The southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans, is a spider of the family Theridiidae found in the southeastern United States as far north as Ohio and as far west as Texas, as well as in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Hawaiian Islands. Mature females measure 8 to 13 millimeters in body length, shiny black, with a red hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of the abdomen. Only mature females can envenomate humans, injecting alpha-latrotoxin, but deaths in healthy adults are exceedingly rare despite roughly 2,000 recorded bites each year in the United States.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleVenomous or Dangerous to Humans 2 Living or Extinct Scientific Name Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Latrodectus mactans
In Biome
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Latrodectus mactans
Desert, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Latrodectus mactans
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Latrodectus mactans (Wikipedia)
Infobox: taxon
Latrodectus mactans
Article text
Black widow spiders typically prey on a variety of insects; however, they also consume woodlice, diplopods, chilopods, and other arachnids.
View the Source2. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Latrodectus mactans
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHabitat: Habitat Regions
Habitat Regions temperate temperate tropical tropical terrestrial terrestrial
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
While Latrodectus mactans are not aggressive and do not have the instinct to bite, their venom is neurotoxic, which means that it blocks the transmission of nerve impulses.
In Biome: Desert, Terrestrial Biomes
Habitat Regions temperate temperate tropical tropical terrestrial terrestrial Terrestrial Biomes desert or dune desert or dune chaparral chaparral forest forest rainforest rainforest
In Biome: Chaparral, Terrestrial Biomes
Habitat Regions temperate temperate tropical tropical terrestrial terrestrial Terrestrial Biomes desert or dune desert or dune chaparral chaparral forest forest rainforest rainforest
View the Source 3. Southern Black Widow (Wikipedia)
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Latrodectus mactans
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyChild Taxon Of: Theridiidae, Taxon recordQuote, Child Taxon Of: Theridiidae, Taxon record
"family": "Theridiidae"
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