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Black Widow Spider Back to Animals The Black widow spider is one of the most poisonous and dangerous spiders in North America. They are usually identified by their black color and red marking on the underside of their abdomen, also called the opisthosoma. This red marking is usually shaped like an hour glass. Black widow spiders are not insects, they are Arachnids meaning they are part of the animal class Arachnida. Since they are spiders they only have two body segments (unlike insects which have three). They also have eight legs. The female black widow spider is darker and larger than the male. Where the female is usually dark black, the mail is often dark brown and doesn't have as bright or red of an hour glass shape on the abdomen. The female can grow to about ½ an inch long body and 1 ½ inch leg span. The male black widow is typically around the half the size of the female. The black widow spider is the most poisonous spider in North America. The male and young black widows are generally not considered dangerous to humans. Upon getting bitten by a black widow, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you can catch the spider, it will be helpful in identifying the type of spider and potential medical remedies. The female black widow spider generally builds her webs low to the ground. Once she finds a good spot and builds her web, she will often stay in or around her web for the majority of the time. Most of the time she will hang belly up within her web, making identification of the hour glass mark easier. This also warns off predators who will recognize the bright color and not want to eat her. Even though eating a poisonous spider might not kill a predator, like a bird, it can make them sick. Black widow spiders eat insects that they catch in their web. The female will lay 100's of eggs at a time, with only small percentage typically surviving. Black widows can live up to 3 years. Fun Facts: The poison from a black widow spider is 15 times as potent as a rattlesnakes. A black widow will inject a lot less poison than a rattlesnake in a typical bite, however. Back to Bugs Back to Animals

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