Pest Gallery
Black Widow: Latrodectus mactans
The black widow is widely distributed over the warmer potions of the United States. Females are easily identified because their globular, shiny black abdomen with two reddish or yellowish triangles on the underside. These reddish or yellowish triangles form a characteristic hourglass marking. The abdomen is about ¼ inch in diameter but may be as large as ½ inch when the female is full of eggs.
The black widow’s web is an irregular mass of fibers with a small central area to which the spider retreats while waiting until its prey becomes ensnared.
Black widow spider venom contains toxins that are neurotoxic (affects the nervous system). The bite produces a sharp pain similar to a needle puncture. The pain usually disappears rapidly. Local muscular cramps are felt 15 minutes to several hours after the bits, spreading and becoming more severe as time passes.
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