Black widow spiders eat other pests. Sometimes they even eat other spiders!
Spiders don’t get caught in their own webs because they have self-oiling legs.
Female black widow spiders have a red hourglass shape on their backs
Males only live about a year, but the female can live up to 3 years.
Hungry female black widow spiders have been known to kill the male spider after mating,
Size: 3/4″ to 3/8″
Shape: Round
Color: Black with characteristic red “hourglass” on back
Legs: 8
Wings: No
Antenna: No
Common Name: Black widow spider
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theridiidae
Species: Lactrodectrus mactans