Non-dangerous and poisonous species of spiders in Ukraine: what to expect from a meeting with arthropods?

Spiders of Ukraine are very diverse. Some of them prefer to live in a person’s home, while others hide from prying eyes among plants or under fallen leaves. Some species are safe for people, only bothering with cobwebs in the corners of the house and causing unpleasant emotions in impressionable natures, while others are poisonous, and it is better to bypass them. So what is he - the world of Ukrainian arthropods?

Harmless species

Spiders, meeting with which are not dangerous to humans, have many varieties. They feed on insects, previously weaving a trap of sticky threads or patiently waiting for hours in ambush. They can be found everywhere: in an apartment, on a personal plot, in meadows and in dense forests.

Many people do not like spiders, although these arthropods, eating insects, maintain a natural balance. Therefore, they should not be destroyed in their natural habitat. The fight should only begin if they bother a quiet life.

House spider

This species, it is not difficult to guess, prefers to coexist with people. He often takes a fancy to residential premises and outbuildings on the site. Its food is other domestic insects - cockroaches, bugs, moths, etc. In nature, a house spider lives in grass, forest litter, and cracks in the bark of trees. The search for food makes him "hook up" closer to the person.

In terms of biology, the house spider belongs to the Voronkov family. It is distributed around the world. The adult is approximately 0.7–1.2 cm in size, with males being smaller than females. The body is painted yellow-brown with a brown pattern.
There is a national signaccording to which the presence of a spider in the house brings monetary well-being in the family. However, scientists are less positive in this regard: if there are a lot of arthropods in the house, then this is a signal of a large number of insects in the premises.

Cross

There are about 1000 species of daggers, but in Ukraine the most common is the common. The spider got its name due to its characteristic coloring - a cluster of yellow spots on the abdomen, merging into a cross. Individuals of the species are rather large: females reach a size of up to 2.5 cm, and males lag behind them in size, not exceeding 1 cm.

Crosses are real masters of weaving large cobwebs. The diameter of their hunting network often exceeds 1 m. The spider guards the prey, located in the middle of the web or on its edge. The crosses are very voracious, and in one hunt they can eat 7-8 insects. Strong threads retain even large bumblebees. But, if the spider does not like prey, the hunter simply tears the cobweb around it. He also cleans his network of debris.

Horse spider

Not all types of spiders in Ukraine can boast the skill of weaving a web. Some prefer to loot prey, hiding in a secluded place, and where to make a lightning-fast jump on a potential victim. For example, this horse spider. When attacking, it is attached to the surface with sticky thread in order to return to its original place if necessary.

Horse spiders differ from their counterparts in that males and females have the same size - up to 6 mm. Another interesting feature of the view is the ability to turn its head and look up. This is necessary for a successful hunt. Scientists believe that horse spiders have the ability to see ultraviolet radiation, because on their body there are special marks that are invisible to ordinary vision.

Most species of spiders are characterized by cannibalism, that is, eating their own kind. But for a horse spider, this is uncharacteristic.

Bokokhod spider

Another active hunter is a bokokhod spider. He prefers to take a wait and see attitude. The choice of place for hunting is very extensive. The color of individuals is diverse and can vary. So, a floral spider-bokokhod, depending on environmental conditions, turns from white to yellow and vice versa. Those individuals that hunt trees have a brown color. Therefore, to notice them can be quite difficult.

The peculiarity of this species is the ability to move sideways, and at such moments the movements of the spider resemble the movements of a crab. The length of adults does not exceed 1 cm.

Haying spider

It is very difficult to confuse with other species of the haying spider. The second name of this arthropod is a centipede or window spider. This is easy to recognize by the long and thin legs, the number of which is from 6 to 8, extending from a relatively small round abdomen. The length of the legs sometimes reaches 5 cm. For hunting, weaving a web, and when insects get into it, the centipede injects its own paralyzing poison into them.

Haying spider likes to live next door to people, choosing window frames and dark corners. It can often be seen hanging upside down. If during a hunt a spider notices the approach of improper prey - for example, a bumblebee - then it begins to swing the web, scaring away the victim.

Even after a bite of a non-toxic spider, it is recommended to sanitize this area of ​​the skin. Although it is unknown about cases where non-toxic species have harmed health, this preventive measure will protect against possible problems.

Poisonous spiders found in Ukraine

Poisonous species produce a substance that negatively affects human health. Knowing the dangerous spiders of Ukraine will save you from unpleasant consequences, so you need to know the enemy “in person”.

Tarantula

Tarantulas - Famous Poisonous Family. These spiders in the south of Ukraine are represented by the South Russian species. In the people it is sometimes called "misgir". Adults reach 3 cm and have a furry body. The color is brown, and the bottom is painted black. They live in desert and steppe zones, digging deep burrows up to 50 cm. Insects become a victim of the tarantula, when sometimes they themselves climb into their underground dwelling or move near the entrance to it.

Unpleasant fact about South Russian tarantula: they jump well. If the spider feels the danger emanating from a person, it can suddenly attack him.

But rumors of his aggressiveness and threat to human life are somewhat exaggerated. A tarantula attacks only in exceptional cases for self-defense. At the same time, before the attack, he warns his opponent, taking a threatening position: standing on his hind legs.

The bite of a South Russian tarantula is similar to a wasp sting. The poison causes local inflammation and pain. The skin turns yellow, and remains so for about 2 months. This does not pose a serious threat to health, with the exception of individual intolerance to the substances that make up the poison, and an allergic reaction.

Karakurt

Much more dangerous karakurt. In 4% of cases of his bites, this ends with the death of a person. The poison of karakut disrupts the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Arrhythmia, convulsions, asthma attacks and heart failure appear. Biologists say that the poison of this spider is stronger than that of the rattlesnake by 15 times, and 50 times more toxic than the poison of tarantulas.

The most dangerous spider in Ukraine lives in the southern steppes. In hot summers, karakurs migrate to the northern regions, therefore, sometimes they attack people where their existence is unknown. Noticing a spider is not easy, because the size of the females reaches only 2 cm, and the males are even smaller - 7 mm.The color is black, due to which it is difficult to notice the poisonous arthropod in a timely manner. Young individuals have red spots on their belly. As with tarantulas, they attack a person who is a threat to them.

Argiope

Other species names are “zebra spider” and Wasp spiderbecause his abdomen is painted in bright yellow and black stripes. The initial halo of habitat is the Black Sea, but in recent years it has also settled in the more northern regions. They are often met in the Kirovograd and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The size of the females is about 1.5 cm, males - 0.7 cm. For the web argiopes zigzag weaving is characteristic. The venom of a zebra spider is not harmful to human health, it causes only a slight inflammation in the bite, which quickly passes without treatment. Usually an argiope attacks only if the person picked it up.

This is not a complete list of species inhabiting the territory of Ukraine. Their diversity is of biological value to the country. When meeting in nature with a spider, whether it is a non-toxic or dangerous species, it is better to bypass it. These arthropods perform an important function, supporting the population of insects in an acceptable amount. Knowing what spiders are found in Ukraine, you can predict what to expect from a meeting with them.