Black Widow Spider (Part 2)

There are many species of black widows. The one we mostly associate with (and have seen in the movies) is the female who has a shiny black body with a red hourglass shape on her belly. These spiders live outdoors under woodpiles and sheds and such things and only go underground or in shelters when the weather turns colder. The females don’t just kill the males after mating (hence their name). The males lose their ability to mate after they’ve performed so they don’t have the instincts to leave and seek out other females. Because they stay around, the female will attack and eat him. She would do this with any spider or insect that hung around long enough. These spiders usually live and breed in darkened corners and are active at night. Females can lay over 600 eggs in their lifetime.