Violin spider: two car mechanic brothers bitten in Rome

Abstract

Violin spiders (family Sicariidae, genus Loxosceles) are non-aggressive sedentary arachnids with a violin-like cephalothorax whose bite is generally painless1 . Their mean body length is 11.5 mm, with three pairs of eyes and a life expectancy of 5 years on average1 . They are widely distributed across the globe and Loxosceles rufescens is the species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Basin and to the Gulf of Mexico1,2 .