Young black widow spiders are lilac in color. Black widows are a type of deadly spider widely distributed throughout the world.

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 markings in the form hourglass on the ventral surface of the abdomen, the abdomen is droplet-like, convex, thick. The female is a 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 get them 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.

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Available in wildlife There are a lot of really outlandish, sometimes pretty, sometimes cowardly, and sometimes very dangerous specimens. The latter includes black widow spider.

These insects are unusual, have an original appearance and suffer from cannibalism. These are the most poisonous and dangerous spiders North America. Their bite is very dangerous, but fortunately it does not always end fatal.

Description and features of the black widow

Where did this seemingly harmless animal get such a bright and frightening name? It's all about deceit female black widow spider. Having received from her partner the offspring necessary for procreation, she immediately eats it.

Scientists suggest that she does this due to a lack of protein, which she so needs when laying eggs. In any case, this is exactly the sad picture that always happens in laboratory conditions, where it is impossible for a male to hide from a female.

In nature, sometimes males still manage to carefully sneak up, impregnate a female and remain alive. It is very interesting to watch the dance of the bridegroom male black widow. He tries to dance a chic spider dance to make it clear to the lady of his heart that he is not food, but her soul mate.

Cannibalism has haunted the black widow spider from the very beginning of life. Of the thousands of eggs laid by the female, only a few manage to survive. All the rest are eaten by their own kind while still in embryo.

Such a fierce name has no effect on people. Of all descriptions of black widow spiders it is known that it is to some extent even a timid and shy creature. In fact, people are more of a threat to them than they are to humans. They rarely bite people, and then only in self-defense.

Black widow spider in the photo- an amazingly beautiful sight. In real life they look even more attractive and beautiful. The body of the insect is painted in a rich black glossy color. A red spot is visible on the back of the female.

Sometimes a young female has a white border on the red spots. Males at the beginning of their lives have a white or yellow-white body. It acquires dark shades after several molts. An adult male has a dark brown body with light sides.

The insect, like many spiders, has 8 limbs. They are much longer than the body itself. If the body reaches 1 cm in diameter, then the legs of spiders reach up to 5 cm. Spiders have 8 eyes. They are placed 4 in 2 rows. The middle pair of eyes has the main function. With the help of their lateral eyes, insects distinguish between light and moving objects.

In fact, even with such a large number of eyes, the black widow cannot boast of perfect vision. The insect identifies its prey by the vibration of the web into which it was unfortunate enough to fall. They weave very strong webs. It is sometimes difficult even for mice to get out of them.

Black widow spider bite poses a great danger to the elderly and young children. This part of the population has weakened immunity.

Only a timely administered antidote can prevent a possible disaster. Therefore, after the bite poisonous spider black Widow you should not hesitate, but it is better to call immediately ambulance.

But from observations it is known that these insects never attack first. This happens during defense or during accidental contact. In places where large concentrations of these insects are observed, they can even make their way into human homes.

There were frequent cases when they bit a person while in his shoes. Therefore, in such regions, caution should become a habit for people.

An adult male does not have such a harsh disposition as a female and has practically no poison. But he is able to paralyze an insect that enters his territory. Insects become especially aggressive from April to October.

Spider's lifestyle and habitat

This dangerous insect can be found anywhere on the planet. The spider is especially widespread in Europe, America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Black widow spider in Russia until some time it was an exclusively exotic insect.

After all, he prefers a hot and temperate environment. But recently, these spiders have been seen in more than one copy in places along the Urals and in Rostov region. The black widow spider lives in dark places, in dense thickets, in sheds, basements, toilets, rodent burrows, in dense vine foliage.

They lead single night image life. During the day, insects prefer to hide. In general, they always try to remain unnoticed. As soon as the black widow senses serious danger, she falls out of the web and takes on a motionless pose, making it clear with all her appearance that she is not alive.

Without its strong web, the insect is helpless and clumsy. With the onset of cold weather, spiders approach human habitation. Therefore, it is necessary to show a photo of a black widow to your young children, who are characterized by increased curiosity and may, through their ignorance and carelessness, pick up an insect in their hands.

Features of the black widow spider- these are his furry paws. The most powerful and possessing big amount bristles. With their help, the spider tightens the web over its victim. It is not difficult to recognize the web of this insect. It has a chaotic weave and is mostly placed horizontally.

Types of black widow spider

For each certain territory characteristic of one or another type of black widow. In the CIS countries, two species of these insects were noticed - karakurt and white karakurt.

