Black widow - external signs, lifestyle and how dangerous karakurt is for a person. Black widow spider - description, features and interesting facts Poisonous spider also called black widow

Everyone knows that a huge number of spiders inhabit our planet. Spiders are the most ancient representatives of the fauna and have accompanied humans since ancient times.

Some of them are completely harmless, while others can cause great harm to a person. The black widow spider belongs to the group of poisonous and dangerous, and in order not to become its victim, you need to know how it looks and what its main danger is.

Description and features of the black widow

black widow spider famous for its unusual view. We can say that it is the most poisonous and dangerous throughout America. This spider got such a terrible name for the reason that female widows eat their males after mating, and that is why the life expectancy of a male is negligible.

Also, the female eats the male when she takes him for food. Scientists say that by eating the male, the females receive the necessary proteins, which will later be useful for small spiders.

Males approach the black widow's web with great caution. If the female is not hungry, then she will gladly let the future father of her children into her territory and share the marriage bed with him, and if she is hungry, she will immediately eat the sluggish groom. To prevent this from happening, the cavalier spiders dance a kind of mating dance, shaking their bodies and paws, swaying slightly from side to side.

The Black Widow leads a hidden lifestyle and never attacks people for no reason. Most often, people suffer from bites that got into clothes or shoes. The only reason can be if a person tries to disturb her home. In this case, the attack black widow looks like self-defense.

Seeing black widow spider in the photo it is impossible not to notice the red marks located on the rounded tummy of the "widow". A large red spot is worn only by females. They are considered the most poisonous and dangerous than males.

Pictured is a male and female black widow spider

Description of the black widow spider very interesting. The black widow spider has 8 legs, like all arachnids. Females are noticeably more elegant and larger than their males. He has a shiny black outfit with a bright red marking on his abdomen, which is shaped like an hourglass.

male black widow spider looks much paler, it has a faint yellowish color and is several times smaller than the female. It is rarely possible to see him, since for the most part they go to be eaten for the sake of procreation of the future kind. Females reach 40 mm in length.

Another distinctive black widow spider feature These are very furry paws. On the hind legs are small setae, with which they can crawl towards their prey.

Black widows lay their eggs in balls. In one such ball, there are usually from 250 to 800 eggs. Cubs are born completely whitish, but after some time they become similar to their parents.

Pictured is a ball with black widow eggs

As children of their parents, little spiders have innate cannibalism. While still in the embryo, they eat each other. Therefore, only about 10-12 spiders hatch from a huge number of eggs. Black widow spider is poisonous. Black widow spider bite can seriously affect human health.

After the poison enters the body, a rash goes through the body, bouts of nausea occur, and a fever may rise. This state lasts up to 12 hours. It is best to quickly take care of the antidote. The poison of the female affects the body more than the male. Thanks to modern medicine managed to reduce the number of deaths from a bite.

Black widow lifestyle and habitat

The black widow spider lives all over the globe. Their usual habitats are: Europe, Asia, America. Black widow spider in Russia previously it was exotic and could only be seen in insectariums, where scientists were engaged in their study.

However, it has now been confirmed that they are rapidly emigrating to Russia. Behind Lately female and male spiders were found in the Urals and in the Rostov region.

The Black Widow loves to sneak into human structures and weave her webs there. Favorite places dry and dark shelters become for them, for example, cellars and sheds.

Australian black widow- Habitat Australia. The female is small (10 mm), the male is much smaller than the female (4 mm). In Australia, this type of spider is considered very dangerous. When bitten, a person feels severe pain. There is an antidote that removes the mortal danger, but as it turned out, the pain after the bite still does not go away.

Western black widow- spiders are poisonous. Habitat - America. Females are not large (15 mm). The color is black with a red spot. Males are painted in pale - yellow. Females weave very strong webs.

Black Widow Nutrition

About the black widow spider we can say that they eat like other arachnids. The spider's diet consists of insects. They hang upside down and wait for their prey. Do not mind eating, midges, and caterpillars.

As soon as potential food enters the web, the spider sneaks up to tightly wrap the burning food in a web. With their fangs, spiders pierce their prey and inject their poisonous solution into the body of the victim, which dilutes the body of the prey, and it dies.

An interesting fact is that the black widow spider can go without food for a long time. If there is no food nearby, then the spider is able to live without food for about a year.

