How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Male And A Female Black Widow Spiders?

Question

How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Male And A Female Black Widow Spiders?

2 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

The female is black and large and has the red marking.
The male is black and small...and very conscious of his
mate's eating habits. The Black Widow was named
that because she would as soon eat the much smaller male
as mate with him. If you see a female, look around.
Chances are hat there's a male somewhere around,
usually on the very edge of her web mass.

Answer 2

The female is much larger and she is often sporting a red hourglass shape on her abdomen. The male is smaller and lives a very short life indeed. The female sometimes eats the male after mating (or even before) but it is not as common as once thought. Both spiders are venomous but the male is generally not a problem due to having such a small set of fangs. The female's bite can be extremely serious and particularly so for elderly folks, children and people who have a compromised immune system.