Black widow spiders are dangerous because of their powerful venom, and rightfully so. It's possible that what you know about black widow spiders is limited. Join Viet Thanh to discover this famous poisonous spider.
Black widow spiders are dangerous because of their powerful venom, and rightfully so. It's possible that what you know about black widow spiders is limited. Join Viet Thanh to discover this famous poisonous spider.
10 interesting facts about black widow spiders
This article 10 fascinating facts about black widow spiders will teach you how to recognize them, how they behave and how to limit the risk of being bitten.
1. Black Widow Spiders Aren't Always Black
We tend to think of black widow spiders as black, but they're not always black. There are 31 species of black widow spiders (genus Lactrodectus) worldwide. But in the United States, there is a brown species and a red species
2. Only adult spiders cause dangerous bites
In black widow spiders, females are larger than males. Therefore, it is believed that black widows can penetrate vertebrate skin more efficiently than males and inject more venom when they bite.
Nearly all serious black widow spider bites are caused by female spiders. Baby spiders are rarely cause for concern, and they don't even bite.
3. Females rarely eat their mates
Lactrodectus spiders are common cannibalistic practices, with smaller males being swallowed whole after mating. In fact, the term "black widow" has been associated with a type of seducer who seduces men with the intention of eating them.
But studies show that such behavior is actually quite rare in widow spiders in the wild, and not even common among domesticated spiders. Cannibalism is actually practiced by quite a few insects and spiders and is not unique, although black widow spiders are frequently malignant.
4. Most black widow spiders can be identified by the hourglass mark
Nearly all females have a distinctive hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of the abdomen. In most species, the hourglass is bright red or orange, clearly standing out from its black belly.
In some species such as the widow spider Lactrodectus variolus, the hourglass may be incomplete with a break in the middle. However, the red widow spider Lactrodectus bishopi has no hourglass markings. So be aware that not all widow spiders are identified by this trait.
5. Widow spiders are not black when they are born
Widow spiders are white when they hatch from eggs. As they undergo successive molts, they gradually darken, ranging from brown to gray, often white or beige.
Female spiders take longer to mature. So the small, pale spider you find may be an immature widow spider.
6. Black Widow Spiders Can Create Webs
Black widow spiders belong to the spider family Theridiidae, commonly known as silk spiders. These spiders build webs of silk to hunt prey.
Members of this spider family are also called comb spiders because they have a row of hairs on their hind legs to help them wrap silk around their prey. But no need to worry. Although they resemble house spiders that build cobwebs in the corners of houses, black widows rarely live indoors.
7. Female spiders have poor eyesight
Black widow spiders rely on their webs to "see" what's going on around them because they can't see well. Female widow spiders often hide in a hole or crevice and build webs outside for protection. Females can feel the vibrations of their webs when prey or predators come into contact with the threads.
Male widow spiders seek out a mate by manipulating the female's webs. Male spiders will cut and rearrange the female's silks, making it difficult for her to sense what's going on before carefully approaching her to mate.
8. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times more poisonous than the prairie rattlesnake
Widow spiders contain a powerful neurotoxin in their venom. The black widow spider's venom is a highly toxic mixture of toxins capable of causing muscle cramps, severe pain, increased blood pressure, weakness, and sweating in the bite victim.
But black widow spiders are considerably smaller than rattlesnakes, and they breed to subdue other small invertebrates, not large mammals like humans. When a black widow spider bites a person, the amount of neurotoxin injected is small compared to the human body.
9. Widow spiders are rarely fatal
Although black widow bites can be painful and require medical treatment, they are very rarely fatal. In fact, the majority of black widow bites cause only mild symptoms, and many bite victims don't even realize they've been bitten.
When they looked at more than 23,000 widow spider attacks that occurred in the United States between 2000 and 2008, the study authors found that not a single death occurred from a black widow bite. Only 1.4% of bitten victims experience "major effects" of black widow venom.
10. Black widow spiders like to live in shabby places
Black widow spiders do not usually invade homes, but they prefer to live in man-made structures such as sheds, barns, and outdoor toilets.
Men who use pit toilets should be aware of this disturbing issue – most black widow bites are caused on the penis, which they think "dangles" threatening to enter their territory. . A 1944 case study published in the Journal of Surgery noted that, out of 24 cases of bites, 11 were on the penis, 1 on the scrotum, and 4 on the buttocks. All 16 of the 24 victims were bitten while sitting on the toilet.