Reproduction and lifespan of the black widow

During intercourse, the male uses the pedipalps to carry sperm into the female's body. Sometimes only one mating occurs, however, the female may store the seed in her body and use it, for example, after a few months.

Female black widow spider lays its eggs in silky balls, where the eggs are completely safe. The females incubate the babies for one month. The life expectancy of female karakurt is five years, and the life of males is much shorter than that of female black widow spiders.

The lifespan of spiders depends on many factors. It may be a lack of food, the nature that surrounds them, but the most important thing is for spiders their home. In the absence of a reliable home, which for them is as strong as silk and a dense web, the black widow karakurt spider definitely dies.

For Karakurt (black widow), increasingly appearing in the central parts of Russia, the notoriety of the most poisonous of the class of arachnids has been fixed. Such a reputation he and his fellow Black Widows owe to their deadly bite, which is fifteen times more poisonous than a bite snakes. According to statistics, a person who has been bitten by a spider of this kind can die in a few days.

The black widow is one of the most famous and poisonous spiders on our planet. Thirty-one spiders belong to the genus of Black Widows, settled throughout the earth. Due to intrageneric crossings, sexually mature individuals may have a black color with a characteristic sheen. Having tucked their paws, they are very similar to a currant berry. Karakurt in translation from the Turkic language means a black insect. It is important to know what a black widow looks like so that when you meet a spider, bypass its tenth road.

Born spiders are about a millimeter in size, painted brownish-gray. Instead of red dots, they have white dots and stripes. On the underside of the abdomen, immature spiders have an hourglass pattern, which disappears with adulthood. They acquire a characteristic color after the second molt.

The black widow is one of the most famous and poisonous spiders on our planet.

Before sexual maturity, the female spider molts nine times, and the male seven. Therefore, the female has thirteen spots, and the male has four pairs of red marks. With age and molting, the color of females becomes black and only a spot resembling the shape of an hourglass remains, and the color of males almost does not fade away. The size of the Black Widow spider depends on its age and variety.

The female Karakurt has a body size of up to two centimeters, a leg length of about five centimeters. She is three times larger than the male. The male, of medium size, does not exceed seven millimeters. The body of Karakurts is black, dense, spherical, with red spots on the upper side of the abdomen. Sometimes there is a white border around the spots. Now you know what a black widow spider looks like and it will not be difficult to correctly identify a poisonous individual.

habitats

Karakurt is a spider found on all continents except the Arctic and Antarctica. Recently, the Black Widow spider has chosen Russia as its habitat. They live in sagebrush steppes, populate saline and virgin wastelands. They love dry and grassy slopes of ravines, abandoned villages, courtyard buildings. Ideally feel where hot summer and warm autumn. Therefore, we can distinguish several areas where the black widow lives:

1. In Kazakhstan, the spider inhabits the steppe and saline zones.
2. In Uzbekistan, the habitat of three species at once was recorded: Dal's karakurt, Thirteen-pointed and White karakurt.
3. Crimea is its traditional habitat, and due to climate change and strong warming, the number has increased several times.
4. Türkiye, Iran and Afghanistan are the habitat of the black widow.
5. The Russian spider lives mainly in southern areas, such as Rostov region, Krasnodar region and in areas bordering Kazakhstan it is Southern Urals and Altai Territory.
6. The South European individual keeps Spain, Portugal, France and Greece at bay.

Most poisonous species lives in North Africa and America. Its poison is fifteen times more toxic than rattlesnake. The habitat of the black widow spider is constantly changing due to climatic conditions.

Having reached sexual maturity, males begin to search for a female. Having found it, it draws attention to itself, touching the signal threads of the web with its paws. At the same time, he slowly approaches her. A frightened female can kill a spider. It is generally accepted that after the cage, the female eats the male. This happens only if at the time of fertilization the female does not have enough weight. In other cases, the male after mating stops eating and dies. This happens regardless of where the Black Widow lives and what species she belongs to.

Now it’s clear why the Black Widow spider is called that. After fertilization, the female spider weaves spherical cocoons for eggs. Nearby, to secure them, she has a trapping net. A week later, small karakurts hatch in a cocoon and live there until the next year.

