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Image Source. The Black Widow spider (Latrodectus spp.) is a spider notorious for its neurotoxic venom (a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells). The Black Widow Spider is a large widow spider found throughout the world and commonly associated with urban habitats or agricultural areas.
- They Aren't Always Black. When most people talk about the black widow spider, they likely think they're referring to a particular spider species. But in the U.S. alone, there are three different kinds of black widows (northern, southern, and western).
- Only Adult Females Inflict Dangerous Bites. Female widow spiders are larger than males. It is believed, therefore, that female black widows can penetrate vertebrate skin more effectively than males and inject more venom when they bite.
- Females Rarely Eat Their Mates. Lactrodectus spiders are widely thought to practice sexual cannibalism, where the smaller male is sacrificed after mating.
- Most Can Be Identified by a Red Hourglass Marking. Nearly all black widow females bear a distinct hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of the abdomen.
May 21, 2024 · Black widow, any of about 30 species of black spiders distinguished by an hourglass-shaped marking on the abdomen. Black widows are found throughout much of the world. Although their venomous bite often produces muscle pain, nausea, and mild paralysis of the diaphragm, it is rarely fatal.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Latrodectus. Type: Invertebrates. Diet: Carnivore. Average Life Span In The Wild: 1 to 3 years. Size: 1.5 inches long; diameter of 0.25 inches. Weight: 0.035 ounces. Size relative to a paper clip:...
- Their venom is 15 times more potent than a rattlesnake’s. Bites can induce nausea, paralysis of the diaphragm, and muscle aches and pains. Fortunately, it is quite rare to die from a black widow bite.
- They wait patiently for their prey. Black widow spiders create a specific type of web called “tangle webs”. Prey will find their way into the webs and become entangled in its threads.
- Horses help produce antivenom to black widow bites. Each year, there are approximately 2,500 people who seek medical attention for black widow spider bites.
- Males are sometimes eaten after mating. For male widow spiders, mating can be extremely dangerous. Female widow spiders are larger and stronger than males, and following copulation, females will occasionally catch and consume males for energy.
Start. Stop. Description of the Black Widow Spider. While individual species vary in appearance, widow spiders are typically black or dark in color, with a red hourglass shape of some type on the abdomen. Each species is slightly different in appearance. Black widow spiders have eight legs, and a rather chaotic looking web.
Latrodectus mactans, known as southern black widow or simply black widow, and the shoe-button spider, [citation needed] is a venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. The females are well known for their distinctive black and red coloring and for the fact that they will occasionally eat their mates after reproduction.
