black widow
a black widow — a female with the red mark on the abdomen
a kind of spider – arachnid – small, black in colour with a red mark in the shape of an hour-glass; typically four pairs of legs (eight legs); female is bigger than male – on average, .5 inch long and 1.5 inches long when spread the legs, weighs one gram, and male half the size of female; lives for 3-5 years; feeds (eats) on insects; spins (weaves) a web (cobweb); three species found in North America and in some countries in Europe
big female and small male black widow spiders
It is one of the most poisonous spiders in the world. The adult female is completely black with an hour-glass shaped red mark on the underside (abdomen). And it is called a widow (widow = a woman whose husband is dead) because the female eats up the male immediately after mating! {But this extraordinary feat is found in only one species (kind).} BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language.
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