View: Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus) Family: Spider-web spiders Order: Spiders Class: Arachnids Arthropod Subtype: Chelicera size: approximately 38 mm in length (paws – 12 mm), 6.4 mm in diameter Weight: 1 gram life span: 1 – 3 years
Black Widow – an unusual spider, known for its unique appearance and cannibalism. It is considered the most poisonous spider in the North. America. However, his bite rarely kills. for man
Content
- Habitat
- Characteristic
- Black widow bite
- Nutrition
- Life cycle
- Home Content
- Signs of presence
Black Widow – an unusual spider, known for its unique appearance and cannibalism. It is considered the most poisonous spider in the North. America. However, his bite rarely kills. for a person.
The Black Widow got its name because the female often kills and eats the male, which explains its short life span. Scientists suggest that this way females get a ready-made source of protein, which will be useful for posterity. However, this is mainly observed in laboratory conditions where the male cannot run away.
The black widow unfairly earned a bad reputation. She eat his spouse only when he takes it for food! Despite fiercely sounding name, these are non-aggressive creatures, even shy. Rarely bite people. We are a much greater threat to them, than they are for us. They have a very romantic ritual: male dancing an amazing mating dance, so that the female realized that he is not food.
Like all spiders, the black widow has 8 legs. Male and female individuals are different. Females are twice as large with shiny black bodies and a red hourglass mark on the bottom своего круглого живота
Content
- 1 Habitat
- 2 Characteristic
- 3 Bite of the Black Widow
- 4 Power
- 5 Life cycle
- 6 Content at home
- 7 Signs of Presence
Habitat
Contents
This type of spider is distributed around the world. They live in regions with a temperate climate, incl. in the USA, Southern Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and much of South America. Can be found in the dark, dry shelters, dimly lit places, such as barns, garages, cellars, toilets, hollow stumps, rodent burrows, on thick vegetation of vineyards. Seek shelter in warm homes in the winter.
Although the previously black widow spider was not known in Russia, in In recent years, they have been discovered in the Southern Urals and in the Rostov Region. Migration is explained by an increase in air temperature.
An important characteristic of a black widow is his shaggy paws crests. A series of strong, curved bristles located on the back a pair of legs and is used to tighten the web over the captured prey
Characteristic
Как и все пауки, черная вдова имеет 8 ног. Male and female особи отличаются. Самки вдвое крупнее, с блестящими чернымиорганами и красной отметиной в форме песочных часов на нижней частиhis round belly. Marking may also be orange yellow. Males are paler, with red or pink spots on back. Females about 40 mm long with outstretched legs, their black, spherical bellies about 9-13 mm.
- An important characteristic of a black widow is his shaggy paws crests. A series of strong, curved bristles located on the back a pair of legs and is used to tighten the web over the captured prey.
- The eggs are placed in grayish, silk balls from 12 to 15 mm in diameter. Clutches contain from 200 to 900 eggs and are located in the web.
- The spiders are completely white at first. Then become like adult spiders, although smaller in size. Photo of black widows spiders easy to find in literature, internet.
- Their web, as you know, is stronger than silk. Black widow does not weave a beautiful cobweb, instead it makes thick canvases and catches in them beetles, flies, grasshoppers, butterflies and other spiders.
Their web, as you know, is stronger than silk. Black widow does not weave a beautiful cobweb, instead it makes thick canvases and catches in them beetles, flies, grasshoppers, butterflies and other spiders
- The black widow spider, the photo says about their danger, they still have enemies. Wasps can sting and paralyze them, it is also a favorite food mantis. Some birds eat them, but may end up get indigestion from the poison. Bright red markings on belly warn possible predators that the spider is nasty food.
- Black widows are alone in nature. They only communicate during mating. They can sometimes be seen hanging upside down on the net, determined by the hourglass on the abdomen.
- Black widow promotes ecosystem balance by consuming insects: mosquitoes and flies. He also controls the numbers. pests eating pests that destroy plants: locusts, grasshoppers, bugs and caterpillars.
Interesting! There are 31 species of Black Widow, in including: Latrodectus hersperus (western black widow), Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow) and Latrodectus variolus (northern black widow). There are also red widows and brown widows.