A year later, when the outside temperature is at least thirty degrees, the spiders emerge from the cocoon through a small hole. Being in a cocoon, the babies of the karakurt have already shed once. They weave disorderly nets, hunting insects in a group. In prolonged cold weather, spiders can spend up to three molts in the shell protecting them, feeding on weak individuals.

After fertilization, the female spider weaves spherical cocoons for eggs.

A week after leaving the cocoon, they begin their first migration. To do this, they climb a hill, release gossamer thread and fly in air currents. The need for migration among karakurts is laid down on an instinctive level. So they get into central Russia, where, on the eve of cold weather, they can climb into people's housing and hide in shoes, underwear and beds. This spider loves to winter in cellars, sheds, outdoor toilets.

The most poisonous females in May-June. The venom of the karakurt spider has a neurotropic orientation. As a result, both a heart attack and respiratory arrest can occur. If a person was bitten by a female karakurt:

• At first there will be a slight burning sensation, which intensifies to severe pain within fifteen minutes.
• Redness or pallor of the face.
• Two hours later, abdominal pain, vomiting.
• Temperature increase.
• Joint pain and headache.
• Convulsions and arrhythmias.

The bite of an adult sexually mature individual can lead to lethal outcome

After 1-2 weeks, the pain subsides, but the effects of a bite within six months resemble shortness of breath, dizziness and sudden fainting. The bite of an adult sexually mature individual can be fatal. Its poison basically has a protein structure, and if you burn this place with fire within two minutes after the bite, the protein will curl up. However, for this you need to know what the bite looks like.

What to do with a bite

A red spot appears at the site of the bite small size. This place is a little swollen and numb. After a couple of minutes everything disappears. The victim must be urgently taken to the hospital. To slow down the absorption of poison into the body, you need:

1. Apply ice to the bite site.
2. Restrict the victim from movement.
3. Move to a cool place.

Unfortunately, the bite is noticed too late. And the only antidote is anti-karakurt serum, which is very allergenic and can cause anaphylactic shock. Therefore, it is administered by specialists in a medical institution, at the same time putting anti-allergy drugs. When bitten by a karakurt, in no case should you take alcohol, because. it increases blood circulation, and the poison will quickly disperse throughout the body. The Black Widow spider in Russia has recently significantly increased its numbers, so the number of victims has increased.

It is important to carry out some residents of those regions where this type of spider is present in order to protect themselves from intruders. It is better to play it safe and follow some rules in order to prevent an accidental bite, which can be fatal.

But there are living creatures that are not afraid of the spider. steppe hedgehogs, the bats, bustards enjoy eating a spider. A single wasp paralyzes it and lays its larva inside. Riders lay their larvae directly into cocoons. Crickets break their cocoons and feed on spiders.

In nature, there are spiders similar to karakurt, but completely harmless - these are false karakurt. They have a bright red stripe on their abdomen, glossy legs, and there is always a web of dead insects around the lair.

Class - arachnids

Detachment - Spiders

Family - Spiders

Genus - Latrodectus

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: the female is up to 25 mm, the male is much smaller.

Shape and color: the body color is silky black, the bright red pattern on the abdomen varies depending on the species.

I: has a nerve agent effect.

BREEDING

Mating period: warm time. After mating, the female lays fertilized eggs several times.

LIFE STYLE

Habits: black widows (see photo) - single spiders.

What does it eat: flies, moths, beetles, ants, other spiders.

Lifespan: in captivity for several years, in nature - usually 1 year.

RELATED SPECIES

There are many other spiders of the family of web spiders.

Karakurt spiders live in warm regions around the world. They are well known for their strong venom, which spiders use to kill prey and sometimes humans. The black widow is dangerous because it likes to settle near a person. The second name of spiders is karakurts, which in Turkic languages ​​means " Black Death".

