The tropical state of Hawaii has relatively few spiders whose bites are serious enough to cause death. According to the University of Hawaii, notable exceptions include the brown violin and black widow spiders, which release particularly toxic venom. However, their bites are still not as frequent as those that occur from mosquitoes, ants, fleas and flies.
Southern Black Widow
The southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans) lives in warm, dark and dry places such as sheds and garages in Hawaii. The species is nonaggressive but will bite in self-defense. According to the University of Hawaii, muscle cramping is the primary symptom of a southern black widow bite, and it is treated with a neurotoxin; other symptoms include nausea, sweating, hypertension, tachycardia and malaise. These symptoms can last 36 to 72 hours and are treated with an analgesic. According to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a parasite, Baeus lactrodectus, was introduced into Hawaii in 1939 that attacks the southern black widow's eggs.
Brown Widow
The brown widow (Latrodectus geometricus) is more commonly found by people than the black widow, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The spider has an hourglass-like marking on the lower side of its abdomen. It has a dark-colored head, thorax and abdomen and long, thin legs. What sets the brown widow apart from its black widow cousins is the texture of its egg case -- it is rough, while the black widow's egg case is smooth.
Brown Violin
The University of Hawaii says the brown violin spider, found in Hawaii, is to blame for most of the deadly spider bites in the United States. It is a nonaggressive and nocturnal species, and is typically found under boards and loose bark. Bites can be asymptomatic or cause a stinging pain, followed by development of a blister and dermonecrosis (death of the skin), for which there is no effective treatment. Death can result from a brown violin bite, although this is rare.
Western Black Widow
The female western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) is about 1/2 inch long with a leg span of 1.5 to 2 inches. Males -- which are considered harmless -- are about one-third the size of females, according to venombyte.com. The mature spider is black with a red hourglass marking under its abdomen. Western black widows bite only when attacked as a defense mechanism. Its venom is considered highly poisonous but deaths from the spider are rare.
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