Arachnids › Comb-footed Spiders
Southern Black Widow
Latrodectus mactans
26 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
Northern Black WidowLatrodectus variolus
Western Black WidowLatrodectus hesperus
Latrodectus occidentalis
Brown WidowLatrodectus geometricus
Redback SpiderLatrodectus hasselti
False Black WidowSteatoda grossa
Mabel Orchard OrbweaverLeucauge argyrobapta
Steatoda autumnalis
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 7,856 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 3,191 |
| Oklahoma | 1,079 |
| North Carolina | 995 |
| Virginia | 844 |
| Mexico | 689 |
| Arkansas | 678 |
| Alabama | 547 |
| Tennessee | 503 |
| Georgia | 463 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Behavioral
- CarnivoreEats other animals or animal-derived prey as a major part of its diet.Inferred from its group
Physical
- ExoskeletonHas a hard external skeletonFrom its classification
Practical
- VenomousProduces venom for defense or huntingFrom its classification
Group and habits
- PredatorDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly hunt other animals.Inferred from its group
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropods · Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnids · Arachnida |
| Order | Spiders · Araneae |
| Family | Comb-footed Spiders · Theridiidae |
| Genus | Widow Spiders · Latrodectus |
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Southern Black Widow with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.