BREEDING

The male black widow, before going in search of a partner, weaves a small web, rubs the end of the abdomen against it so that sperm drops appear on it. Then he sucks up the sperm with his sexual organ, the pedipalps, which look like small legs. After that, the male is already ready to meet his partner. He begins to shake the web as a sign that he is ready to perform a vital function. During intercourse, the male uses the pedipalps to carry sperm into the female's body. Sometimes only one mating occurs, however, the female may store the seed in her body and use it, for example, after a few months. After mating, the female weaves a silk cocoon into which she lays her eggs. After some time, small spiders hatch from the eggs, which are miniature copies of their parents and soon become independent.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

The black widow feeds on flies, moths, and other flying insects, as well as ants, beetles, and even other types of spiders. She makes a chaotic, three-dimensional web, very often with a short “cap” in which she hides herself, waiting for prey. The web of males is smaller than the web woven by the female. While waiting for prey, the black widow from time to time touches the fibers with its limbs. When an insect, flying, catches on the sticky fibers of the network, it sticks to them. therefore, without losing a moment, he runs out of hiding and begins to wrap sticky threads around the prey.Then the spider injects poison into the body of the victim, along with saliva containing digestive enzymes, and continues to wrap the web around the paralyzed insect.

Over the next few hours, saliva digests the victim's body, and the black widow sucks out its dissolved contents. The spider's muscular stomach acts like a pump. All that remains of the prey is an empty shell.

LIFESTYLE

Black widows (spiders of this genus are also called karakurts, which means “black death” in Turkic languages) live in many warm regions of the world. These spiders prefer the neighborhood of a person. Black widows love dark, sheltered places in basements or sheds. They can also be found in residential buildings, for example, on the underside of a chair, where spiders sit motionless upside down. oh garbage and even across the toilet.They lead a solitary lifestyle.Black widows are active at night, so people are attacked only if they are taken by surprise or something frightened.

The venom that the black widow spider secretes contains neurotoxins that affect nervous system and cause severe pain and convulsions that make it difficult for mammals to breathe. At the site of the bite of this spider, a small red spot is visible, which quickly disappears. Then a sharp pain spreads throughout the body. Mental excitement sets in. The poison of the black widow is very dangerous for humans, but the bite of this spider does not always lead to death.

BLACK WIDOW AND MAN

These spiders are shy, so they will try to avoid people rather than attack them. They keep to themselves.

The black widow spider has earned the reputation of a killer, but the number of people who have been killed by its poison is small. According to American statistics, out of 1,291 people bitten by a black widow over 217 years, only 55 died between 1726 and 1943. Probably, most of the victims are children or old people, in whom the effect of the poison could cause additional complications. The bite of karakurt causes symptoms similar to angina pectoris and tabes.

• The male black widow is much smaller than the female. It is not dangerous to humans because it produces only a small amount of poison. The claws on the male's chelicerae are too small to pierce human skin.
• Karakurts have been successfully bred at the London Zoo, where males have mated with females many times and have remained alive.
• There is an opinion that the black widow after mating necessarily eats the male, but this does not always happen. The appearance of such an assumption is due to the fact that after several matings the male is so weakened that he is often near death. At this time, he cannot escape from the female, and the female eats him.
• In Europe, there is a karakurt, called by the Italians mal-mignatta. The Italian name has been carried over into several other languages. The bite of a karakurt is not as dangerous and painful as bites. tropical species spiders, but the effects are noticeable up to 3 weeks.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE BLACK WIDOW

Abdomen: silky black with a bright red pattern, often shaped like a clepsydra (water clock). The abdomen of males is narrower and has a finer pattern.

Size: female black widows are significantly larger than males.

Spider warts: organs on the underside of the abdomen that secrete silky fibers that serve to weave a net and cocoon, as well as to wrap prey.

WHERE Dwells

These spiders are found throughout the regions with warm climate. People, by importing tropical fruits, unwittingly expand the habitat of some species.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Black widows are quite numerous; these spiders do not need protection. The exception is an endangered species that lives on the island of Madagascar.

Migration of poisonous Karakurt (Black Widow) to Russia. Video (00:04:44)

