Black Widow Spiders
Latrodectus hesperus
Color: Glossy Black
Size: Female 1.5 cm Male 3-4 cm
Shape: They are round and shiny.
Nutrition: Carnivores. They eat insects, flies etc. animals. They catch their prey using nets and kill them by poisoning them. Females can kill and eat their mates after reproduction.
Habitat: They like warm and tropical environments.
Black widow spiders Behavior ?
They are usually active at night. They spend the night repairing nets and hunting. They prefer to live in dark and quiet areas. They avoid contact unless they are approached. They weave irregular and tangled nets. Their nets are strong and sticky. They spend most of their time in the net with their head hanging down. Red hourglasses appear when they sense potential danger.
They are not aggressive and generally avoid conflicts. They bite defensively when they sense a potential threat and to protect their eggs.
Although their venom is powerful, they often defend with a dry bite. If the threat is severe, they inject their venom.
Males show cautious behavior to avoid becoming prey. After breeding, females sometimes consume the males.
Egg sacs can contain hundreds of eggs. They show aggressive behavior against threats to their sacs.
They prefer ambush hunting instead of active hunting. After catching the prey, they inject poison to immobilize it. Because of their slow metabolism, they can live on infrequent meals.
They usually avoid people. They are shy and tend to run away when disturbed. Bites are rare. Their venom can cause symptoms such as nausea, muscle webbing, etc. Preventable death is unlikely with treatment.
Threats from black widow spiders
Latrotoxin is a neurotoxin that affects the nervous system. It is one of the most powerful poisons among spiders. It causes muscle cramps and other symptoms.
Localized pain and redness at the bite site. The pain is concentrated in the abdomen and back. In severe cases, symptoms such as sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, etc. are observed.
Most bites are not life-threatening. In young children and the elderly, health problems are more likely to be severe.
To avoid bites, it is important to wear gloves when handling wood or working in dark areas.
In areas where they can live, they should keep their shoes and clothes clean in hiding places.
When appropriate precautions are taken, the risk level of black widow spiders is minimal.