Fortunately, fatalities are fairly rare; the spiders are nonaggressive and bite only in self-defense, such as when someone accidentally sits on them. The animals most at risk from the black widow' ...

The black widow spider can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Its venom is toxic and painful, leaving victims to feel the effects long after the bite. Following is a transcript of the ...

The bite is neuropathic like the black widow, but it generally does not spread, so it’s painful but not life threatening.

No wonder they’re called widow spiders. To get sex with an older female, a male might fight off many rivals or perform courtship gestures for up to six hours. At the magical moment, he’d place ...

View Full Profile. Learn about our Editorial Policies. The thought of black widow spiders is enough to send chills down one’s spine. Their painful bites contain a cocktail of chemicals, primarily the ...

The false widow spiders (Steatoda spp.) form a group of species that, because of their general resemblance to the much more notorious black widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.), can cause concern when ...