IN last years poisonous Central Asian spiders Karakurt increasingly began to migrate to the southern and central strip of Russia: the Rostov region, Krasnodar Territory) and the Southern Urals (Orenburg region) and Ukraine (Kirovograd, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Luhansk, Kherson regions). They were also often seen in the suburbs! The reason could be like global warming and just hot dry summers and warm autumns. Global climate change leads to the fact that the border of the arid zone is steadily moving north. There is also devastation in the countryside when active agricultural work is not carried out. Abandoned fields and farms, where no one will disturb the karakurts, are a wonderful place where they breed and multiply. The bite of an adult female can be dangerous to humans and can kill a camel or horse, but the poison is safe for goats and sheep.
Karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) or steppe spider is a species of poisonous spiders from the genus of black widows. Features- thirteen points or spots on the upper side of the abdomen. Found in desert and steppe zone(Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, coast mediterranean sea, Crimea, Caucasus, as well as America, Australia).
Karakurt females start migrating in June-July in search of a suitable place for breeding. And it is at this time that most bites occur. After a human bite At the site of the bite, a small red spot is visible, which quickly disappears, but then the poison begins to act, and a sharp pain covers the bite site. Strong excitement begins, the victim experiences an inexplicable strong fear of death, spasms and suffocation, from which people with a weak heart most often die. After 10-15 minutes, terrible pains appear in the abdomen, lower back and chest, legs go numb. Headache, dizziness and vomiting are often observed. Characterized by blue face, bradycardia and arrhythmia of the pulse, the appearance of protein in the urine. Later, the patient becomes lethargic, but behaves restlessly, severe pain deprives him of sleep. After 3-5 days, the victim develops characteristic skin rashes and the condition improves. Recovery occurs in 2-3 weeks, but weakness usually remains for more than a month. If help is not provided in time, death may occur. So in the Kherson region over the past 25 years - 500 bitten. Of these, 10 people died.
After the mating season, the female karakurt kills and eats the male and starts building cocoons. And in September, an intensive death of karakurts sets in, by the end of October all adults die, only spiders in cocoons remain to winter.

Black widow attacked Kazakhstan 2015. Black widow spider or karakurt, the most poisonous spider in the world. Video (00:02:27)

Spider karakurt or black widow in my garage. Video (00:07:54)

The most dangerous spider, karakurt, lives in our house

I Survived - Bite of the Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans). Video (00:27:53)

Karakurt Black widow in the Volgograd region 07/05/2016. Video (00:03:12)

Having visited many sites and forums, I found out that this is a pregnant female karakurt \

Black widows attack Russia. Video (00:03:13)

To combat karakurt, arachnologists - spider experts - recommend processing household plot chemicals. It is noteworthy that the black widow itself does not attack people. She can bite if, for example, she is stepped on. The poison of the karakurt spreads through the body instantly. If you do not go to the hospital in time, death occurs within two days. At the time of the bite, the victim does not feel pain, it occurs only after 10-15 minutes. There is a sharp pain in the lower back, abdomen, chest, breathing is disturbed, convulsions occur. With timely treatment, recovery occurs in 2-3 weeks. Karakurt is a rather large spider, reaching 2 centimeters in length. The spider is black with 13 red spots on its back. It is considered the most dangerous spider in Russia. Karakurts are spreading rapidly in dozens of regions of the country. The real invasion is now going through the Volgograd region. In Crimea, there are traditionally a lot of them. Cases of bites have been recorded in the Urals, in the Saratov, Orenburg and Novosibirsk regions. According to experts, with such dynamics, the Moscow region is next in line. The rapid advance of the karakurt deep into Russia is alarming, the scale of the danger is impressive: the “kiss” of a black widow is 15 times more poisonous than the bite of a rattlesnake. In several regions of Russia, almost 20 people suffered from poisonous spiders, six are in intensive care. poisonous spider seen not only in the south of the country, but also in Novosibirsk and Moscow, where the karakurt (the official name of the insect) is driven by heat from its traditional habitats - the Central Asian steppes. By the way, they tried to settle in the Moscow region a couple of years ago. Fortunately, it hasn't come out yet.

Spider Karakurt black widow Black Widow spider. Video (00:14:08)

South Carolina Found some spider after poison was sprayed. They poisoned the spiders, then here's the find.

Black widow - Black Widow Spider (Animals Encyclopedia). Video (00:06:13)

When meeting with any spider, everyone has an instinct developed for thousands of years: a feeling of fear appears.

And not in vain, because meeting with him can have adverse consequences, especially if you come across a specimen that is almost at the top of the toxicity rating among all arachnids.
And his name is black widow.

