Where is the black widow? Black widow spider

The Karakurt (black widow), increasingly appearing in the central parts of Russia, has a bad reputation as the most poisonous of the class of arachnids. He and his brothers from the Black Widow family owe this reputation to their fatal bite which is fifteen times more poisonous than a bite snakes. According to statistics, a person who is bitten by a spider of this genus may die within a few days.

The black widow is one of the most famous and poisonous spiders on our planet. Thirty-one spiders belong to the Black Widow genus, which is spread throughout the earth. Due to intrageneric crossings, mature individuals can have a black color with a characteristic shine. With their legs tucked in, they look very much like currants. Karakurt, translated from the Turkic language, means black insect. It is important to know what a black widow looks like so that when you encounter a spider, you can take the tenth route around it.

Born spiders are about a millimeter in size and are colored brownish-gray. Instead of red dots, they have white dots and stripes. Immature spiders have an hourglass pattern on the underside of their abdomen, which disappears as they mature. They will acquire their characteristic color after the second molt.

The black widow is one of the most famous and poisonous spiders on our planet.

Before maturity, the female spider molts nine times, and the male seven. Therefore, the female has thirteen spots, and the male has four pairs of red marks. With age and molting, the color of females becomes black and only a spot resembling an hourglass shape remains, while the color of males almost does not fade. The size of the Black Widow spider depends on its age and variety.

The female Karakurt has a body size of up to two centimeters, the length of the legs is about five centimeters. She is three times larger than the male. Male, average size, does not exceed seven millimeters. The body of Karakurts is black, dense, spherical, with red spots on the upper side of the abdomen. Sometimes there is a white border around the spots. Now you know what a black widow spider looks like and it will not be difficult to correctly identify a poisonous individual.

Habitats

Karakurt is a spider found on all continents except the Arctic and Antarctica. IN lately The Black Widow spider also chose Russia as its habitat. They live in wormwood steppes and inhabit saline and virgin wastelands. They love dry and grassy slopes of ravines, abandoned villages, and courtyard buildings. They feel ideal where the summer is hot and warm autumn. Therefore, we can distinguish several habitats where the black widow lives:

In Kazakhstan, the spider inhabits steppe and saline zones.
In Uzbekistan, the habitat of three species has been recorded: Dal's karakurt, Thirteen-pointed and White karakurt.
Crimea is its traditional habitat, and due to climate change and strong warming, its population has increased several times.
Türkiye, Iran and Afghanistan are the habitat of the black widow.
The Russian spider lives mainly in the southern regions, such as Rostov region, Krasnodar region and in areas bordering Kazakhstan these are the Southern Urals and Altai Territory.
The southern European individual keeps Spain, Portugal, France and Greece at bay.

Most poisonous species lives in North Africa and America. Its venom is fifteen times more toxic than that of a rattlesnake. The habitat of the Black Widow spider is constantly changing due to climatic conditions.

Having reached sexual maturity, males begin searching for a female. Having found it, it attracts attention to itself by touching the signal threads of the web with its paws. At the same time, he slowly approaches her. A frightened female can kill the spider. It is generally accepted that after mating, the female eats the male. This only happens if the female does not have enough weight at the time of fertilization. In other cases, the male stops eating after mating and dies. This happens regardless of where the Black Widow lives or what species it belongs to.

Now it’s clear why the Black Widow spider is called that. After fertilization, the female spider weaves spherical cocoons for the eggs. Nearby, to secure them, she places a fishing net. A week later, small karakurts hatch in the cocoon and live there until next year.

A year later, when the outside temperature is at least thirty degrees, the spiders emerge from the cocoon through a small hole. While in the cocoon, the karakurt babies have already moulted once. They weave disorderly webs, hunting insects in groups. During prolonged cold weather, spiders can spend up to three molts in the shell that protects them, feeding on weak individuals.

After fertilization, the female spider weaves spherical cocoons for eggs

A week after leaving the cocoon, their first migration begins. To do this, they climb to a height, release a web thread and fly in air currents. The need for migration among the Karakurts is laid down at an instinctive level. So they get into middle lane Russia, where on the eve of cold weather they can climb into people’s homes and hide in shoes, underwear and beds. This spider likes to spend the winter in cellars, sheds, and outdoor toilets.

