La paciencia de la araña Artropodofauna en depósitos arqueológicos del Museo de La Plata

Abstract

For over a decade, an interdisciplinary team has been developing a systematic plan to control pests in the
archaeological reservoirs of the Museo de La Plata, achieving a progressive decrease in the presence of insects.
However, periodic controls revealed that at least three spider species, Loxosceles laeta, Lycosa pardosa and Scytodes
globula, maintain a stable population in those facilities. While spiders do not endanger conservation of archaeological
material - and even may be indirectly beneficial due to their carnivorous habits and their primarily insect-based diet -
their presence is risky for those working in the reservoirs. The wide geographical distribution of the above-mentioned
species makes it possible to assume that the same spiders can be found in the heritage reservoirs of other institutions
in the country, so it is of interest to their staff to know their basic features. The present work briefly summarizes the
morphological and behavioral characteristics of the three species, giving an account of the behaviors that should be
adopted to prevent accidents and the procedure to follow in case of a bite.