The candidate of Sciences named the reasons for the spread of Brunnich's argyope in the Russian Federation

The bright and conspicuous wasp spider, whose scientific name is Argyope Brunnich, can increasingly be found in the regions of Russia, including the Kaliningrad region. The main reason for the expansion of the southern species to the north is global warming. This opinion was expressed by Kirill Masliev, a member of the State Council Commission on Active Long-term Life, Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Rudn University, PhD, founder of the Heroes Charitable Foundation, in an interview with Izvestia on August 19.

"The expansion of the habitat of southern insect and animal species to the north is due to climate change. In addition, these spiders are often carried by the wind over long distances on pieces of spider web," he said.

The expert noted that in the Baltic Sea region, for example, in the reserve on the Curonian Spit, these spiders appeared, most likely, from Western Europe. He also described the features of the species: large (up to 3 cm) and bright females are much more aggressive than small males, which often become prey to girlfriends after mating.

Despite its fearsome appearance and predatory nature (Argyope Brunnich feeds on grasshoppers, paralyzing them with venom that digests the victim from the inside), for most adults its bite is not fatal and is comparable to the bite of a wasp. However, the expert warned about the exceptions.

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"For children and allergy sufferers, a bite is potentially dangerous and can be fatal if first aid is not provided. Bites to the head and neck are especially dangerous because of the abundance of blood vessels, which accelerates the spread of venom. In all these cases, it is imperative to see a doctor after first aid," the specialist said.

The symptoms of a bite are pain, swelling, and in allergy sufferers, a sharp deterioration in their condition, swelling of the respiratory tract, and fever. First aid includes washing the bite site with soap, a cold compress, and taking an antihistamine.

"Do not touch an insect with an exotic appearance and do not touch its web, which can be recognized by its characteristic zigzag stripe. Fans of hiking with children should be more vigilant — this spider weaves nets quite low from the ground," summed up Masliev.

On April 29, the press service of Rospotrebnadzor reported that more than 29.8 thousand Russians had suffered from tick bites since the beginning of the season. Residents of the Sverdlovsk, Kemerovo, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Novosibirsk, Moscow and Tomsk regions most often applied to medical institutions with this problem.

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