How to spot black widow spiders in New Jersey?

All About Black Widow Spiders

Black widow spiders in New Jersey are second to the brown recluse for their killer reputation. Eight species of the black widow spider have been identified by Arachnologists in the United States.

The northern black widow is most common in the eastern parts of the US, including New Jersey. Black widow spiders are iconic and have been used to represent fear in stories, media, and even your nightmares. Understanding black widow spiders helps you know fact from fiction while being aware of the danger they impose.

Identification

You can quickly identify black widow spiders by their markings. The northern black widow, Latrodectus various, are the type you will likely see in New Jersey. The red hourglass shape on the top of their black body makes them stand out. You can tell the difference between male and female based on the size of the black widow spider. Females will always be much bigger than the males.

Size

As one of America’s most fabled spiders, female black widow spiders are larger than males at about 1.5 inches across with legs expanded. Male black widows are only about half that size; however, they will have much longer legs. These are hardly the monstrous size of the killer spiders in horror books and films.

Colors and Markings

Examining the two closely will show another difference, as the female has orange and brown coloring at the base of her legs and other joints, while the male is missing bright hues along his body.

Females are glossy black with a tale-tale scarlet marking on their underside that resembles an hourglass. According to legends, the hourglass represents the countdown to death after a bite. Conversely, the smaller males are a dull dark brown and may have other red markings beside their hourglass.

The vast majority of black widow spiders you may encounter will be female. It’s pretty rare to find a male. True to their malevolent name, black widow females often attack and kill the males after mating, but not always.

While it’s understandable to categorize black widows and other spiders with insects, they are arachnids. They are more related to scorpions and ticks than insects. Plus, black widows and other arachnids have eight legs, not six.

Body Structure

As with all spiders, black widow spiders have two body parts, the cephalothorax, and abdomen. Cephalothorax means that their head and thorax are one part. Each side of the cephalothorax has four long, segmented legs, for a total of eight.

The head part of the cephalothorax has four simple eyes that have poor vision and can just detect light and darkness. The mouth is equipped with venomous fangs, which also serve as straws for ingesting prey’s body fluids. Did you know that the venom of the black widow spider is 15 times more potent than that of a rattle snake? This is why they do so much damage to the human skin when they bite.

Their plump abdomen contains vital organs and reproductive glands. Females have a set of spinnerets on the tip of their abdomen to produce silk for webs. Both genders are covered with microscopic hairs and a rigid exoskeleton shell.

Behaviors

Despite their fearsome reputation, black widow spiders are usually docile spiders just as long as you don’t get in their way. Females spend most of their time nestled in their web, waiting for the next juicy insect to wander into their lair. They only leave the nest to mate or when they are threatened.

It’s understandable that black widow spiders live in solitude and aren’t social. They are most active at night and stay hidden during the day. If you have one in your house, you probably won’t see it climbing all over the place, as they prefer to be away from you and anyone else living in your dwelling. However, if you come across them in your basement or attic, then they can be quite nasty when they feel threatened.

Habitat

The relatively shy northern black widow spider likes to hide in dark, sheltered areas, out of sight. If you see them in your New Jersey property, you may see their webs in small tree branches, bushes, and under piles of leaves. They prefer places with easy access to small and tasty flying insects or creepers.

While black widow spiders prefer to live outdoors, they aren’t opposed to invading human dwellings. They are right at home under furniture, behind baseboards, or even in stored clothing. You may also find them hiding in barns, sheds, cellars, and even outhouses.

Diet

Black widow spiders only devour entire cities of wary people in scary movies. In reality, these diminutive spiders dine on various flying and creeping insects. They prefer smaller prey but have consumed insects as large as a cicada.

Spiders like the black widow don’t have teeth and don’t eat their prey’s entire body. As soon as an unfortunate creepy-crawly gets stuck in her web, she will quickly ascend upon it and begin wrapping it in silk, so it resembles a mummy. She gives the bug a nasty bite to paralyze it as she finishes wrapping it.

The last bite sends venom and digestive enzymes into the prey’s body that begin to liquidate it internally. After a brief rest, the black widow will return and suck the digested juices from the prey, leaving a hollow shell.

Egg

In reality, a high percentage of black widow males escape the murderous rage of the females after mating. Once impregnated with the male’s sperm, the female will store it in her body. Over the next few months, she will lay up to ten egg sacs containing as many as 250 eggs each.

Spiderlings

The eggs hatch in the egg sac during the four-month incubation period, and the baby spiderlings have one molt. They emerge from the egg sac and send out waves of silk that will carry them through the air like balloons. They will continue molting into adulthood, and the process starts all over again.

Life Span

Most black widow spiders live for about a year. Some can live up to four years, but that’s usually in captivity. Their natural predators include small mammals, birds, and wasps.

What are The Dangers of Black Widow Spiders?

Are black widow spiders the harbingers of death in common lore? While their venom packs a powerful punch, coming in contact with one doesn’t mean you’re going to be bitten. Remember, they’re just as scared of you as you are of them, so they will likely run to hide. Fortunately, they are small, and their tiny fangs have limited penetration in human or animal skin.

That doesn’t mean that they’re harmless. While they only bite humans as a last resort, you will realize the pain instantly. Most adult black widow spiders only experience pain, nausea, and occasionally a fever. However, the bite can prove deadly for people who are allergic to their venom, and there’s no way to tell if you’re allergic until you’ve been bitten.

Small dogs and cats are vulnerable to bites and can easily succumb to them. Black widow bites can also be lethal to babies, young children, and those with immunity issues. These spiders are not something you want to invade your yard or garden.

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