Black widow spider biography channel wikipedia

Black widows are spiders. Their scientific name is Latrodectus mactans. They share the genus name Latrodectus with several similar spiders sometimes called "widow spiders". The female spider is shiny black and has a round abdomen with a red hourglass pattern on its underside. They are closely related to another group called Steatoda sometimes called "false widow spiders.

That group contains species that are not dangerous to humans.

Black widow spider family

All of the true widow spiders can give bites that are harmful to human beings and may kill children or people who are not in good health. Female widow spiders are rather large. They have a body length of approximately 0. The males of the widow spiders are much smaller than the females. Both the widow spiders and the Steatoda spiders belong to a larger group that includes many kinds of spiders that make similar kinds of webs and have the same general body shape.

Black widow spiders live in warm places all over the world.

Black widow spider scientific name

They like to build their webs in safe places under something like an overturned box sitting on the ground. Often they are found under the seats of outdoor toilets. They like to be left alone, so they rarely come inside places where people live.