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The prevalence of sexual cannibalism, in which the female eats the male after mating, influenced the species' common name, black widow . This species is considered to be one of the most poisonous. The venom of a female spider exceeds the toxicity of toxic substances in a rattlesnake. However, only a female bite is dangerous to humans. The bites of male and teenage spiders are harmless.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Black Widow
The black widow genus was classified by Charles Athanas Walkenaer in 1805. Arachnologist Herbert Walter Lewy revised the genus in 1959, studying the female genitalia and noting their similarities between described species. He concluded that color variations were variable throughout the world and were not sufficient to warrant species status, and reclassified the red and several other species as a subspecies of the black widow spider.
Video: Black widow spider
Levy also noted that the study of the genus had been extremely controversial before this, as in 1902 F. Pickard-Cambridge and Friedrich Dahl revised the genus, each criticizing the other. Cambridge questioned the division of the Dahlem species. He considered the deviations that his opponent drew attention to as minor anatomical details.
This is interesting! In the 1600s, people in southern Europe danced and raved after being bitten by a variant of the Black Widow. The movements were said to relieve painful symptoms. Their rhythmic movements were later called the tarantella dance, after the Italian region of Taranto.
Many people don't like spiders. Some believe they bring bad luck; others, on the contrary, believe that they bring good luck. Black widows have been useful in controlling pests such as fire ants and termites. Previously, doctors often made the wrong diagnosis after a spider bite. Mistaking the severe condition of the chest and abdomen for symptoms of a perforated appendix.
Bishop's Widow / Latrodectus bishopi
This is a rare species of black widow that lives in Florida, USA. They feed on insects, and are not considered aggressive towards people. However, human bites do occur when widows protect their eggs or when a person accidentally gets caught in a web. A red widow bite is similar to a black widow bite and has identical symptoms (pain, cramps, nausea, etc.). Deaths from a red widow bite are rare since the spider injects such a small amount of venom. Young children, older adults, and people with health problems are most vulnerable to red spider bites.
