| The female Black Widow is 3/8 inch in
length, while the male is 1/8 inch. The bite of the female
contains a potent venom, and can cause serious problems in humans.
The female of this species can be easily recognized by the red hourglass
marking on the underside of the abdomen. The web is irregular in
shape with a funnel that leads to a protected retreat. Another
closely related species found in Kentucky is the Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus
variolus), in which the hourglass is broken up into two halves.
Other Internet Resources:
Black Widow Spiders -
Spiders of Kentucky
Black Widows - Hobo
Spider
Southern
Black Widow - Nick's Spiders of North America
Black
Widows - The Wyvern's Lair |
