The Mediterranean black widow is a member of the family of comb-footed spiders. Italian entomologist Pietro Rossi first described this species in 1790. This species was at one point considered a subspecies of the southern black widow.
Size: Male: 0.4-0.7 cm Female: 0.7-1.5 cm
Color: They are black, with thirteen spots on their dorsal abdomen. These spots are red but sometimes yellow or orange in some individuals.
Other Characteristic Features: Their abdomen is covered in long and short hairs.
Latrodectus tredecimguttatus
They lay their eggs in a giant white sac, producing 6-8 sacs in their lifetime.
Hundreds of spiderlings emerge from the sac laid by their mother.
Their webs consist of three layers, with the middle layer shaped like a series of hexagonal meshes.
Only the females are considered deadly, as the males lack strong mouthparts to pierce human skin. Their bite is painful but only fatal in rare cases.
European Black Widow
| Other names | European black widow, karakurt (“black worm”) |
| Lifespan | 1-3 years |
| Distribution | Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mediterranean, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), and Ukraine |
| Habitat | Steppes and other grasslands |
| Common Predators | Birds, wasps, some small mammals |
| Diet | Insects like ants and beetles |
Mediterranean Black Widow
Image Source: reddit.com, minio.scielo.br, static.inaturalist.org, i.pinimg.com
The Mediterranean black widow is a member of the family of comb-footed spiders. Italian entomologist Pietro Rossi first described this species in 1790. This species was at one point considered a subspecies of the southern black widow.
Size: Male: 0.4-0.7 cm Female: 0.7-1.5 cm
Color: They are black, with thirteen spots on their dorsal abdomen. These spots are red but sometimes yellow or orange in some individuals.
Other Characteristic Features: Their abdomen is covered in long and short hairs.
Latrodectus tredecimguttatus
They lay their eggs in a giant white sac, producing 6-8 sacs in their lifetime.
Hundreds of spiderlings emerge from the sac laid by their mother.
Their webs consist of three layers, with the middle layer shaped like a series of hexagonal meshes.
Only the females are considered deadly, as the males lack strong mouthparts to pierce human skin. Their bite is painful but only fatal in rare cases.
European Black Widow
| Other names | European black widow, karakurt (“black worm”) |
| Lifespan | 1-3 years |
| Distribution | Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mediterranean, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), and Ukraine |
| Habitat | Steppes and other grasslands |
| Common Predators | Birds, wasps, some small mammals |
| Diet | Insects like ants and beetles |
Mediterranean Black Widow
Image Source: reddit.com, minio.scielo.br, static.inaturalist.org, i.pinimg.com
Roy Williams on May 13, 2022.
Dr. Watuwa James
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