Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)
Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)
Perhaps the most noticeable feature in the Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus) is its black hourglass-shaped body with a red mark on the lower abdomen. Another thing is its painful venomous bite. This spider is a member of the family Theridiidae, native to western North America, and builds irregular, disorganized webs. Like other members of the same species, the spider exhibits cannibalism and suicidal behavior during courtship. Males and females build separate webs. Look for it in the dark areas of a room. No wonder it has poor eyesight and relies on silk vibration to detect prey or danger. Studies show their egg sacs can hold several future spiderlings.
Male and female Western Black Widows vary in size. The female Western Black Widow has an overall legspan length between 1.5”-1.97” (38-50 mm), body length of .47”-.63” (12-16 mm), body width of .26”-.35” (6.7-9 mm), and body height of .25”-.33” (6.3-8.4 mm). The male Western Black Widow has an overall legspan length between .75”-1.02” (19-26 mm), body length of .24”-.31” (6-8 mm), body width of .13”-.18” (3.4-4.5 mm), and body height of .13”-.17” (3.2-4.3 mm). The common lifespan of the Western Black Widow is between 2-3 years.
Perhaps the most noticeable feature in the Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus) is its black hourglass-shaped body with a red mark on the lower abdomen. Another thing is its painful venomous bite. This spider is a member of the family Theridiidae, native to western North America, and builds irregular, disorganized webs. Like other members of the same species, the spider exhibits cannibalism and suicidal behavior during courtship. Males and females build separate webs. Look for it in the dark areas of a room. No wonder it has poor eyesight and relies on silk vibration to detect prey or danger. Studies show their egg sacs can hold several future spiderlings.
Male and female Western Black Widows vary in size. The female Western Black Widow has an overall legspan length between 1.5”-1.97” (38-50 mm), body length of .47”-.63” (12-16 mm), body width of .26”-.35” (6.7-9 mm), and body height of .25”-.33” (6.3-8.4 mm). The male Western Black Widow has an overall legspan length between .75”-1.02” (19-26 mm), body length of .24”-.31” (6-8 mm), body width of .13”-.18” (3.4-4.5 mm), and body height of .13”-.17” (3.2-4.3 mm). The common lifespan of the Western Black Widow is between 2-3 years.
