Charles Athanase Walckenaer
Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer (25 December 1771 – 28 April 1852) was a French civil servant and scientist.
Biography
Walckenaer was born in Paris and studied at the universities of University of Oxford, Oxford and University of Glasgow ...
in 1847 with the single species, ''
S. thomisoides''.
In 2017, the number of species decreased after a
phylogenetic study showed that the
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
n species formerly included here were actually distinct, instead belonging to the genus ''
Hexophthalma
''Hexophthalma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sicariidae. Although the genus was originally erected in 1878 (then with the name ''Hexomma''), it was merged into the genus '' Sicarius'' in the 1890s, and remained unused until revived in 20 ...
''.
[
It is one of only three genera in its family, and is placed in the same subfamily as ''Hexophthalma'':][
]
Species
it contains twenty-one species, found in South America, Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
, and Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
:
*''Sicarius andinus
The Sicarii were a self-defense splinter group of Hebrew zealots who opposed the Roman occupation of Judea in the decades preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
Sicarius, sicarii or sicari may also refer to:
* Sicarii (1989), a Jewish ...
'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
*'' Sicarius boliviensis'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, Peru, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
*'' Sicarius cariri'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2013 – Brazil
*'' Sicarius crustosus'' (Nicolet, 1849) – Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
*'' Sicarius diadorim'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2013 – Brazil
*'' Sicarius fumosus'' (Nicolet, 1849) – Chile
*'' Sicarius gracilis'' ( Keyserling, 1880) – Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, Peru
*'' Sicarius jequitinhonha'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Brazil
*'' Sicarius lanuginosus'' (Nicolet, 1849) – Chile
*'' Sicarius levii'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Chile, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
*'' Sicarius mapuche'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Argentina
*''Sicarius ornatus
''Sicarius ornatus'' is a species of venomous spider found in South America (Brazil). It has a highly toxic venom like the other South American sicariid, ''Loxosceles laeta'' and the African '' Hexophthalma hahni'', but there are few human bites ...
'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2013 – Brazil
*'' Sicarius peruensis'' (Keyserling, 1880) – Peru
*'' Sicarius rugosus'' ( F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899) – El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
*'' Sicarius rupestris'' (Holmberg, 1881) – Argentina
*'' Sicarius saci'' Magalhães, Brescovit & Santos, 2017 – Brazil
*''Sicarius thomisoides
''Sicarius thomisoides'' is a species of spider in the family Sicariidae, found in Chile. It is the type species of the genus '' Sicarius''. Its correct name has been the source of confusion. It has often been known by the synonym ''Sicarius ter ...
'' Walckenaer, 1847 ( type) – Chile
*''Sicarius tropicus
''Sicarius tropicus'' is a species of six-eyed sand spider ('' Sicarius'') endemic in South American caatinga in Brazil. Like related spiders, it is venomous, but only one medically-significant bite has been recorded, causing dermonecrotic lesio ...
'' ( Mello-Leitão, 1936) – Brazil
*'' Sicarius utriformis'' (Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
, 1877) – Ecuador (Galapagos)
*'' Sicarius vallenato'' Cala-Riquelme, Gutiérrez-Estrada, Flórez-Daza & Agnarsson, 2017 – Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
*'' Sicarius yurensis'' Strand
Strand may refer to:
Topography
*The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a:
** Beach
** Shoreline
*Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida
Places Africa
*Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa
* Strand Street, ...
, 1908 – Peru, Chile
In synonymy:
*''S. deformis'' (Nicolet, 1849) = ''Sicarius fumosus'' (Nicolet, 1849)
*''S. irregularis'' (Mello-Leitão, 1940) = ''Sicarius rupestris'' (Holmberg, 1881)
*''S. minoratus'' (Nicolet, 1849) = ''Sicarius thomisoides'' Walckenaer, 1847
*''S. nicoleti'' (Keyserling, 1880) = ''Sicarius thomisoides'' Walckenaer, 1847
*''S. patagonicus'' Simon, 1919 = ''Sicarius rupestris'' (Holmberg, 1881)
*''S. rubripes'' (Nicolet, 1849) = ''Sicarius thomisoides'' Walckenaer, 1847
*''S. terrosus'' (Nicolet, 1849) = ''Sicarius thomisoides'' Walckenaer, 1847
Transferred to ''Hexophthalma
* ''Sicarius albospinosus'' = ''Hexophthalma albospinosa
''Hexophthalma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sicariidae. Although the genus was originally erected in 1878 (then with the name ''Hexomma''), it was merged into the genus '' Sicarius'' in the 1890s, and remained unused until revived in 20 ...
'' (Purcell, 1908)
* ''Sicarius damarensis'' = ''Hexophthalma damarensis
''Hexophthalma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sicariidae. Although the genus was originally erected in 1878 (then with the name ''Hexomma''), it was merged into the genus '' Sicarius'' in the 1890s, and remained unused until revived in 20 ...
'' (Lawrence, 1928)
* ''Sicarius dolichocephalus'' = ''Hexophthalma dolichocephala
''Hexophthalma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sicariidae. Although the genus was originally erected in 1878 (then with the name ''Hexomma''), it was merged into the genus '' Sicarius'' in the 1890s, and remained unused until revived in 20 ...
'' (Lawrence, 1928)
* ''Sicarius hahni'' = ''Hexophthalma hahni
''Hexophthalma hahni'' ( synonyms ''Sicarius hahni'' and ''Sicarius testaceus''), known along with other members of the genus as the six-eyed sand spider, is a member of the family Sicariidae, found in deserts and other sandy places in southern ...
'' (Karsch, 1878) (also = ''Sicarius testaceus'')
* ''Sicarius spatulatus'' = ''Hexophthalma spatulata
''Hexophthalma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sicariidae. Although the genus was originally erected in 1878 (then with the name ''Hexomma''), it was merged into the genus ''Sicarius (spider), Sicarius'' in the 1890s, and remained unused u ...
'' (Pocock, 1900)
See also
* List of Sicariidae species
This page lists all described species of the spider family Sicariidae accepted by the World Spider Catalog :
''Hexophthalma''
''Hexophthalma'' Karsch, 1879
* '' H. albospinosa'' (Purcell, 1908) — Namibia, South Africa
* '' H. binfordae'' Lotz ...
References
External links
Arachnology Home Pages: Loxosceles: Recluse spiders
(photos of ''Sicarius'' and ''Loxosceles'')
* ttp://spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html Vetter, R. 2003. "Myth of the Brown Recluse: Fact, Fear, and Loathing".
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sicarius (Genus)
Sicariidae
Araneomorphae genera
Spiders of Central America
Spiders of South America
Spiders of Africa
Taxa named by Charles Athanase Walckenaer