They’re helping you, not hurting you.” Editor’s note: This article was updated at 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to correct that the red hourglass shape is on black widow spider’s abdomens.

Garcia said Colorado has the Western black widow, which is native to the state. He said encounters with humans are very rare because these spiders are shy and like to be left unbothered.

The western black widow spider is native to Eastern Washington. The females can cause a painful bite for humans if protecting their eggs, according to the state Department of Health.

A black widow’s venom contains neurotoxins that target the nervous system and there’s no way to know if you’ll develop a little localized swelling and redness or spasms and tremors.

Black widow spiders are being killed off in the U.S. The culprits are actually their cousins: brown widow spiders. Though the reason behind the killings is unknown, a new study suggests.

However, in most cases, exposure to the venom isn't deadly. In a 2023 survey evaluating over 23,000 cases of people bitten by black widow spiders, just 1.4% experienced life-threatening symptoms.

Black widows become the hunted Black widows are a native spider in the U.S., and the Southern black widow, or Latrodectus mactans, is the species commonly found all over the Southeast.

Black widow spiders are being killed off in the U.S. The culprits are actually their cousins: brown widow spiders. Though the reason behind the killings is unknown, a new study suggests.

Black widow spiders are being killed off in the U.S. The culprits are actually their cousins: brown widow spiders. Though the reason behind the killings is unknown, a new study suggests.

The western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) may spin a disorderly web, but the silk is sticky and strong, capable of ensnaring small vertebrates. The venom is as potent as that of a ...

A black widow spider with an egg sac. The spider can be found in every state other than Alaska. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images "And unlike bees and wasps, they do not leave their dwelling to ...