Black Widow Spider

Dark, undisturbed areas such as woodpiles, basements, crawlspaces, and gardening containers.

Carnivorous; primarily insects like flies, beetles, and grasshoppers caught in their webs.

Produces strong, irregular cobwebs; nocturnal hunters that are generally shy and only bite when threatened or compressed against skin.

Possesses potent neurotoxic venom (latrotoxin) that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps in humans; provides ecosystem benefits through natural pest control.