研究记录：地中海隐士蛛现身华盛顿特区14栋联邦建筑
华盛顿讯——一种原产于地中海地区的毒蜘蛛已经在华盛顿特区的联邦政府建筑里安了家。根据发表在《American Entomologist》（《美国昆虫学家》）上的一项研究，科研人员在长达十年的记录中，在华盛顿特区及周边地区的14栋联邦政府建筑内发现了地中海隐士蛛（Loxosceles rufescens）的踪迹。
这种蜘蛛主要出没于建筑的地下空间，如地下室、地基墙缝等处。与常见于家中织网的蜘蛛不同，地中海隐士蛛是夜行动物，性情极其羞怯，受惊扰后会迅速躲进缝隙。它的原生地是欧洲和北非部分地区，历史上曾多次出现在远离原生栖息地的建筑物内。
康涅狄格农业实验站副研究员 Gale E. Ridge 博士对 FOX Weather 表示，这种蜘蛛其实有益处，因为它们会捕食建筑内的常见害虫，包括蟑螂和白蚁。据 Ridge 介绍，这类蜘蛛常随家具与个人物品的搬运进入建筑。研究人员目前仍在追查这批蜘蛛抵达首都的具体途径。（GSM 据 FOX Weather 报道）
Mediterranean Recluse Spiders Documented in 14 Federal Buildings in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON — A venomous spider native to the Mediterranean has taken up residence inside federal government buildings in Washington, D.C. A study published in American Entomologist documented Mediterranean recluse spiders (Loxosceles rufescens) in 14 federal government buildings in the Washington, D.C., area over a 10-year period.
The spiders were found mainly in underground spaces such as basements and foundation walls. Unlike spiders commonly seen spinning webs around homes, Mediterranean recluses are nocturnal and extremely shy, disappearing into cracks and crevices when disturbed. The species is native to parts of Europe and North Africa and has a history of turning up in buildings far from its native habitat.
Dr. Gale E. Ridge, an associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, told FOX Weather that the spiders can actually be beneficial because they hunt common building pests, including cockroaches and termites. Ridge has noted that such spiders often enter buildings when furniture and personal belongings are moved. Researchers are still investigating how the spiders arrived in the capital. (GSM, based on FOX Weather)
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：地中海隐士蛛（Loxosceles rufescens）实拍，摄于克罗地亚 Rijeka。Marino Linić 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。/ A Mediterranean recluse spider (Loxosceles rufescens) photographed in Rijeka, Croatia. Photo by Marino Linić, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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