There are many varieties of spider in the American Southwest, but none receives more respect than the western black widow, Latrodectus Hesperus. This poisonous spider, also called the “hour-glass” or “shoe-button” spider for the shape of the red markings on its abdomen, produces a venom 15 times more powerful than that of a rattlesnake. However, few deaths can be blamed on this insect because bites are rare and only a small amount of poison enters the body. The female adult black widow may reach a length of 1 ¼ inches, while the smaller male averages ¼ inch long. The adult female has a shiny black bulb-shaped abdomen, which distinguishes it from the male of the species. The male is generally brown with red and white markings on its flat underside. The female adult deposits its eggs in specially constructed sacs that hold from 50 to 250 eggs. The tiny pale spiderlings hatch within a few months and gradually develop into adults in one to two years. Some females live up to three years. The male does not fare so well, as it sometimes suffers the fate of being consumed by the female after the summer mating season.
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