The steppe widow or karakurt is always black with scarlet spots on the back and belly. Sometimes the spots turn yellow or orange. In most cases, these are steppe inhabitants, hence their name.

Their widespread becomes dangerous for people who are engaged in manual agricultural work and are at risk of being bitten by insects. Males of such spiders are usually smaller than females. Females, in turn, pose a great danger not only to people, but also to animals.

Strong web These insects are usually located almost above ground level. But there are these traps for victims on plant stems, as well as among stones, in gorges.

Karakurt is considered the second most poisonous of all black widows. Most active in summer. It cannot be said that he shows increased activity and prefers to bite his victim first. Usually this happens for the purpose of self-preservation.

There is also a brown widow. This is also a type of these insects. The color of such spiders is dominated by Brown color, and the abdomen is decorated with an orange color. Among all the black widows, the brown one is the safest. Its poison is absolutely not dangerous for people.

In frequent cases, the black widow is confused with the red capito. They are the same black color and have a red marking on their back. These insects live in New Zealand. Insects can be distinguished by their webs, which are woven in the form of triangles.

Austalian black widow, Judging by the name, it lives in Australia. The female insect is also larger than the male. Australians are afraid of this spider. Its bite causes incredible pain to people, which only goes away if an antidote is administered. Western black widow found on the American continent. It is black with a red spot. Males are pale yellow.

Nutrition

The diet of these insects is not much different from the menu of all other arachnids. It mainly includes insects that, through their carelessness, fall into the web. Their favorite treats are flies, midges, mosquitoes, beetles and caterpillars.

It is interesting to watch how the spider treats its prey. The spider understands that the “food” is already in place by the vibration of the webs. He gets closer to his victim and envelops him with his hind legs so that he is simply unable to escape.

The widow has special fangs, with the help of which the spider injects its victim with a special liquid that liquefies all its flesh. This causes the victim to die.

Another feature of the black widow is that it can limit itself in food for a long time. Spiders can live from hand to mouth for about a year.

Reproduction and lifespan

Spiders become sexually mature at 9 months of age. After the male dances, he carefully sneaks up on the female and mates with her. Some males are then killed by the female herself. Others manage to survive.

A fertilized spider lays eggs. They are stored in a special grayish ball attached to the web. The ball is constantly next to the female until offspring emerge from it. On average, about a month passes from fertilization to the appearance of babies.

In very tiny creatures, from such an early age there is a struggle for existence, in which the strong spider eats the weak. Such a struggle ends with the fact that not everyone manages to survive. From large quantity No more than 12 babies leave the cocoon.

Newborn spiders white. They need to go through several molts in order for the color to darken and they become visually similar to adults. Female black widows live up to 5 years. For males, things are somewhat sadder with this. In frequent cases, they are killed by females in the first days of their sexual maturity.

View: Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus)
Family: Web spiders
Squad: Spiders
Class: Arachnids
Type: Arthropods
Subtype: Cheliceraceae
Size: approximately 38 mm in length (feet - 12 mm), 6.4 mm in diameter
Weight: 1 gram
Lifespan: 1 - 3 years

The Black Widow got its name because the female often kills and eats the male, which explains his short term life. Scientists suggest that this is how females receive a ready source of protein that will be beneficial for their offspring. However, it is mostly observed in laboratory settings where the male is unable to escape.

Black Widow has unfairly earned a bad reputation. She only eats her husband when she mistakes him for food! Despite their fierce-sounding name, they are non-aggressive creatures, even shy ones. They rarely bite people. We are a much greater threat to them than they are to us. They have a quite romantic ritual: the male dances an amazing mating dance so that the female understands that he is not food.

Habitat

This type of spider is distributed throughout the world. They live in regions with temperate climate, incl. in the USA, Southern Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and most of South America. Can be found in dark, dry shelters, dimly lit areas such as barns, garages, basements, closets, hollow tree stumps, rodent holes, and dense vineyard vegetation. They strive to hide in warm dwellings in winter.

Although the black widow spider was not previously known in Russia, last years they were found on Southern Urals and in the Rostov region. The migration is explained by an increase in air temperature.

Characteristic

Like all spiders, the black widow has 8 legs. Males and females are different. Females are twice as large, with shiny black organs and a red, hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of their round abdomen. The marking may also be orange-yellow. Males are paler, with red or pink spots on the back. Females are about 40 mm long with elongated legs, their black, spherical bellies are about 9-13 mm.

