| Black widow spider | ||||||||||||||
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| Latrodectus mactans |
The black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) is notorious for its neurotoxic venom. It is a large widow spider found throughout the world and commonly associated with urban habitats or agricultural areas. Although the common name 'black widow spider' is used to refer specifically to L. mactans it is occasionally also applied to several members of the Latrodectus (widow spider) genus in which there are 31 recognised species including the Australian red-back and brown widow spider.
Adult black widow spiders are shiny black with a reddish hourglass shape marking on the bottom of its abdomen. Female black widow spiders are about 1.5 inches with legs spread. Without its legs, they are measure to be about .5 inches. Male black widow spiders are half the size of female, but with longer legs.
Though its venom is toxic, deaths from Latrodectus bites are rare, only sixty-three reported in the United States between 1950 and 1959 (Miller, 1992). According to a widely reported media story (Wigmore, 2003), Chilean scientists were using part of Latrodectus venom to synthesize a drug that will not only serve as a male contraceptive, but will also work in a fashion similar to Viagra, however this has not been reported in any mainstream peer-reviewed scientific journal.
