Envenomation by Steatoda borealis (Araneae: Theridiidae) in Connecticut, USA

Abstract

Abstract We report a case of envenomation by Steatoda borealis (Hentz, 1850) in Connecticut in late spring 2021. The bitten subject was a 60-yr-old female Caucasian. The bite occurred upon disturbing some books in her basement. She reported a painful stinging bite on her finger followed by the formation of an erythematous macule at the site of the bite which was gone the next day. There was no sign of necrosis. The spider was recovered directly at that time. The victim reported that later that night she experienced heart palpitations. This is the first report of envenomation by S. borealis, a common spider in Connecticut.