Get to know the Violin spider

Violin spiders usually live in grassland and in caves with only one species introduced into houses. Violin spiders are nocturnal and at night may find their way into, for example, clothing, beds and shoes. To date no antivenom has been produced, and although no death has been reported in Southern Africa, plastic surgery is sometimes necessary to repair tissue damage.

Violin spiders are usually brown or reddish brown in colour, with dark markings on their bodies. They have characteristic violin-shaped markings on the cephalothorax and are quite often confused with daddy-long-legs, which are not venomous.

This is the Violin spider.

The symptoms and signs of a Violin spider bite: the superficial bite is painless and initially goes unnoticed. About two hours after the bite a red swollen lesion, sometimes with a purple centre develops. Over the next day or two bleeding into the site causes a blackened lesion. By day four the swelling and inflammation subside, while cutaneous necrosis continues to spread slowly. Necrotic tissue sloughs off leaving a deep ulcerating wound which is slow to heal and leaves a nasty scar.

Spider bite case HERE

How can a Violin spider bite be treated? Treatment should focus on preventing and treating secondary infection using local antiseptics and systemic antibiotics to promote healing. Ulcers are managed conservatively through cleaning and dressing. Timely surgical cleaning may arrest a rapidly spreading lesion. Dapsone treatment in low doses for 14 days may control extension of the ulceration. Disfiguring scars may require reconstructive surgery with skin grafting at a later stage. The patient should receive a tetanus toxoid booster.