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22 October 2015 Heat Tolerance of the Brown Recluse Spider (Araneae: Sicariidae): Potential for Pest Control
Kenneth L. Cramer, Lindsey M. Zagar
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Abstract

The brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, is a well-known venomous spider common in the south-central United States where infestations can reach thousands of individuals in a single structure. Bites from this spider pose a risk of dermonecrotic lesions (loxoscelism) or, rarely, more serious systemic effects. The heat tolerance of this spider is understudied but may offer an alternative pest control solution to pesticides or fumigation, both of which have their disadvantages. We subjected brown recluse spiders to increasing temperatures to establish the upper lethal temperature (LT). Using probit analysis to generate probability of mortality at increasing temperatures, we then exposed adult spiders to the observed LT50 to simulate whole-room heat treatment. Laboratory results predict exposure to 48°C for 130 min will achieve 100% mortality of adult spiders. Field tests need to be conducted to determine the efficacy of heat treatment in a variety of real-world situations.

©The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Kenneth L. Cramer and Lindsey M. Zagar "Heat Tolerance of the Brown Recluse Spider (Araneae: Sicariidae): Potential for Pest Control," Journal of Economic Entomology 109(1), 284-287, (22 October 2015). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tov308
Received: 14 August 2015; Accepted: 6 October 2015; Published: 22 October 2015
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KEYWORDS
heat treatment
Loxosceles reclusa
pest control
temperature tolerance
upper lethal limit
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