Black widow is any of several dangerous spiders. The venomous bites of black widows can cause illness and severe pain, though people very rarely die from these bites. Black widows got their name because people saw the female spiders killing males after mating. However, such killings occur only infrequently in a few kinds of black widows.
Adult female black widows have shiny black bodies. They measure about 11/2 inches (3.8 centimeters) long with legs extended. Female abdomens may have red or occasionally yellow or white markings. The less dangerous males grow several times smaller than the females and are more brightly colored.
Black widows make webs in such dark places as the corners of barns, garages, sheds, or stone or wood piles. The spiders hang upside down in their webs, and they hide in retreats (nests) next to the webs when frightened. Most bites occur because the animals become caught in clothing. One of the most dangerous black widows, the southern black widow, lives primarily in the southeastern United States.
See also Spider (Tangled-web weavers).
