For many, the autumnal equinox brings a sense of hope and the promise of relief from the heat. For others, it is a reminder that spooky season is inching closer, one cobweb at a time. As the days shorten and the weather cools, we will indeed begin to see more spiders in their webs, and one spider takes center stage when it comes to the spooky: the infamous western black widow.
They are one of the most feared spider species and one of the most misunderstood. You have no doubt heard horror stories about them lurking in garages and woodpiles, waiting for an opportunity to jump out and bite you. Very spooky indeed, but, spoiler alert, they can’t jump, and they only bite under very specific circumstances.
More on this later. While I love a scary story at Halloween, I think this villain deserves a bit of a rebrand. So, allow me to reintroduce you to one of our fascinating and misunderstood neighbors.
The western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, is a species of spider native to western North America and is one of 32 known species of latrodectus spiders worldwide. Females are identifiable by their shiny black exoskeleton, bulbous abdomen and red hourglass on their underside, growing up to 1.5-inches in length.
In contrast, males are light brown or gray with white and orange markings and are only about half the size of females. Female black widows can live up to three years, but a typical lifespan is one year. Males, in contrast, live only 1-2 months after reaching adulthood.
Fema.