Females are most poisonous in May-June. The venom of the karakurt spider is neurotropic. As a result, both a heart attack and respiratory arrest can occur. If a person is bitten by a female karakurt:

At first there will be a slight burning sensation, which will intensify to severe pain within fifteen minutes.
Redness or paleness of the face.
Two hours later, abdominal pain and vomiting.
Increase in temperature.
Joint and headache.
Seizures and arrhythmia.

A bite from an adult sexually mature individual can be fatal

After 1-2 weeks, the pain subsides, but the consequences of the bite for six months resemble shortness of breath, dizziness and sudden fainting. A bite from an adult sexually mature individual can be fatal. Its venom basically has a protein structure, and if you burn the area with fire within two minutes after the bite, the protein will coagulate. However, to do this you need to know what a bite looks like.

What to do if you are bitten

A small red spot appears at the site of the bite. This area swells a little and goes numb. After a couple of minutes everything disappears. The victim must be urgently taken to the hospital. To slow down the absorption of poison into the body you need to:

Apply ice to the bite site.
Restrict the victim's movement.
Transfer to a cool place.

Unfortunately, the bite is noticed too late. And the only antidote is anti-karakurt serum, which is very allergenic and can cause anaphylactic shock. Therefore, it is administered by specialists in a medical facility, while simultaneously administering anti-allergy medications. If you are bitten by a karakurt, you should never drink alcohol, because it increases blood circulation, and the poison will spread throughout the body faster. The Black Widow spider in Russia has recently significantly increased its numbers, so the number of victims has increased.

It is important to do some for residents of those regions where this type of spider is present in order to protect themselves from uninvited guests. It is better to play it safe and follow some rules to prevent an accidental bite, which can be fatal.

But there are living creatures that are not afraid of spiders. Steppe hedgehogs, bats, bustards enjoy feasting on spiders. A single wasp paralyzes it and lays a larva inside it. The parasites lay larvae directly into cocoons. Crickets break open cocoons and feast on spiderlings.

In nature, there are spiders similar to karakurt, but completely harmless - these are false karakurt. They have a bright red stripe on their abdomen, glossy legs and there is always a web of dead insects around their den.

Despite the fact that spiders are natural pest regulators (possibly in your garden), the Black Widow species is dangerous to humans. The bite of such a spider is very painful and in rare cases can lead to death (the main risk group is children and the elderly), so these spiders are not the most welcome guest in your home. There are several effective ways to eliminate this threat.

Steps

How to recognize a black widow

Appearance. These spiders live throughout North America. The female spider is easy to recognize - she is usually jet black in color, with red spots or a single red hourglass spot on her abdomen. These spiders are also distinguished by their long shiny black legs.

Males are usually smaller than females and have a brownish or gray color. They can also have red spots. Male black widows are not poisonous.
Small white or yellow, their color darkens with each molt. They may also have red spots on their back. All spiderlings are harmless to humans.

