Arachnid
Brown Button Spider
Latrodectus geometricus
The brown button spider is South Africa's most commonly encountered medically significant spider — a relative of the black widow. Bites cause latrodectism: severe muscle pain, sweating, hypertension and rare cardiac complications. They favour undisturbed clutter in garages, sheds, meter boxes, plant pots and outdoor furniture across Kempton Park.
How to identify
- 8–14 mm body, grey-brown with geometric pattern
- Distinct orange/red hourglass on underside of abdomen
- Pearl-grey egg sacs covered in tiny silk spikes
- Tangled, untidy web in sheltered corners
Where they hide
- Garages, garden sheds and tool rooms
- Meter boxes, pool pump rooms and electrical kiosks
- Outdoor braai areas, plant pots and patio furniture
- Stored boxes and seldom-moved garden hoses
Health & property risks
- Latrodectism — severe systemic envenoming
- Most bites occur to hands while moving stored items
- Children, elderly and pregnant women at higher risk
- Antivenom available but hospital admission usually needed
Prevention tips
- Wear gloves when moving stored garage items
- Keep garages and sheds tidy and clutter-free
- Treat meter boxes and pump rooms 6-monthly
- Remove egg sacs (they hatch hundreds of spiderlings)
FAQs
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