A black widow spider whose bite is dangerous and the poison is 15 times stronger than the rattlesnake, fortunately rarely attacks people. Only then when a person breaks his peace. Only female bites can regarded as a threat to human health
Black widow bite
A black widow spider whose bite is dangerous and the poison is 15 times stronger than the rattlesnake, fortunately rarely attacks people. Only then when a person breaks his peace. Only female bites can considered as a threat to human health. And contrary to the widespread belief that most victims do not receive serious damage. The bites of this spider rarely lead to death. Risk group – children, the elderly, the sick.
After a bite similar to a pin prick, pain for several minutes spreads throughout the body. The consequences of a bite of one of members of this genus are species-specific, but symptoms may include nausea, profuse sweating, severe pain in the abdomen and back, muscle pain, hypertension, shortness of breath. Pain lasts in for 8-12 hours, and symptoms are felt for several days. Preferably use an antidote. Animals more often suffer from a bite male.
Like many spiders, the black widow eats other arachnids and insects that fall into her net
Nutrition
Like many spiders, the black widow eats other arachnids and insects that fall into her net. The female hangs upside down and waiting for its prey. This pose shows vivid markings that are a warning to potential predators that she toxic Labeling, however, does not scare prey.
A spider eats flies, mosquitoes, midges, bugs and caterpillars. After the prey got on the net, the black widow uses her crest legs, to wrap the booty in silk. Then pierces his victim with fangs and introduces digestive enzymes that thin the corpse. AND sucks out fluid.
Interesting! Like most spiders, black a widow is able to live long without food. Known survivors almost a year in the absence of production.
Black widows are single year-round except for mating period. Young adults winter in buildings or in quiet places on open air. In late spring, after long courtship, mating occurs. In some cases, the female kills her spouse and begins to lay eggs
Life cycle
Black widows are single year-round except for mating period. Young adults winter in buildings or in quiet places on open air. In late spring, after long courtship, mating occurs. In some cases, the female kills her spouse and begins to lay eggs.
Eggs
Grayish silk ball of eggs with funnel-shaped exit attached to the web. Each female builds from 5 to 15 such balls, 12-15 mm in diameter, each of which contains from 200 to 900 eggs. These masonries are fiercely guarded by the mother until one of them spiders will appear.
Spiders (babies)
Young spiders leave the ball in 10-30 days. Only a handful of them will survive since black widows are cannibals in the early stages of their life. They consume other spiders from their brood for the sake of nutrients.
Older individuals die in the summer or fall after laying eggs. New generation survives during winter
Surviving spiders are molted. First they are white, then – orange, and only after a couple of months resemble adult males black widow. Surviving individuals leave the network. It will take 2-3 months so that they mature, they begin to weave their canvases and produce the food.
Older individuals die in the summer or fall after laying eggs. New generation survives during the winter.
Interesting! Although the expected duration black widow spider life – one year, some specimens of females live up to three years. Males are usually only 1-2 months old. These spiders live longer in captivity.
Experts categorically do not recommend keeping a black widow at home and breeding non-professionals
Home Content
Some originals start all kinds of exotics at home and even try to breed them. Spiders are also among the favorites. IN In principle, it’s not difficult to maintain, feed them, there is a lot of information in Internet, but getting offspring is already a problem.
As for the black widow, one of the most dangerous spiders in world, experts categorically do not recommend keeping it at home and breeding non-professionals.
Chasing exoticism, you forget about the basic instinct self preservation. The result can be disastrous, because despite shyness, 5% of attacks of such a pet end fatally.
The black widow produces a dirty, dense web. Her canvases usually located near ground level and under protected ledges, for example, under furniture or on a wooden porch on stilts. Red hourglass markings will also indicate the presence of this kind of
Signs of presence
If suddenly at home or in the country you found a black web widow or spider himself, be careful. Indoors their web can be vacuum cleaned. In the fields, orchards and on in gardens where these spiders become a problem, gloves should be worn as a precaution against bites. Spiders can be killed with a pesticide spray.
Black widows produce a dirty, dense web. Her canvases usually located near ground level and under protected ledges, for example, under furniture or on a wooden porch on stilts. Red hourglass markings will also indicate the presence of this kind of.