Top 10 most poisonous spiders in the world. Video (00:04:00)

Rating The most deadly spiders in the world
The most venomous spider in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the Brazilian Wandering Spider. The spider got its name because it does not sit in one place and does not weave cobwebs, but actively moves in search of food. Another extremely dangerous spider is the Black Widow or, in our opinion, Karakurt, which can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea.
I present to your attention the rating of the 10 most poisonous and dangerous spiders On the Earth
10. yellow spider Sac (Cheiracanthium Punctorium)
9. Fringed Ornamental Tarantula
8. Chinese Bird Spider
7. Mouse Spider
6. Brown and Chilean Recluse Spider
5 Redback Spider
4. Black Widow (Karakurt)
3 Sydney Funnel Spider
2. Six-eyed sand spider.
1. Brazilian wandering spider

Spider karakurt or black widow as in life it looks quite severe. And not in vain. Since the poison of this spider is 10 times more dangerous than the poison of a rattlesnake. The most unpleasant thing is that this spider previously lived only in America, later the black widow settled the territory of the southern Dnieper region, and since 2009, spiders have expanded their habitat, appearing in most cities in Ukraine and part of Russia. And this is not surprising, since the black widow spider moves with the wind. To do this, he weaves for himself the so-called poutine - a parachute.

Karakurt is quite easy to recognize, as it is the blackest spider in the world. He is "pot-bellied", moves very slowly and awkwardly. Feature female karakurt is the presence of red spots on the abdomen, the number of these spots in an adult is 13 pieces. The female karakurt has a round body resembling beans. The length of the female, taking into account the length of the legs, is 2-3 cm. The male black widow or karakurt is more mobile, but much smaller in size. Its body is only 4-7 mm and has an oval shape. Unlike the female, the male has red specks on the back.

Black widow spider photo, which is better to see at least once. Since the bite of a karakurt is very dangerous, it is almost impossible to detect it immediately, since before the "meal" the spider injects an anesthetic, anesthetizing the bite site. And after 15-17 minutes, a person can be completely paralyzed, so every bitten person needs emergency help.

It is reassuring that spiders do not prey on people, but bite them for self-defense, thereby showing a natural reflex. However, it is not always possible to notice their presence, spiders go out to search for food in the fields. Here, then they may come across people who accidentally disturbed them during the hunt. Karakurt feed mainly on beetles and locusts. Most often the female bites. Female karakurts weave their webs in dark places - abandoned houses, garages, boards laid in a crowd.

Interesting fact! Why do you think the karakurt was called the black widow? The thing is that for the fertilization of one female karakurt, from 12 to 17 males are needed. IN mating season males line up, each of them dances his mating dance and fertilizes the female, after which he tries to quickly escape, because after intercourse the female ruthlessly eats her partner. The lucky ones still manage to escape, but the last one is 100% eaten by the female. At one time, the female is able to fill from 2 to 5 cocoons, each of which contains about 500 eggs. To do this, she needs strength and nutrients, which are contained in males of karakurt.

The black widow spider or Latrodectus mactans is distributed throughout the continents. the globe. Homeland is North America. Over time, the arthropod appeared, Oceania. Separate varieties are found in Africa, Asia, Europe. In total, there are 31 species of black widows, the bites of some of them end in the death of animals, humans.

What does a black widow look like

The main feature of the spider is moderately long legs with bristles. With their help, the black widow skillfully throws a web on prey. Spider webs often contain insects, beetles, caterpillars, as well as amphibians and rodents.

On a note!

The color of the abdomen of each species may vary, but the legs are always black. A true black widow has a shiny, glossy black body and long, powerful legs. hallmark spider is the presence of a pattern on the lower abdomen in the form of a red hourglass. Males do not have such identification marks.

The body of an adult female reaches a size of 2 cm, legs - 5 cm. Males are always smaller. There are 6-8 eyes on the head, but the spider sees weakly. The organs of touch help to navigate in space. The predator feels the approach of the prey by the vibrations of the air, the web.

Photo and description of other species:

• False black widow. It lives on all continents, differs from its relative in the color of its characteristic pattern. Instead of red hourglasses, they are pink. The spider leads a similar lifestyle, but is better adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. There is a spider, other CIS countries. The poison is less toxic, but not enough to classify the arthropod as a harmless creature.
• Red widow. It lives in several places in Florida. The size, shape of the body does not differ. The color of the chest, legs - red, orange. The belly is black with yellow rings around. Lives in wild environment under the leaves of the sand pine. does not pose a great danger to humans. But there is local irritation, pain, swelling.
• Brown widow. Widespread in America. It has a brighter color - orange, brown, red. On the underside of the abdomen, the pattern in the form of an hourglass is bright yellow, orange. The spider tries to stay away from people, their housing, lives in wild nature. It bites in order to protect its own life. The bite is the weakest of all widow species, but is valued in medicine.
• White widow. Refers to . Found in Russia. Included in the list. Is different light color- white, yellow. Hunts for insects, caterpillars, beetles. Poison does not represent mortal danger for a person, but leads to a temporary deterioration in well-being, provoking weakness, headache, nausea, pain at the attack site.

