Black widows hold their prey until the venom takes effect, which takes about 10 minutes. The spider tends to hang from a corner of its web, coming out to quickly wrap its prey in silk before biting and envenomating it. The spider builds an irregular three-dimensional web, which is strong enough to trap a mouse. Marios Liogris / EyeEm / Getty Imagesīlack widows prefer insects, such as flies and mosquitoes, but will eat other small arthropods and sometimes other spiders. If you're truly terrified of black widows, consider keeping a praying mantis as a pet. The spiders are solitary except for the mating ritual. Only around 30 spiderlings hatch because they cannibalize each other after hatching or may not survive their first molt.įemales live up to three years, but male black widows only live three to four months. The eggs incubate for twenty to thirty days. She can produce from four to nine egg sacs per summer, each filled with 100 to 400 eggs. The female spins a globular silk container for the eggs and guards them until they hatch. He inseminates his mate by inserting his palpal bulbs into her spermathecal opening. In captivity, the male can't escape, so he may become his mate's next meal.Ī mature male spins a sperm web, deposits semen onto it, and places it on the palpal bulbs of his pedipalps. Males can detect chemicals in a female's web that indicate whether she has fed recently, so they avoid hungry mates. It is true that sexual cannibalism has been observed in black widows, but the behavior is rare in the wild. The black widow female has a reputation for eating her mate. Illustration of pair of black widow spiders (Latrodectus sp.), larger female and smaller male, hanging upside down from a spider web in courtship ritual. They are also venomous! In general, a widow is a shiny, round, dark-colored spider that tends to hang upside down on the edge of its web. Related widow spiders may be gray, brown, or black, with a variety of patterns. Females are 8 to 13 mm, while males are 3 to 6 mm in size. Adult males have bulbous pedipalps, which are appendages near the mouth.īlack widow bodies range from 3 to 13 millimeters in size. Juvenile females are rounder than males, but display similar coloration and markings. Male black widows are much smaller than females, with elongated purple, gray, or black bodies, white abdominal stripes, and red, yellow, or orange spots. They typically also have a red or orange patch above their spinnerets. Mature female black widows present this appearance. The stereotypical black widow is a shiny, round, black spider with a red hourglass mark on its ventral side (belly). Michael Hollestelle / EyeEm / Getty Images Depending on age and gender, a black widow may have colored spots or white bars.
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