Niche modelling of the Chilean recluse spider Loxosceles laeta and araneophagic spitting spider Scytodes globula and risk for loxoscelism in Chile

Abstract

In Chile, all necrotic arachnidism is attributed to the Chilean recluse spider Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet) (Araneae: Sicariidae). It is predated by the spitting spider Scytodes globula (Nicolet) (Araneae: Scytodidae). The biology of each of these species is not well known and it is important to clarify their distributions. The aims of this study are to elucidate the variables involved in the niches of both species based on environmental and human footprint variables, and to construct geographic maps that will be useful in estimating potential distributions and in defining a map of estimated risk for loxoscelism in Chile. Loxosceles laeta was found to be associated with high temperatures and low rates of precipitation, whereas although S.globula was also associated with high temperatures, its distribution was associated with a higher level of precipitation. The main variable associated with the distribution of L.laeta was the human footprint (48.6%), which suggests that this is a highly invasive species. Similarly to other species, the distribution of L.laeta reaches its southern limit at the Los Lagos region in Chile, which coincides with high levels of precipitation and low temperatures. The potential distribution of L.laeta in Chile corresponds to the distribution of cases of loxoscelism.