A photo of a black widow spider can be seen below. There are also cubs at different stages of development, which differ from adults in size, lighter color.

origin of name

The black spider with a red hourglass on its abdomen is well known throughout the world, not only because of its extremely toxic venom, but also because of its particular way of life. Male and female meet only for mating during the mating season. It is important for the “boyfriend” to calculate in advance the mood of his “passion”. A hungry female will eat her partner before he starts his mating games. If the spider is waiting for the male, he calmly approaches her, does his job.

The fate of a "man" directly depends on his physical condition, as well as how full the female is. If the widow suddenly gets hungry, she will eat the "boyfriend" in an instant. The same thing happens with a weakened spider that has mated with several spiders. A strong male can safely crawl away, and then reappear for another mating.

The second name is black death, the arthropod received due to strong poison. toxic substance widow squirts when bitten. Spider venom kills a horse in a few minutes, in the absence of timely qualified assistance, a person dies in half an hour.

On a note!

The Latin name for the black widow, Latrodectus, comes from the Greek, literally meaning "biting in secret." The spider hides in a secluded place, waiting for the victim. Attacks a person for the purpose of self-defense. Inconspicuous black color helps to mask in the dark, when the animals are most active.

Where does the spider live

Varieties of black widows are present on all continents. live in tropical countries. According to official data, 13 species live on the American continents, African, Eurasian - 8 each. In Oceania, Australia, 3 species are found. One is found on all continents of the globe with the exception of Eurasia - Latrodectus geometricus.

In the wild, spiders live among vegetation, under stones, in hollows of trees, and in the soil. , once in the house, they hide in the corners, behind furniture, in shoes, lockers, any places where there are no direct Sun rays. Habitat in Russia - the south of the country, forests, forest-steppes.

On a note!

Often a black widow is turned on as pet. She does not attack by herself, but attacks in self-defense. They keep her in a special terrarium. Lives in captivity for about 4 years, in nature - 12 months.

Lifestyle

Spiders live alone. They come together in pairs only for mating. After fertilization, the female lays up to 900 eggs at a time. Wraps them in cobwebs, forms a cocoon, drags them along. For 4 weeks, spiders are formed inside, which are also cannibals. In the cocoon they feed on each other, the strongest are born. A maximum of 10 cubs remain alive. For some time, the younger generation clings to their mother, then spreads out in different directions.

The black widow feeds mainly on insects, beetles, larvae, weaker spiders. Often snakes, snakes, frogs, lizards, rodents come across in the web. The predator paralyzes them with poison, injects saliva that liquefies the insides, then calmly drinks.

On a note!

Black widow-like spiders lead a similar lifestyle, but differ in less toxic venom. The most similar are karakurts. Many species are found on the territory of Russia. They are often called false widows.

Poison Danger

The bite of a black widow spider is 15 times more toxic than that of a rattlesnake. The world dies every year from attacks more people than from sharks, snakes. According to the frequency of bites, the black widow is in first place.

Death can occur in cases of weakened or pathologically weak immunity. More serious consequences in young children, the elderly, the sick. Manifestations begin a few minutes after the bite. The complexity of the situation depends on the amount of poison that has entered the bloodstream. When providing timely medical care the person is recovering well.

The poison spreads throughout the body, affects the nervous system. Causes severe muscle spasms. As a result, the following symptoms appear:

• increased salivation;
• lacrimation;
• dizziness;
• headache;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• abdominal pain;
• tachycardia;
• vomit;
• urinary incontinence;
• diarrhea;
• pallor of integument;
• dyspnea;
• muscle spasms;
• increased blood pressure;
• anxiety;
• weakness.

At the site of the bite there is pain, swelling, redness. Over time, suppuration appears. The very moment of the attack feels like a prick with a needle. The most dangerous female in the war period, at the time of bearing cubs. Males are less poisonous, not as active.