| Title |
Tracking a Medically Important Spider: Climate Change, Ecological Niche Modeling, and the Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
PLOS ONE, March 2011
|
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0017731 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Erin E. Saupe, Monica Papes, Paul A. Selden, Richard S. Vetter |
| Abstract |
Most spiders use venom to paralyze their prey and are commonly feared for their potential to cause injury to humans. In North America, one species in particular, Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse spider, Sicariidae), causes the majority of necrotic wounds induced by the Araneae. However, its distributional limitations are poorly understood and, as a result, medical professionals routinely misdiagnose brown recluse bites outside endemic areas, confusing putative spider bites for other serious conditions. To address the issue of brown recluse distribution, we employ ecological niche modeling to investigate the present and future distributional potential of this species. We delineate range boundaries and demonstrate that under future climate change scenarios, the spider's distribution may expand northward, invading previously unaffected regions of the USA. At present, the spider's range is centered in the USA, from Kansas east to Kentucky and from southern Iowa south to Louisiana. Newly influenced areas may include parts of Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. These results illustrate a potential negative consequence of climate change on humans and will aid medical professionals in proper bite identification/treatment, potentially reducing bite misdiagnoses. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 7 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3 | 43% |
| Canada | 1 | 14% |
| Mexico | 1 | 14% |
| Unknown | 2 | 29% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 4 | 57% |
| Scientists | 3 | 43% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 148 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 3% |
| Brazil | 2 | 1% |
| France | 1 | <1% |
| Ecuador | 1 | <1% |
| Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
| Colombia | 1 | <1% |
| Spain | 1 | <1% |
| Mexico | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown | 134 | 91% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 27 | 18% |
| Student > Master | 22 | 15% |
| Professor > Associate Professor | 20 | 14% |
| Researcher | 19 | 13% |
| Student > Bachelor | 13 | 9% |
| Other | 29 | 20% |
| Unknown | 18 | 12% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 80 | 54% |
| Environmental Science | 18 | 12% |
| Arts and Humanities | 4 | 3% |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 4 | 3% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3 | 2% |
| Other | 16 | 11% |
| Unknown | 23 | 16% |