Scientists in Mexico have discovered a terrifying new species of venomous spider that is capable of rotting human flesh. This poisoning beast that lurks in clothes and furniture has been found living in household furniture and fabric.
Scientists dubbed the spider Loxosceles Tenochtitlan. The spider was named after Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital city of the Aztec Empire.
Although the animal is not thought to be lethal, its attack can result in lesions of dead flesh up to 14 inches (40cm) wide. It takes several months to heal and leaves a permanent scar.
According to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), this new species of spider was discovered by biologist and university professor Alejandro Valdez-Mondragon together with his students Claudia Navarro, Karen Solis, Mayra Cortez and Alma Juarez.
According to researchers, Mexico is the home to around 40 of the 140 known species of Loxosceles spiders in the world. This recently discovered species is the first that’s considered native to the Valley of Mexico region.
Valdez-Mondragón said, “As [Loxosceles tenochtitlan] is morphologically similar to [Loxosceles misteca,] it was initially thought that it had been introduced to this region by the shipping of ornamental plants. But when doing molecular biology studies of both species, we realized that they are completely different,”
