are black widow spiders fatal to humans?
A spider bite, also known as arachnidism, is an injury resulting from the bite of a spider. The effects of most bites are not serious. Most bites result in mild symptoms around the area of the bite. Rarely they may produce a necrotic skin wound or severe pain. Black widows are notorious spiders identified by the colored, hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens. Several species answer to the name, and they are found in temperate regions around the world. Venom. This spider's bite is much feared because its venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. Latrodectus hesperus. The female black widow spider is considered the most venomous spider in North America. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the prairie rattlesnake. Only the female black widow is dangerous to humans; males and juveniles are harmless. The female black widow will, on occasion, kill and eat the male after mating. More than 35,000 species of spiders occur worldwide. About 3,400 species of spiders in 64 families are found in North America. The animals most at risk from the black widow's bite are insects—and male black widow spiders. Females sometimes kill and eat their counterparts after mating in a macabre behavior that gave the insect its name. Black widows are solitary year-round except during this violent mating ritual. Webs and Feeding. Black Widow is considered the most venomous spider in North America. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the prairie rattlesnake. Only the female Black Widow is dangerous to humans; males and juveniles are harmless. More than 35,000 spider species of spiders occur in the World. Most spiders do not cause bites that are of importance. For a bite to be significant, substantial envenomation is required. Bites from the widow spiders involve a neurotoxic venom which produces a condition known as latrodectism. The female black widow spider, though it is the most venomous spider in North America, seldom causes death as it injects a very small amount of poison when it bites. Reports indicate human mortality at well less than 1% from black widow spider bites. Symptoms of a Black Widow Spider Bite. Phoneutria are poisonous to humans, and they are considered to be the deadliest of all the world’s spiders. Their venom is toxic to the nervous system, causing symptoms such as salivation, irregular heartbeat, and prolonged, painful erections (priapism) in men. 5Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus mactans) The black widow is responsible for more than 2,500 visits to poison control centers every year in the U.S. It is one species that can be found from the United States and parts of Canada through Latin America and the West Indies. The bite of the red widow is similar to that of the black widow, and identical symptoms (pain, cramping, nausea, etc.) typically result. Likewise, death from a red widow bite is rare, since the spider injects such a small amount of venom.
Yes,But Only the female black widow is dangerous to humans; males and juveniles are harmless.