{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "black-widow-spider",
  "name": "Black Widow Spider",
  "scientificName": "Latrodectus mactans",
  "category": "Invertebrate",
  "summary": "The southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans) is a small, glossy black spider famous for the red hourglass marking on the underside of the female's abdomen. It shelters in dark, undisturbed spots such as sheds, woodpiles and field debris, where it builds a tangled web to trap insects. The female's body is only about 1.3 cm long, yet her venom is a potent neurotoxin. Females live one to three years; males are far smaller and shorter-lived.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Arachnida",
    "order": "Araneae",
    "family": "Theridiidae",
    "genus": "Latrodectus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.001,
    "lengthM": 0.04,
    "topSpeedKmh": 1.5,
    "lifespanYears": 3
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Latrodectus mactans"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (insects and other small arthropods)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Sheltered, dark spots in fields, sheds, and woodpiles"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "1–3 years (females; males much shorter)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "Female body about 1.3 cm (0.5 in); legs wider"
    },
    {
      "label": "Venom",
      "value": "Potent neurotoxin; bites rarely fatal with care"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Sheltered, dark places across North America, especially the southern and western United States.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Latrodectus mactans.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Latrodectus%20mactans&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Latrodectus mactans. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Latrodectus_mactans/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Black Widow Spider.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_mactans"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/black-widow-spider/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/black-widow-spider/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}