Black Widow
Black Widows spiders in Fresno & Clovis
The Ultimate guide to Black Widows Spiders in Fresno & Clovis
Types: The family from which the black widow spider comes, namely Theridiidae, there are known to be about thirty-one species of the spider in the genus however, there are five main types listed below;
- The Red Widow
- The Brown Widow
- The Western Widow
- The Southern Widow
- The Northern Widow
Webbing: Black Widow spider webs are super sticky and can be found in places that make it easy for it to hide such as the underside of stones, decks, inside trees that have a hollow space in the trunk, etc. Black widow spiders can also grow inside your homes but mostly in dark corners or garages or under the sink etc. The male black widow does not bite, it is the female that is concerned. Humans can resist the bite if they are an adult but children may be very threatened because of it.
How Big is a Black Widow ?
Size: The interesting fact about the size in which the black widow spider can range is that they vary in gender. The female black widow spider is known to have a body and abdomen that ranges from twelve to sixteen millimeters whereas upon including the leg span too, the average size increases to thirty-eight millimeters. The male black widow spider ranges about half of the female’s size, might as well be even smaller than that.
How do Black Widows Bread ?
The breeding ritual of the black widow spiders is where its name was derived from. The female black widow spider feeds on insects but it also feeds on its male mates. The spider tends to feed on its male counterparts right after mating thus becoming a widow itself hence, the name black widow. The breeding of the spider is very violent. The process starts when the male spider lays its semen on the web along with his sperm and palpi. Upon inserting his palpus into the female’s opening, the mating begins. The female then lays her eggs in a secured sac. A female black widow spider can lay up to several hundred eggs per sac. They can lay as few as four sacs and as many as nine sacs each year. The process takes twenty days to a month.
In the maturation of the eggs, till they hatch. Around one hundred spiderlings will usually survive as they are known to be cannibals and end up eating the other eggs during the maturation process. The female spiders are larger and live longer than the males.
Where are Black Widows located ?
Black widows are found in California. They can also be found around the globe in Asia, Australia, Africa, as well as South America. They usually reside in dark places where they can easily hide.
How many eggs does a Black Widows lay ?
The Life Cycle of a Black Widow
The mating occurs in early spring and by the end of the summer, the female black widow has already laid her eggs. The eggs are protected by the female spider until they hatch into spiderlings.
By the time spring arrives, these babies mature into young spiders. Young spiders are white and orange in color but they turn into shiny black as they grow up. Then during the next process which is called ballooning, the spider becomes able to release the silk web thread into the air and it creates a passage for itself to move to different places. Then they entirely become adults and overwinter by hiding and finding their own food along with making their own webs.