Variaciones morfológicas en el pedipalpo de machos de latrodectus garbae y latrodectus geometricus (araneae: theridiidae) a través de morfometría geométrica

Abstract

Spiders of the genus Latrodectus (Walckenaer, 1805), commonly known as "black widow" spiders, are recognized for their ability to produce a toxin that can cause serious clinical manifestations. Currently, there are 34 species within this genus, 4 of them are present in Colombia. Traditionally, spider species have been classified according to their morphology, where genital structures have acquired a high value for classification. However, in Latrodectus, this classification has faced difficulties due to morphological variation, especially in the coloration of the opisthosoma and sexual organs. These variations are present even within the same species. In this research, the technique of geometric morphometry is applied, a geometric model that is used to identify morphological variations. In this case, variations in the male pedipalp in the species L. garbae and L. geometricus will be identified with the aim of expanding the statistical and morphological recognition of the variations that can be found internally within the same species. This will contribute to improving the determination and classification of spider widow species in Colombia.