The eggs are placed in greyish, silken balls 12 to 15 mm in diameter. The clutches contain from 200 to 900 eggs and are located in a web.
The spiderlings are completely white at first. Then they become similar to adult spiders, although smaller in size. Photos of black widow spiders are easy to find in literature and the Internet.

The black widow spider, the photo speaks of their danger, still has enemies. Wasps can sting and paralyze them, and they are also a favorite food of praying mantises. Some birds will eat them, but may end up getting an upset stomach from the poison. Bright red markings on the belly warn potential predators that the spider is a nasty meal.
Black widows are solitary in nature. They communicate only during mating. They can sometimes be seen hanging upside down in a net, identified by the hourglass on their abdomen.
The black widow contributes to the balance of the ecosystem by consuming insects such as mosquitoes and flies. It also controls crop pest populations by feeding on insect pests that destroy plants: locusts, grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars.

Interesting! There are 31 species of Black Widow, including: Latrodectus hersperus (Western Black Widow), Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow) and Latrodectus variolus (Northern Black Widow). There are also red widows and brown widows.

Black widow bite

The black widow spider, whose bite is dangerous and whose venom is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake, fortunately rarely attacks people. Only when a person disturbs his peace. Only bites from females can be considered a threat to human health. And, contrary to popular belief, most victims do not suffer serious harm. Bites from this spider rarely lead to death. Risk group - children, old people, sick people.

After a bite, similar to a pin prick, the pain spreads throughout the body within a few minutes. The effects of a bite from one of the members of this genus depend on the species, but symptoms may include nausea, profuse sweating, severe abdominal and back pain, muscle pain, hypertension, and difficulty breathing. The pain lasts for 8-12 hours, and symptoms are felt for several days. It is advisable to use an antidote. Animals more often suffer from the bite of a male.

Nutrition

Like many spiders, the black widow eats other arachnids and insects that get caught in its webs. The female hangs upside down and waits for her prey. This posture displays bright markings that are a warning to potential predators that it is toxic. The markings, however, do not scare the prey.

The spider eats flies, mosquitoes, midges, beetles and caterpillars. Once prey is caught in the net, the black widow uses its comb-like legs to wrap the prey in silk. Then it pierces its victim with its fangs and injects digestive enzymes that liquefy the corpse. And sucks out the liquid.

Interesting! Like most spiders, the black widow can live for a long time without food. Specimens have been known to survive for almost a year in the absence of prey.

Life cycle

Eggs

A grayish silk ball of eggs with a funnel-shaped exit is attached to the web. Each female builds from 5 to 15 such balls, 12-15 mm in diameter, each of which contains from 200 to 900 eggs. These clutches are fiercely guarded by the mother until spiders emerge from them.

Spiders (babies)

Young spiders emerge from the ball after 10-30 days. Only a handful of them will survive, as black widows are cannibals in the early stages of their lives. They consume other spiders from their brood for nutrients.

The surviving spiderlings undergo molting. At first they are white, then orange, and only after a couple of months they resemble adult male black widows. Surviving individuals leave the network. It will take 2-3 months for them to mature, begin to weave their cloths and get food.

Interesting! Although the life expectancy of black widow spiders is one year, some female specimens live up to three years. Males are usually only 1-2 months old. These spiders live longer in captivity.

Some originals have all kinds of exotic animals at home and even try to breed them. Spiders were also among the chosen ones. In principle, keeping and feeding them is not difficult, there is a lot of information on the Internet, but getting offspring is already a problem.

As for the black widow, one of the most dangerous spiders in the world, experts categorically do not recommend keeping it at home or breeding it for non-professionals.

Chasing the exotic, you forget about the basic instinct of self-preservation. The result can be disastrous, because despite the shyness, 5% of attacks of such a pet end fatally.

Signs of presence

If you suddenly find a black widow’s web or the spider itself in your home or country house, be careful. Indoors, their webs can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. In the fields orchards and in vegetable gardens where these spiders have become a problem, gloves should be worn as a precaution against bites. Spiders can be killed using a pesticide spray.

Black widows produce dirty, dense webs. Her canvases are usually located near ground level and under protected overhangs, such as under furniture or a wooden porch on stilts. Red hourglass markings will also indicate the presence of this species.

