Black widow spiders are easily recognizable. They’re plump, black, and shiny, with an hourglass-shaped, red mark on their abdomens. Sometimes, this red mark may take a slightly different shape.

Black widow venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's, but because spiders deliver far less venom than snakes do, their bites — though painful — are a serious risk only to ...

Black Widow Bite Treatment. Many of the symptoms of a black widow bite can look like those of other conditions. But if you think you’ve been bitten by this spider, call your doctor or a poison ...

Black widow spiders are being killed off in the U.S. The culprits are actually their cousins: brown widow spiders. Though the reason behind the killings is unknown, a new study suggests.

And widow spiders, particularly black widows, certainly don't need to be unfairly villainized. Of course, you don't want to be bitten, because their venom can cause minor to severe symptoms.

And yet, black widows do sometimes end up in people's kitchens. If a spider beats the odds and survives being plucked from its vineyard home, vigorously washed and then packed into a box, there's ...

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to correct that the red hourglass shape is on black widow spider’s abdomens. Originally Published: November 17, 2023 ...