Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow)

Summary

The "Southern Black Widow," Latrodectus mactans, ranges from New York to Florida, and west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Mature females are black with a red hourglass on the belly, easily visible as the spider hangs upside down in its web at night. By day, they hide. Immature females have pale stripes and spots, too, gradually losing those markings as they age. Males, smaller than females, remain ornately patterned into adulthood. Their webs are an irregular tangle of strong silk threads. The snares may occupy a cubic foot or more, with a retreat in an old rodent burrow, beneath a boulder, or other secure place. These are shy spiders, and if you avoid placing your hands where you can’t see, bites are unlikely. There is no “typical” reaction, but violent cramping of major muscle groups is a hallmark of a widow bite. Immediate hospitalization is recommended. Female widows are prolific, producing 9-15 egg sacs in their 1-2 year lifespan. She doesn't always eat her mate, but cannibalism is a hazard for male spiders of almost any species.