FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Are you ready to be introduced to one of the toughest and most venomous creepy-crawlies, the northern black widow? This species is found abundantly in North America in dark cornered places, especially in Florida, and in Canada. You can spot them by the distinctive red hourglass mark on the lower side of their abdomen, but it's best to stay far from them because just one bite has enough venom to cause swelling, chills, fever, or even chest pain in humans.
This spider from the family Theridiidae has peculiar looks and peculiar mating habits, such as the cannibalistic behavior of the female black widow who eats her partner to fulfill her hunger requirements! This is the reason for the spider's name, black widow.
If you want to learn more northern black widow spider facts, then read on to find some more exciting details about this poisonous spider! And if you like this, then don't forget to check our articles on the spotted orb-weaver spider and the Bolas spider; we're sure you'll find just them as interesting!
The northern black widow is a deadly and poisonous spider.
The northern black widow belongs to the Arachnida class of animals as they have their skeleton outside their body. These animals are known as arachnids and shouldn't be confused with insects as their features are quite different.
About 32 species of this deadly species are known around the world.
You'll find the northern black widow in cornered places in a farm or house, usually in places with temperate climate conditions. They are mainly found in North America.
The Latrodectus variolus has a preference to create its web in dark and dry sheltered places such as rodent holes, basements, barns, blankets, and even shoes! In fact, you might be able to spot them in woodpiles at your house of firewood, so beware!
The Latrodectus variolus is a shy animal that lives alone except when mating.
This black widow spider has a varying lifespan for females and males. Female Variolus spiders live for about three years while a black male widow merely lives for three to four months.
The reproduction process of black widows takes place in a web created by a male black widow once he matures. Males spin a web where the female later deposits her eggs in a silk-like container that is camouflaged and protected. The eggs are incubated for 20-30 days, and about 100 spiderlings hatch out later.
Black widow spiders are present in abundant numbers worldwide, hence their conservation status is Not Evaluated.
Northern black widows can be spotted by their noticeable shiny black skin and the red hourglass marking under their abdomens. This red marking is a warning sign to predators and attackers.
The northern black widow spider, although a venomous creature, is quite 'shy' in nature. In fact, male and female black widows only meet once to breed. Despite this, their deadly potential means that this spider is not at all cute.
Northern black widow spiders use their web to communicate with each other. The black widow's web is messy compared to the uniform spiral web of the other spiders as these webs are used to communicate via the female's pheromones that are emitted.
The average northern black widow size is approximately 0.5 - 0.6 in (1.2 - 1.6 cm) in length. Females can grow even bigger, up to 1.5 in (3.81 cm), and are bigger than males. Black widow spiders are four times bigger than an average ant.
Northern black widows spend most of their life clinging to their cobwebs, so their legs are adapted to hang onto their web effectively, rather than for speed. Due to this, they are quite slow while moving or running on the ground, but on their webs, no one can beat them for sure!
This species of Variolus spiders is a tiny, compact size and weighs about 0.03 oz (0.85 g). Females often weigh more than males.
There are no gender-specific names for Latrodectus various spiders. Although they are smaller in size than females, males have longer legs. Both of them have a rounded, brown shiny abdomen and are mostly black. If you are ever confused about identifying them, you can look for red spots and two crossed bars under the female's belly (but make sure not to get too close!). These markings are characteristic of females and yellow spots can be found instead on a male northern black widow.
A baby Northern black widow has no particular name. They resemble their father when they are young and have tan legs with black straight stripes as well as a white abdomen with black spots. They are also completely harmless to humans when they are young!
Like any other spider, the black widow spider eats other small creatures and insects trapped in its web. A female hangs her body upside down to show her red spots to warn predators that she is toxic. Creatures that get trapped in a northern black widow spider's web include beetles, mosquitoes, caterpillars, flies, and grasshoppers. After their prey is trapped, black widow spiders wrap the prey in silk using their 'comb feet.' They then puncture the prey with digestive enzymes to liquefy the corpse and later suck the liquid from the corpse.
The most venomous spiders found in North America are black widows. Still, it's female black widows, who are bigger in size and more aggressive, that we should be most careful of, as their bite can result in a fatality.
No, northern black widows are dangerous animals to keep as pets due to the strength of their venom. Northern black widow spider bites can, unfortunately, lead to fatalities so they are not a safe pet to own.
The venom injected from a northern black widow bite is 15 times more poisonous than the venom of a rattlesnake! This justifies the severe pain experienced post-bite, so it's best not to trouble these little creatures.
Another species of black widow is the Latrodectus hesperus, also known as the western black widow, which has equal amounts of venom in its bite. In fact, the western black widow has a feature that allows it to weave high tensile silk webs too!
A northern black widow spider bite contains venom that is toxic for humans and any other animals. Their bite feels like a pinprick at first and then the pain is felt within 30-60 minutes of the bite, and can symptoms can last up to 24 hours. Sweating, nausea, and headache are common symptoms, and you can immediately see swelling at the site of the bite. Although deaths caused by their bite are rare, the pain could be severe and damaging for all age groups, so beware!
Another variant of the black widow spider is called the southern black widow. If you compare the two, you'll find that both species are similar in size, but the southern black widow has a complete hourglass marking, while the northern black widow has a broken red hourglass marking or simply a sequence of red dots on its abdomen.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arachnids including the tarantula, or the orb-weaver spider.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our northern black widow coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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