RS Vetter publications regarding medically important spiders
*PDF - available as a PDF file ----- Request a copy and I will send it.
Vetter, R. S. and S. Hillebrecht. 2008. Distinguishing two often-misidentified genera (Cupiennius, Phoneutria) (Araneae: Ctenidae) of large spiders found in Central and South American cargo shipments. Amer. Entomol. 54:82-87. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. 2008. Spiders of the genus Loxosceles (Araneae, Sicariidae): a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomations. J. Arachnol. 36:150-163. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. and S. Hillebrecht. 2008. On distinguishing two often-misidentified genera (Cupiennius, Phoneutria) (Araneae: Ctenidae) of large spiders found in Central and South American cargo shipments. Amer. Entomol. 54:xx-xx.
Vetter, R. S. 2008. Spiders of the genus Loxosceles (Araneae, Sicariidae): a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomations. J. Arachnol. 36:xx-xx.
Vetter, R. S. and G. K. Isbister. 2008. Medical aspects of spider bites. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 53: 409-429.*PDF
Frithsen, I. L., R. S. Vetter and I. C. Stocks. 2007. Reports of Envenomation by Brown Recluse Spiders Outnumber Verified Specimens of Loxosceles Spiders in South Carolina. J. Amer. Board Fam. Med. 20:483-488.*PDF
Vetter, R. S. and D. L. Swanson.2007. Of spiders and zebras: publication of inadequately documented loxoscelism case reports. J. Amer. Academy Dermatol. 56:1063-1064.*PDF
Vetter, R. S., B. B. Pagac, R.W. Reiland, D.T. Bolesh and D.L. Swanson. 2006. Skin lesions in barracks: consider community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection instead of spider bites. Military Medicine 171: 830-832. *PDF
Vetter, R.S. and J. O. Schmidt 2006. Semantics of toxinology. Toxicon 48:1-3. *PDF
Vetter, R.S.and G.K. Isbister. 2006. Verified bites by the woodlouse spider, Dysdera crocata. Toxicon 47:826-829. *PDF
Vetter, R.S., G.K. Isbister, S. P. Bush and L. J. Boutin. 2006. Verified bites by Cheiracanthium spiders in the United States and Australia: where is the necrosis? Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 74:1043-1048 *PDF
Swanson, D.L. and R. S. Vetter. 2006. Loxoscelism. Clin. Dermatol. 24:213-221. *PDF
Vetter, R.S. and R.B. Furbee. 2006. Caveats in interpreting poison control centre data for spider bites in epidemiology studies. Public Health 120: 179-181. *PDF
Vetter, R.S. 2005. Arachnids submitted as suspected brown recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae): Loxosceles spiders are virtually restricted to their known distributions but are perceived to exist throughout the United States. J. Med. Entomol. 42:512-521 *PDF
Isbister, G.K. and R.S. Vetter. 2005. Necrotic arachnidism: more myths and minor corrections. [Letter] Annals Emerg. Medicine 46: 205-206.
Isbister, G.K., J. White, B..J. Currie, S.P. Bush, R.S. Vetter and D.A. Warrell. 2005. Spider bites: addressing mythology and poor evidence. Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hygiene 72: 361-364.
Swanson, D.L. and R. S. Vetter. 2005. Bites of brown recluse spiders [response to letters]. New Engl. J. Med. 352:2029-2030.
(be aware that NEJM changed the word "nonendemic" to "endemic" in one of our sentences which completely eradicated the significance of the sentence, making it confusing at best and completely wrong at worst. A microscopic correction was printed. NEJM 353:744)
Schmid, G. and R. Vetter. 2005. Spider bites (mis)masquerading as infectious cellulitis [letter] Ann Intern Med (online only) http://www.annals.org/cgi/eletters/142/1/47#1215
Vetter, R. S. and D. L. Swanson. 2005. Arthropods in dermatology: errors in arachnology [Letter]. J Amer Acad Dermatol. 52: 923. *PDF
Swanson, D. L. and R. S. Vetter. 2005. Bites of brown recluse spiders and suspected necrotic arachnidism. New Engl. J. Med. 352:700-707.
Vetter, R. S. and G. K. Isbister. 2004. Do hobo spider bites cause dermonecrotic injuries? Annals Emerg. Med. 44:605-607. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. and S. P. Bush. 2004. Additional considerations regarding brown recluse spider bites and dapsone therapy [Letter]. Amer. J. Emerg. Med. 22: 494-495.
Bennett, R. G. and R. S. Vetter. 2004. Erroneous attribution of dermonecrotic lesions to brown recluse or hobo spiders in Canada. Canadian Family Physician 50:1098-1101 *PDF
Bennett, R. G. and R. S. Vetter. 2004. Must have been a spider [response to letter to editor generated by the above article] Canadian Family Physician 50:1497,1499 *PDF
Vetter, R. S. 2004. Myths about spider envenomations and necrotic skin lesions. Lancet 364:484-485. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. , G. B. Edwards and L. F. James. 2004. Reports of envenomation by brown recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) outnumber verifications of Loxosceles spiders in Florida. J. Medical Entomol. 41:593-597 *PDF
Vetter, R. S., P.E. Cushing, R. L. Crawford and L. A. Royce. 2003. Diagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American states. Toxicon 42:413-418 *PDF
Vetter, R.S. 2003. Brown recluse spider bite diagnoses and lawsuits. Pediatric Emergency Care. 19:291-292 *PDF
Vetter, R. S., A.H. Roe, R. G. Bennett, C.R. Baird, L. A. Royce, W. T. Lanier, A. L. Antonelli and P.E. Cushing. 2003. Distribution of the medically-implicated hobo spider (Araneae: Agelenidae) and its harmless congener, Tegenaria duellica in the United States and Canada. J. Med. Entomol. 40: 159-164. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. and D. K. Barger. 2002. An infestation of 2,055 brown recluse spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) and no envenomations in a Kansas home: implications for bite diagnoses in non-endemic areas. J. Med. Entomol. 39:948-951. *PDF
Vetter, R. S. and S. P. Bush. 2002. Chemical burn misdiagnosed as brown recluse spider bite. Amer. J. Emerg. Medicine 20: 68-69.
Vetter, R. S. and S. P. Bush. 2002. The diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite is overused for dermonecrotic wounds of uncertain etiology. Ann. Emerg. Medicine 39: 544-546
Vetter, R.S. and S. P. Bush. 2002. Reports of presumptive brown recluse spider bites reinforce improbable diagnosis in regions of North America where the spider is not endemic. Clinical Infectious Diseases 35:442-445 *PDF
Vetter, R. S. 2000. Brown recluse and other recluse spiders: Integrated pest management in and around the home. Univ. Calif. Pest Notes #7468, 4pp. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7468.html
Vetter, R. S. 2000. Myth: idiopathic wounds are often due to brown recluse or other spider bites throughout the United States. Western J. Medicine 173:357-358 *PDF
Vetter, R. S. 1999. Identifying and misidentifying the brown recluse spider.
Dermatol. Online 5 (2): http://matrix.ucdavis.edu/DOJvol5num2/special/recluse.html
Vetter, R.S. 1998. Envenomation by an agelenid spider, Agelenopsis aperta,
previously considered harmless. Ann. Emerg. Med. 32:739-741.
*** common spider was misidentified as a brown recluse by doctor***
Vetter, R. S. and P. K. Visscher. 1998. Bites and stings of medically important venomous arthropods. Intl. J. Dermatol. 37:481-496