Publication details
First record of the widow spider Latrodectus elegans Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Theridiidae) from Indochina
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The genus Latrodectus Walckenaer, 1805 contains 31 described species and belongs to the large family Theridiidae Sundevall, 1833. Almost all species are of medical significance and may cause painful bites with serious intoxication. Only three species (L. elegans, L. geometricus and L. hasseltii) are known to occur in Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea. So far no Latrodectus species have been reported from the Indochina. Here, we present the first finding of Latrodectus elegans Thorell, 1898 in Vung Tau Province (Bihn Chau District) located in the southern part of Vietnam territory. This species was previously recorded only from the Oriental regions of continental China, India, Myanmar and Japan. Our discovery represents not only the first record from the Indochinese region but also the southernmost point of this species geographical range. |