The most common species of black widow spider in North America is Latrodectus mactans, which is a shiny black color. On its ...

Fortunately, fatalities are fairly rare; the spiders are nonaggressive and bite only in self-defense, such as when someone accidentally sits on them. The animals most at risk from the black widow' ...

Black widows’ red hourglass tells birds to back off but is almost invisible to insects. Jason Bazzano / Alamy Stock Photo If your PhD adviser suggests that you spend more time with a creature ...