A phoenix of clinical toxinology: White-tailed spider (Lampona spp.) bites. A case report and review of medical significance

• White-tailed spider bites.
• Mild medical significance.
• “Necrotic arachnidism”.
• Misdiagnosis of skin lesions.
• Misperceptions about selected spider taxa.

The Australian white-tailed spiders (“WTS”; Lamponidae: notably Lampona cylindrata & Lampona murina) have a continuing reputation on Internet sites as a cause of skin ulceration, labelled “necrotic arachnidism”, despite an increasing number of peer-reviewed publications debunking this reputation, with >135 confirmed cases now reported without any evidence of necrosis. We present here a case of confirmed WTS bite in a 42-year old male, followed for over a month, with photos of bite site signs and no development of skin ulceration/necrosis. The patient was initially alarmed by information on the Internet suggesting local necrosis would result from the bite. We discuss the evolution of knowledge about bites by the WTS, and the persistence of misconceptions about their factually mild medical significance.