Females have more prominent venomous glands, longer fangs and a body size that can reach up to 20-times larger than their male counterparts. The female gender of the species is the most dangerous, compared to their male counterparts. They have fangs and venomous glands sufficient to cause harm to humans. Black widow spiders range from 5 to 15 mm (0.25 to 0.50 inch) in length.
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Interestingly, this species is well known by the phenomenon of the female spider devouring the male spider after mating, thereby making her a widow. The Black Widow, or Latrodectus mactans, is easily identified by its characteristic shiny black body and strikingly red hourglass-shaped marking on the abdomen. The genus Latrodectus derives its ubiquitous nickname “black widow” from its physical characteristics. Within the United States, it is responsible for most of the clinically significant envenomation among all species of spiders. There are more than 30 different types of black widow spiders worldwide however, not all species are as relevant due to their separation from human habitat. Clinically, it is one of most significant species of spiders worldwide.
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The black widow spider species, also known by its biological nomenclature as the Latrodectus species is one of more than 40,000 different species of spiders.