Spiders are one of the most scary creatures on the planet. Despite their small size, they can cause a lot of trouble for their neighbors. Especially those who have a difficult disposition and are not afraid to attack people. The black widow spider is considered one of the most dangerous, because its bite can lead to death.

That is why it will be useful for every person to learn about his unpleasant neighbor. So that when you meet, you can recognize him without any doubt and be ready to take the necessary measures. After all, this is the only way to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Males are much smaller, which makes them vulnerable to their mates. Also in their glands the concentration of poison is much lower, which makes them harmless to humans. But the trouble is that in nature, males are much less common, and, therefore, the chance of running into a poisonous spider is still quite high.

Where does the spider live?

North America is considered the homeland of this arthropod. There and now their numbers are highest, just like the number of cases of attacks on people.

With the development of trade routes, the black widow spider managed to move to other continents. Now they can be found everywhere, even in Australia, which is considered the most isolated continent.

Do we have a black widow spider? In Russia, unfortunately, these creatures are also found. And if previously they could only be seen in the Caucasus or Crimea, then with climate change they began to move closer. For example, an official case was recorded when a black widow was found in Taganrog.

Features of behavior and methods of hunting

The black widow spider leads a closed lifestyle. To set up a den, he looks for a quiet area where uninvited guests rarely appear. There weaves a net that can become a good lasso for small insects. Often it is located at a height of 30-40 cm and has an arbitrary shape.

Although this predator has eight eyes, it practically does not use them when hunting. He uses the network as his main weapon. As soon as the victim touches it, the spider is already on alert, and at the first convenient opportunity it will attack its prey.

Mating season

With the arrival of warm weather, spiders begin mating season, during which males begin to actively look for a mate. It is curious that the gentleman, having entered the web of his chosen one, begins to emit special vibrations. Thanks to this, the spider understands that she has a welcome guest.

As soon as sexual intercourse ends, and sometimes even during it, the female stings her companion and wraps him in a web in order to later satisfy her hunger. Afterwards, she prepares to lay eggs, for which she looks for a secluded place and begins to weave cocoons.

One cocoon can hold from 20 to 350 eggs, but only a few will crawl out of it. Since the mother does not feed her children, after some time they begin to eat each other. And after 3-4 weeks, no more than a dozen spiders appear outside.

How dangerous is the bite?

Many people are interested in how deadly the black widow spider is? The bite of this creature is dangerous, since the secretion contains poison, the strength of which exceeds that found in the glands of a rattlesnake. But the good thing is that when a person is bitten, not many toxins enter the human body, because the spider itself is far smaller than a snake. And yet painful sensations cannot be avoided.

Bite symptoms:

It is impossible to miss the moment of injection of poison, since it looks like a sharp prick with a sharp object. After which two points will be visible on the body, which are difficult to confuse with something else.
After 20-30 minutes, the muscles around the bite will begin to contract, and pain will be felt.
Muscle spasms will spread throughout the body. Toxins in the blood lead to fever and sometimes even nausea and chills.
Only after 24 hours the effect of the bite begins to recede. Full recovery occurs only after one week.

It is important that if you are bitten, you should definitely see a doctor. Ideally, he should inject a serum that neutralizes the effects of toxins. And remember: if an adult gets away with an unpleasant experience, then for children and the elderly such a bite can be fatal. The same goes for people who are allergic to certain toxins or have health problems.

Origin of the species and description

The black widow genus was classified by Charles Athanas Walkenaer in 1805. Arachnologist Herbert Walter Lewy revised the genus in 1959, studying the female genitalia and noting their similarities between described species. He concluded that color variations were variable throughout the world and were not sufficient to warrant species status, and reclassified the red and several other species as a subspecies of the black widow spider.

Video: Black widow spider

Levy also noted that the study of the genus had been extremely controversial before this, as in 1902 F. Pickard-Cambridge and Friedrich Dahl revised the genus, each criticizing the other. Cambridge questioned the division of the Dahlem species. He considered the deviations that his opponent drew attention to as minor anatomical details.

This is interesting! In the 1600s people southern Europe danced and raved while being bitten by a variant of the Black Widow. The movements were said to relieve painful symptoms. Their rhythmic movements were later called the tarantella dance, after the Italian region of Taranto.

Many people don't like spiders. Some believe they bring bad luck; others, on the contrary, believe that they bring good luck. Black widows have been useful in controlling pests such as fire ants and termites. Previously, doctors often made the wrong diagnosis after a spider bite. Taking serious condition chest and abdomen for symptoms of a perforated appendix.

