Animals

This spider has a bad reputation: Just how dangerous are black widows and where can they be found?

The Black Widow has a scary reputation in the United States, but why?

Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.

Update: Jun 21st, 2025 12:06 EDT

The truth is, we humans (assuming you’re not an AI bot) are among the scariest creatures on the planet—for almost every animal, that is, except maybe whales and polar bears.

When it comes to small critters, we’re basically nightmare fuel.

Take the American black widow spider (genus Latrodectus), for example. It’s one of the most feared arachnids in the country, with plenty of people convinced that a single bite will turn you not into Spider-Man, but into Shrek. If you haven’t seen Shrek, that’s what happens.

As for identifying them: female black widows are usually glossy black with that famous red hourglass on their abdomen. But variations exist—males and juveniles often have stripes, and the hourglass can appear white, yellow, dotted, or even triangular.

Yes, black widows have venom. But so do nearly all spider species - only two small families lack it. Why? Because venom is essential for subduing prey. Without it, their insect meals would just buzz off. That venom, however, isn’t meant for us.

While black widow venom is technically more potent by weight than rattlesnake venom, it’s delivered in such tiny doses that most people don’t even notice.

Still don’t believe me? There have been zero confirmed deaths from black widow bites in the U.S. since 1983.

That said, a bite can cause muscle cramps, pain, sweating, and occasionally nausea—unpleasant, but rarely dangerous.

The biggest myth about these beautiful beasts is that they want to bite you. They absolutely don’t.

These two surprising traits come straight from dad

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If you even manage to spot one, chances are you’ve already ruining his or her day. Like most eight-legged friends, black widows are non-aggressive and would much rather run away than face a giant human. They just want to be left alone to do what they do best: hunt flies.

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