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• Black widow spiders belong to the Theridiidae family of spiders. People used to think that the female black widow spider always ate the male, making herself a widow. This is how the black widow spider got its name. In fact, she does sometimes eat both her mate and spiderlings, but this is quite normal for many female spiders.
• Black widow spiders are found in countries with fairly warm climates. They live in the warmer parts of North America and in Mexico. In Australia, they are called "redbacks," and in New Zealand, they are called "katipos." Black widow spiders also live in the warm countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. There are four species of black widow spiders in the United States.
• Female black widow spiders are much bigger than the males. Even so, they are quiet small. Female black widow spiders grow to about one-half inch long. They have shiny black bodies, and no hair. Young females sometimes have a row of small red spots along their backs. The most common black widow spiders are called Latrodectus Mactans. These females have red hourglass-shaped markings on the undersides of their bodies.
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