Southern black widow
Latrodectus mactans
— Where the name comes from
Latrodectus is Greek for “the one that bites unseen”, from láthrā, secretly, and dáknō, to bite; mactans is Latin, “killing”. The common name comes from the female’s habit, not always real, of devouring the male after mating and so becoming a “widow”. It is one of the most feared spiders in America.
— Facts
- Group
- Arachnids · Arachnida
- Order
- Spiders
- Habitat
- Crevices, woodpiles, dark shelters, often near houses
- Range
- North America
- Size
- 8–13 mm for the female, far less for the male
- Diet
- Carnivore — insects caught in the web
- Lifespan
- 1–3 years for the female
— Characteristics
- 01
The female, black and glossy, carries a red hourglass on her belly as a warning.
- 02
The neurotoxic venom is extremely potent, but the spider injects minute doses and is shy.
- 03
It builds irregular, strong webs in sheltered, undisturbed places.
— What sets it apart
Drop for drop, black widow venom is far more potent than a rattlesnake’s, but the spider is so small that it injects minuscule amounts, and deaths are now very rare. The reputation for cannibalism is partly exaggerated: in most species the male survives mating and escapes. In some, though, he genuinely offers himself: he somersaults onto the female’s belly, as if presenting himself, improving the odds that she accepts him — and sometimes eats him. The “widow” is not always widowed by murder.
