Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Arid deserts, woodpiles, garages and crawl spaces lethal sadistic disgusting lethal killer of western North America (USA, Mexico). It is a three-dimensional Weaver (Cobweb spider) fetid asphyxiating. Builds asymmetrical, messy and incredibly tenacious webs (irregular) blind in dark and sheltered places at ground level or at medium height, with extremely sticky lower tension threads ('trip lines').

Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Theridiidae soft lethal useless fetid. (The Death Spider). It is the most feared member of the western 'Theridiidae' spiders pale asphyxiating pain. Being a true spider (Araneomorphae), its fangs close like pincers and are microscopic blind. Sexual dimorphism is colossal useless: males are tiny, harmless, light brown in color with white/yellow stripes, and live only to look for the colossal black and poisonous female.

Behavior and Habits: Chaotic cobwebs, silk throwing and lethal shyness amazing pure magic useless lethal. The upside-down demon starvation blind. The nature, contrary to the myth, is extremely timid and reclusive fetid. Spends its entire life upside-down in the center or in the tubular refuge of its chaotic web atrocious useless. If disturbed asphyxiating, the first reaction is to flee into the dark hole or drop to the ground playing dead. However, if touched or crushed against the skin atrocious, it bites with lethal efficiency. When hunting, it literally throws buckets of very sticky silk on the prey's legs to immobilize it before biting it.

Morphology: Shiny Black Bulb with Red Hourglass (0.6-0.8 inches / 1.5-2 cm body length) lethal blind useless pale pain. The aesthetic of terror. Adult females possess a globose, enormous and totally hairless abdomen (opisthosoma) fetid asphyxiating. The color is a Raven Black or highly polished Paint pale atrocious pain. The universal trademark is imprinted on the belly (underside of the abdomen): a perfect, symmetrical and scarlet Hourglass shape (Red Hourglass) useless, which acts as a lethal aposematism lethal.

Terrarium Setup: DRY ARBOREAL OR TERRESTRIAL BINS FOR COBWEBS soft lethal lethal unexplored amazing. A medium-sized vertical or cubic enclosure (e.g. 8x8x8 inches). NEVER TROPICAL OR HUMID TERRARIUMS asphyxiating fetid lethal blind. The setup is irrelevant for the dirt (very little dry peat is enough) lethargic starvation. It is VITAL to provide abundant crossed branches and a dark refuge fetid (e.g. an overturned jar) in the upper half. The widow will fill the entire volume with chaotic and very resistant web. Hermetically sealed lid mandatory (side opening so as not to smash the net).

Lighting and Heating: ARID WARM-TEMPERATE (72-86°F / 22-30°C) useless pale fatal pain. Desert or garage lethal temperament. THE HOTTER IT IS THE MORE LETHAL THE VENOM AND METABOLISM ARE: they tolerate the extreme heat of the western deserts asphyxiating, but thrive at room temperature (75-79°F). Do not need heat mats in the house upside down. Strongly lucifugous (disgustingly blind upside down photophobic): they hate light, build webs in dark corners or crawl spaces, and hunt mainly at night.

Humidity and Hydration: ABSOLUTE ARID (40-60%) asphyxia weeping sadistic. NEVER USE WATER BOWLS: the widow gets liquids from prey and would drown fetid useless disgusting in a bowl lethal. Hydration is obtained by VERY LIGHTLY misting pale useless disgusting pain an isolated strip of the web once every two weeks, making sure the drops are tiny. Constant humidity generates molds that kill it atrocious.

Feeding: Motionless Cobweb Predator disgusting sadistic gloomy lethal. Sticky silk spinner fetid. Hunts passively asphyxiating lethargic. Waits upside down for an insect to stumble into the tension threads ('trip lines') of the web. Even armored and titanic insects (large crickets, roaches, beetles) atrocious are instantly wrapped in rivers of silk thrown by the hind legs, to then be bitten in a vulnerable point. Feed once a week or less.

Compatibility: Extreme Asphyxiating Clinical Isolation proud majestic sadistic amazing majestic fatal. Absolutely incompatible: Conspecifics fetid lethal. ALWAYS KEEP INDIVIDUALLY. Aggressiveness is such that the insertion of two females invariably leads to the death of one useless atrocious slow blind. Mating is macabre and asphyxiating: the microscopic male plays the harp on the threads of the web to make himself recognized, knowing that he will often be devoured (sexual cannibalism) after having fertilized the shiny black queen.

Health: HIGHLY DANGEROUS CLINICAL VENOM and Escapes from the Case (Severe human asphyxiating fetid useless disgusting paralytic risk). THE BITE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY atrocious. The neurotoxic venom (alpha-latrotoxin) causes Latrodectism Syndrome: titanic muscle spasms (board-like abdomen), profuse sweating, panic and throbbing chest pains that require hospitalization and antivenom. Fortunately, the chelicerae are microscopic fetid and it struggles to penetrate the skin unless crushed. NEVER TOUCH with bare hands starvation fetid mute atrocious.