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Learn about the characteristics, habitat, diet, reproduction and venom of the black widow spider, a large and venomous spider found in North America and other regions. Find out how to identify, avoid and treat a black widow spider bite.
Latrodectus is a genus of spiders with 34 species, including the true widows, such as the black widow and the brown widow. They have a distinctive hourglass marking on their abdomen and a potent venom that can cause latrodectism in humans.
6 days ago · 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
- 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.
Learn about the black widow spiders, their venomous bite, their cannibalistic mating behavior, and their web-building habits. See photos and videos of these spiders and their prey, and find out how to avoid their bites.
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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.
Aug 30, 2018 · The black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) is probably the most feared spider in North America. Its venomous bite is excruciating, and the spider gets its name because females sometimes eat their mates. Yet, this spider doesn't deserve its bad reputation. Here are the facts you need to know. Cite this Article.