Appearance and features

The black widow (Latrodectus) is a widespread genus of spider, a member of the family Theridiidae. The name Latrodectus is believed to mean "secret bite" in Greek. The genus contains 31 species, including North American black widows (L. hesperus, L. mactans and L. variolus), European black widow (L. tredecimguttatus), Australian red-and-black widow (L. hasseltii) and button spiders South Africa. Species vary greatly in size.

Female widow spiders are usually dark brown or shiny black. Adults have red or orange hourglasses on the ventral surface (underside) of the abdomen. Some species have only a couple of red spots or no markings at all.

Male black widow spiders often have various red, yellow, or white markings on the dorsal surface (upper side) of their abdomen. The females of several species are pale brown, and some have no bright spots. They are larger than males. The bodies of spiders range in size from 3 to 10 mm. Some females can be 13 mm long.

The legs of the widow spider are quite long, relative to the body, and resemble a “comb” with a row of curved, elastic bristles on the hind limbs. Throwing the web at prey is done with the rear comb.

On a note! These small spiders have an unusually powerful venom containing the neurotoxin latrotoxin, which causes the condition of latrodectism.

Female widow spiders have unusually large venom glands, and their bite can be especially harmful to large vertebrates, including humans. Despite their notoriety, Latrodectus bites are rarely fatal or even cause serious complications.

Where does the black widow spider live?

The species can be found on all continents of the world except Antarctica. IN North America black widows are commonly known as southern (Latrodectus mactans), western (Latrodectus hesperus) and northern (Latrodectus variolus). They can be found in all four deserts of the American Southwest, as well as parts of southern Canada, especially the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. In addition, “gray” or “brown widow spiders” (ometricus) and “red widow spiders” (bishopi) are found on the American continent.

The area of residence is distributed as follows:

American continent - 13 varieties;
Eurasia - 8;
Africa - 8;
Australia / Oceania - 3 species;
One species (geometricus) - lives everywhere except Eurasia;
The most common type found in East Asia and Australia, commonly called the redback (Latrodectus hasselti). Hundreds of Australians are bitten every year by the red spider, a relative of the black widow. It is found in all parts of Australia except the hottest deserts and the coldest mountains.

Interesting fact! Black widows prefer to nest near the ground in dark and undisturbed areas, usually in small holes created by animals, around construction openings or wooden piles on the underside of ledges, rocks, plants and debris. Only cold weather or drought can drive these spiders into buildings.

The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometryus) is not as dangerous as black spiders. When it bites, it releases less venom. However, it is a poisonous creature and should be handled with caution. It is found in all tropical regions of the world and has been introduced to southern Texas, central and south Florida, and now also found in southern California.

What does the black widow spider eat?

Like most arachnids, the black widow preys on insects. Sometimes she eats mice, lizards and snakes caught in nets, but very rarely. In deserts, black widows live on a diet of scorpions. It is known that its web is the strongest compared to other types of spiders. Widows don't weave cute networks, instead they create an elastic weave of thick threads that is rough and sticky.

Interesting fact! The tensile strength of Black Widow's web was found to be comparable to that of steel wire of the same thickness. However, since the density of steel is about six times that of spider web, the resulting web is stronger than steel wire of the same weight.

To catch prey, black widows create a “tangle” of three levels:

Supporting threads on top;
Ball weaves of threads in the middle;
Attached to the ground are vertical trap threads at the bottom with sticky drops.

The spider often hangs upside down near the center of its web and waits for insects to make a mistake and get caught in the web. Then, before the victim can escape, the widow rushes towards her to inject her with poison and wrap her in silk. Her mouth pulses with digestive juices over her prey, which gradually liquefies. The black widow then makes small punctures in the victim's body and sucks on the suspension, allowing it to be sucked back into the mouth.

Prey caught in the net includes various small insects:

cockroaches;
beetles;
flies;
mosquitoes;
grasshoppers;
caterpillars;
moths;
other spiders.

Like all spiders, black widows have very poor eyesight and depend on vibrations in the web network to find captured prey or learn about danger.

Features of character and lifestyle

Black widow spider leads nightlife. She hides in dark and untouched places, in small recesses created by animals, under fallen branches, piles of trees and rocks. Sometimes they live in rodent burrows and hollow stumps. Other habitats include garages, outbuildings, sheds. Nests inside homes are found in dark, undisturbed places such as tables, furniture, and the basement.