Habits. Black widows lead a closed and reclusive lifestyle, settling in dark and safe places (boxes, boxes, woodsheds, under stairs). Lead night look life.
- The web is usually located 30-50 cm from the ground. It may be asymmetrical in appearance, but is characterized by increased strength. The web serves to catch insects and also to store the eggs of the female.
- Black widows can usually be found in dark corners of the house, garage or garden, where they are more likely to go undetected and undisturbed. They are also often found on wheels and under a car engine.
- If you find a web, look around, there are usually several more nearby.
Danger. Female black widows have a very strong venom - about 15 times stronger than poison rattlesnake. The neurotoxin causes pain and cramps in the muscles, pain in the peritoneum, nausea and breathing problems, profuse sweating, and in men - priapism. In most cases, their bites are painful, but the pain goes away quickly. In any case, you need to see a doctor, especially if a child has been bitten or old man. Otherwise, the case may end in the death of the bitten person.
- In principle, spiders do not attack themselves, only as a result of self-defense. But this is little consolation, since even an accidentally disturbed black widow will defend itself and bite.
Brown recluse spider. This type of spider is common in the eastern United States. Similar in size to black widows. The color is usually brownish, and there is usually a dark pattern on the back that resembles a violin. Unlike most spiders, this species has 6 eyes.
- The habitats and methods of elimination do not differ from those applicable to spiders of the black widow family.
- The venom is less powerful than that of the black widow, but the danger of death is higher for children and the elderly. The venom can cause a disease called loxoscelism. Depending on the amount of poison, tissue necrosis and damage to internal organs may begin.
Search and Destroy
1. Detect maximum webs during daylight hours. Search all the hidden places where spiders may live. Since black widows are nocturnal predators, they are not active during the day.
  - In your home, explore dark corners, under beds, attics, and basements. Outside, they can settle under windows and door frames, in woodsheds and between beds, as well as in greenhouses.
  - The web is asymmetrical and stronger than other spiders.
  - Remember the location of the webs so you can return at night.
2. Use sprays and powder insecticides. Passive method Spider extermination involves sprinkling or spraying products on the webs and surrounding areas.
  - Powders are good for quiet places where they won't get blown away by the wind or licked off by a pet. For example, attics, basements, wall voids.
  - Liquid products can be sprayed, including on furniture. Better yet, combine both options.
3. Return to the webs at night and kill the spiders. You don't have to wait until midnight - when the sun goes down, the spiders become active. Take a powerful flashlight with you, and it will also be a good idea to have thick clothing. Here are some effective ways to exterminate spiders:
  - Insecticides. The spray should come into contact with the spider, after which the spider will die fairly quickly. This is a very effective and safe remedy.
  - Crush. It’s not the most elegant way, and spiders often move faster, but you can try.
  - Vacuum cleaner. Very effective remedy at home, it will help you keep your distance and reach spiders in hard-to-reach places.
4. Destroy the egg clutches. In addition to destroying adult spiders, do not forget about their offspring. Clutches containing eggs are usually attached to the web and look like gray cocoons. They can contain hundreds of spiderlings.
  - Do not crush the clutches, otherwise the spiderlings may scatter, and then the problem will become even larger.
5. What to do if you are bitten. If you're unlucky enough to be bitten by a black widow, don't panic. You may not feel anything at first, but symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, muscle cramps, and dizziness may soon appear. First aid for a bite:
  - Clean the bite area and apply ice. If the bite is on an arm or leg, hold the limb as high as possible to slow the spread of the venom.
  - See your doctor. You will most likely be given a calcium gluconate injection. In more severe cases, an antidote may be prescribed.
  - If possible, bring the spider that bit you with you (live or dead, preferably in a bag). This will help to accurately determine its type and prescribe treatment.
6. Call the professionals. If the spider population is too large, or you don’t want to take on this task yourself, call insect exterminators. Professionals are licensed to use stronger chemicals (in severe cases).
Preventing Black Widows
1. Clean your home regularly. Don't leave dirty or abandoned places where spiders can take up residence. Avoid mold and dampness, spiders love it.
  - The outside of windows and door frames can be watered with a garden hose, thereby washing away any spiders that have settled there.
2. Deal with clutter at home and on the street. A pile of things is a good hiding place for spiders. Keep things in order and don't let those spiders run wild.
  - Do not store firewood near your home. Spiders love to settle between firewood. Don't give them easy access to your home. And when carrying firewood, wear thick gloves to avoid being accidentally bitten.
  - One more thing favorite place spider settlements are vines, shrubs and other plants on the facades of houses.

And it has the same poisonous properties.

Black widow spider - distributed throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska; There are especially many of these spiders in the southeast. The body length is up to 1 cm, the leg span is up to 5 cm. This spider is shiny, black, with two red hourglass-shaped marks on the ventral surface of the abdomen, the abdomen is teardrop-like, convex, thick. The female is very poisonous spider, males are less common and are almost harmless. Males have four pairs of red dots located along the sides of the abdomen. After mating, the female devours the male, hence the name "black widow" - although this is found in most spiders and even praying mantises.

The black widow spins its web in the dark corners of sheds, barns, garages and under stones, boards, and pipes stacked for repairs. Most bites occur in the summer and early fall and occur when people destroy a spider's web or try to catch a spider.

The bite of a female spider is poisonous, accompanied by local pain, swelling, nausea, difficulty breathing and is sometimes fatal. At least three other black widow species are also poisonous to humans: the brown or gray widow spider; red widow spider, with sparse red and yellow markings; and the northern widow spider. Black widow spiders produce a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, muscle cramps and even paralysis in humans. The poison is more dangerous for children than for adults. Their bites are very dangerous, although antidotes have long been created that allow you to recover from the poison in a few days - because it takes time to be delivered to the hospital. But neurotoxins paralyze insects so quickly that the spider often starts eating while the victim is still alive. Most black widow species prefer flight to attack. A disturbed spider often pretends to be dead, with its legs tucked in, and runs only if they try to catch it or it seems to it that the danger has passed; it is not aggressive in itself and attacks people in case of its defense.

