Summary ²

Latrodectus mactans, known as southern black widow or simply black widow, and the shoe-button spider, is a highly venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. The females are well known for their distinctive black and red coloring and for the fact that they will occasionally eat their mate after reproduction. The species is native to North America. The venom is seldom fatal to healthy humans.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Annika Lindqvist
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_mactans

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• World Spider Catalog (WSC)

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