Sexual cannibalism in the female actually increases the chances of survival of the offspring. However, females of some species rarely exhibit this behavior. Much of the documented evidence of sexual cannibalism occurs in laboratory cages where males cannot escape.

This is interesting! Male black widow spiders choose their partners by determining whether the female is well-fed this moment to avoid being eaten. They can determine whether the spider has eaten by its sensitive chemicals in the web.

The widow is not aggressive, but can bite when her calm is disturbed. If caught in a trap, it is unlikely to bite, preferring to play dead or hide. Bites are possible when the spider is cornered and cannot escape. Injuries to humans occur due to defensive bites caused when a female is unintentionally crushed or pinched.

Need to know! Black widow venom is poisonous. When the fangs enter the skin, they remain there for a few seconds. Venom glands contract to deliver venom through ducts in the fangs.

The syndrome resulting from the bite is known as “latrodectism.” Painful symptoms are felt throughout the body. Black widow venom is called "neurotoxic" because it affects the nerves. When the nerve endings do not work: the muscles cease to obey, the body becomes rigid, paralysis and convulsions intensify. Sometimes the breathing muscles stop working, causing suffocation.

Social structure and reproduction

Black widows typically mate in the spring and summer. The female produces an egg mass containing about 200+ eggs. She covers the eggs with cobwebs, then forms a sac from this, which should protect the eggs from external influence. The sac is suspended from a web to keep it away from predators.

It takes about two weeks for the eggs to hatch. Very few young spiders survive because they eat each other as soon as they are born. Spiderlings molt several times before reaching maturity. Diet and temperature are factors that influence the development of the offspring.

Remember! Females take 2 to 4 months to mature and their lifespan is about 1.1/2 years. Males mature in 2-4 months and live for about 4 months. They lose their outer covering (exoskeleton) as they grow.

Sexual contacts between mating spiders last longer if the male allows himself to be cannibalized. By sacrificing his life, he can fill his partner with more sperm. The female stores these sperm in two storage organs and can control when she uses these stored cells to fertilize her eggs.

If she has sexual intercourse again, the sperm of the second male may displace the sperm of the first. But females who eat their first mate are more likely to reject a subsequent one.

Natural enemies of the black widow spider

These spiders, although a little scary, also have enemies. Several types of wasps can sting and paralyze a spider before eating it. Black widow is also the praying mantis' favorite food. Some birds may eat these spiders, but will end up with an upset stomach.

Bright red or orange markings on the belly area warn predators that this is a nasty meal. Most vertebrates that hunt visually detect this red-black signal and avoid using it.

Among spiders, brown widows usually replace black ones quite quickly in their habitats, although it is not known for sure whether this is a sign of predation, or perhaps they are simply driving them away in some other way. Some varieties of cellar spiders also feed enthusiastically on black widows.

Other arthropods can eat black widows, but they must be able to grab the spider before it bites them, which they rarely do.

This is a very fast spider, it is able to detect in advance small vibrations produced by a predator. If he is in danger, he descends to the ground along the web and hides in a safe place. The spider often pretends to be dead to deceive a potential enemy.

The blue mud wasp (Chalybion californicum) in the western United States is the black widow's primary predator. Alligator lizards can also sometimes “feast” on such extravagant food.

Population and species status

The black widow population is currently not under threat, and even vice versa. New research shows that over time, the black widow's habitat is expanding north and in other directions beyond its borders. normal environment a habitat.

Climatic factors are responsible for changing the habitat of this dangerous insect. For black widows the most important factor predicting their distribution area is average temperature the warmest three months of the year. These updated sightings mean health officials in areas not used to seeing black widows need to be prepared for their appearance.

A black widow bite can be identified by two puncture marks on the skin. The venom causes pain in the bite area, which then spreads to the chest, abdomen and entire body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says black widow bites are usually not life-threatening to adults, but they can cause severe pain and painful muscle contractions. People bitten by a black widow are advised to seek professional medical help.

To combat spiders, insecticides are used in their habitats when an infestation is detected. Repeat treatment at intervals indicated on the label. To further discourage spiders from entering your home, you can use an insecticide barrier spray by applying it around the base of your home and possible entry points such as door thresholds, windows, and foundation vents.

According to the researchers, it is highly likely that black widow spider There are also closer to the north. Next step is to conduct further sampling efforts in habitats associated with these spiders.