The venom of black widows is extremely toxic: they are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in the world.

Notes

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The black widow spider is very unusual and in some way is a collective term, since about 30 species of arthropods are hidden under it. These creatures became famous because some representatives of this genus are distinguished by their ability to secrete an extremely toxic poison that can cause severe intoxication in humans and even cause death. Wherever this segmented creature lives, people are well aware of the degree of its danger.

The black widow is a very unusual spider

Representatives of this order are found almost everywhere where climatic conditions quite soft. They are widespread in the countries of East and South Asia, America, North Africa. Some of them are found in Australia and Oceania. IN northern regions Only a few species can live that are not as dangerous as their heat-loving counterparts.

The spider seems rather inconspicuous, so often a person, due to his own carelessness, becomes its victim. Adults reach 2 cm in length. The female black widow is larger than any of her mates. Despite their increased toxicity, these creatures are characterized by an unremarkable appearance. Local residents in many regions with tropical climate they know what this black spider looks like, sometimes living next to a person’s home, but even this does not always save them from a chance meeting.

The chitinous covering on the paws and cephalothorax is varnished black. Some varieties do not have additional decorations. The most poisonous representative of this genus has a characteristic hourglass-shaped mark on its abdomen. The spot has a reddish tint. The rich red color of this element is very eye-catching and helps many predators determine the degree of danger of the spider.

In some varieties the spot has a pink tint. The steotoda, called the false black widow, is no less dangerous to humans. Despite external resemblance creatures, the spot on the abdomen of this spider has a white or orange tint.

Spiders of this species have from 6 to 8 eyes, but they see very poorly and basically get all necessary information, assessing the vibration that comes from various living objects.

A true black widow has short legs that resemble a comb. These creatures have curved bristles on their hind legs. This structure of the legs is necessary for the spider to throw a trapping net when attacking prey.

In addition, black widows weave extremely untidy horizontal chaotic webs. It allows the spider to sense the slightest movement of the victim caught in it. Females of this species are larger and more venomous than males.

Adult healthy person can quite successfully survive the attack of this spider. At the site of the bite, extensive tissue death can occur due to their impregnation with toxins.

To the characteristic general manifestations Black widow lesions include:

mild erythema;
muscle spasms;
severe pain in the bite area and in the abdomen;
salivation;
increased sweating;
hypertension;
anxiety;
headache;
tachycardia;
parasthesia;
vomit;
urinary incontinence;
dyspnea.

Some victims of this spider develop kidney failure. Because black widow venom is neurotoxic, it can leave a person with serious injury. nervous system, which may not have the most favorable effect on his mental state.

For children and the elderly, attacks by these creatures often have fatal consequences. Only timely administration of an antidote can reduce the destructive effect of spider venom on the body.

Only females of this species are characterized by increased aggressiveness. The male, as a rule, flees if he is attacked, and therefore is considered less dangerous to humans.

Gallery: black widow spider (25 photos)

Black widow spider (video)

Black widow lifestyle

These creatures are extremely whimsical in choosing a home. They often settle in the grass of open steppe space, and also in ditches, ravines, cracks in the ground and tree hollows, and rodent burrows. Under certain circumstances, these arthropods can live in people's homes. These spiders got their name because often after mating, the female spider attacks her partner, which ends tragically for him. However, this does not happen in all cases.

Strong males who have mated for the first time in their lives are quite capable of running away from their partner in the future. However, multiple sexual acts deplete their reserves, so when already on the verge of death, they often become victims.

Despite the fact that all black widows, regardless of gender, are immune to the poison, weakened males do often become a nutritious snack for their partners. After mating, the female begins to produce offspring. Like other types of spiders, it weaves a cocoon in which it carefully wraps its young.

The spiders usually leave the nest after 8 days. However, they need to moult many times to become sexually mature. Life cycle Spiders living in the northern hemisphere have a longer lifespan.

Attention, TODAY only!

The black widow spider got its name due to a special ritual - the female eats the male after mating. However, this does not always happen, often in cases where the female mistakes her suitor for prey. How dangerous is this creature for humans and how can it be recognized among other spiders?

The black widow is one of the most poisonous spiders

Characteristic

Black widows are a genus of spiders, numbering 31 species, and they inhabit all continents without exception. Among them there are special representatives whose bite is very dangerous for humans.

The description of a black widow spider will largely depend on its species, but they all have characteristics characteristic of their genus.

Dimensions – the body length of adult male spiders is about 1.2-2 cm, the length of the legs is approximately the same as the body size. Males are approximately half the size of females.
Legs – The black widow has 8 legs. Characteristic feature– paws-combs. On the back pair of legs there are strong, curved bristles that help the spider close its web over its prey.
Color - the body of an adult black widow spider, as can be seen in the photo, is black with one red or orange spot, which is shaped like hourglass, or with several red spots. In females that have not reached sexual maturity, the red spots have a white edge. U European species the spot is colored white-brown. The body of young spiders is white or yellowish-white; after the next moult, it acquires a darker shade.
Vision - the black widow's eyes are located in two rows, each of which has 4 eyes. The middle pair is the main one, the side ones are able to distinguish only light and movement.

Note! Despite large number In general, the black widow spider's eyes see very poorly. He recognizes the presence of a victim solely by the vibration that it creates when it finds itself in the web!

Development

The fertilized female lays her eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs, which she attaches near her fishing net. The cocoon itself is a grayish ball with a funnel-shaped exit. The clutch is under the constant control of the mother until the spiderlings emerge from the eggs.

Development in the egg takes from 2 to 4 weeks. The young offspring, having just emerged from the eggs, immediately enter into the struggle for life. Stronger individuals eat the weaker ones, so not all survive. As a result, only a small handful of young black widows, often up to 12 spiderlings, leave the cocoon.

As mentioned above, immediately after birth, the body of young individuals is colored white. And only after several molts will they darken enough and look like adult black widow spiders.

Spreading

Where does the black widow spider live? Each species is attached to its own territory. For example, 8 species of black widows were found in Eurasia, 13 in South and North America, and 3 in Oceania and the Australian mainland.

Russia is also home to a certain type of black widow spider, which is known as the white spider. It can be recognized by its characteristic spherical abdomen, colored white or yellowish. At the same time, this black widow does not have a bright spot. Instead of a pattern, the white karakurt has four indentations on the surface of its abdomen, forming a rectangle.

Important! Despite the fact that the poison of the white karakurt is much less toxic than that of other black widows, it can be deadly for the elderly and children!

However, recently, due to significant warming, many species of these arachnids have changed their usual habitats. More and more often we hear about the appearance of the black widow spider in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Taganrog, Southern Urals and in the Rostov regions.

These spiders prefer to hang their webs in dark, dry shelters and settle mainly in poorly lit places. Therefore, encounters with them can occur in sheds, garages, toilets located on the street, as well as in abandoned animal burrows, hollow stumps and even in dense thickets of grass.

Note! With the arrival of cold weather, the black widow spider always moves to a warm room, and therefore in winter they can be found even in a residential building!

Consequences of a bite

Female black widows are always more aggressive than males, but if the latter is accidentally disturbed, even he is capable of attacking and biting a person. At the same time, the risk of an attack from a spider increases significantly in the fall, when it moves into living quarters.

The bite of a black widow spider is moderately painful - feels like a pin prick. Characteristic symptoms are:

expansion of capillaries, which leads to slight redness of the skin;
swelling develops almost immediately;
after half an hour to an hour, muscle spasms appear in the affected area, which are accompanied by intense pain;
then the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall tense, the pain continues to increase and becomes excruciating.

Note! This symptom is often mistaken for a sign of peritonitis, but palpation of the abdomen turns out to be painless!

Some additional symptoms may also develop, including:

increased blood pressure;
intense salivation;
rapid sweating;
vomit;
attack of sudden shortness of breath;
cardiac arrhythmia with increased heart rate;
anxiety;
general weakness;
headache;
urinary incontinence;
muscle twitching;
skin sensitivity disorder: from tingling and goosebumps to complete numbness.

It is also possible allergic reaction for poison After a bite, it is advisable to administer an antidote as soon as possible. After three hours there is big risk worsening the already serious condition casualty, even death.

Note! At best, delay is fraught with irreversible damage to the nervous system and a deterioration in mental state without the possibility of its recovery or even minimal improvement!

To avoid trouble, watch for spiders when spending time outdoors or in country house, and under no circumstances pick them up.