14: Western Widow

Hello friends,

I write to you from Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne land. I am interested in learning about the different animals that live in the place where I was born. I want to mention that biological classification as taught by western science has its roots in racism, sexism, and transphobia – here’s a good explainer about why.

I think I told you that I was getting the arthropods (sans crustaceans) from a different list, and this list is not alphabetical, which is why we have already arrived at the Western Widow (Latrodectus Hesperus), probably the most infamous spider in Colorado, and also one that I have encountered many times, most recently when I lifted up a bag of soil that had been lying over a damp patch in my yard for several weeks and found a very fat-abdomened spider with the telltale hourglass enjoying herself. I carefully replaced the bag and left it for several more weeks. Interestingly, I’ve always heard that their venom could be, though rarely was, fatal, but apparently recent studies have shown that there are no fatalities. A friend of my dad’s was bitten several years ago and described it as incredibly painful – the only cure for the pain, according to him, was another classic Colorado biological entity.

There are several species of widow spiders, and the “Hesperus” in the Latin name for this species is from the ancient Greek word for the Evening Star, Venus, signifying the west – this is the species from the Western United States. Another commonly held belief about this spider is that the females cannibalize the males after mating, but apparently that is rare in the western ones and mainly documented in the species that lives in Australia (Latrodectus hasselti). Western black widows of both sexes find their mates by coming into contact with their webs, which are about 33% stronger than steel and also made with no discernible pattern.

Here’s an interesting thing: according to Colorado State, discussing the toxin that female widows release when they bite, “Other mammals vary in their reaction to widow toxin. For example, horses are highly susceptible whereas rabbits are more resistant. Cats may be sensitive to a widow bite while dogs reportedly suffer only mild symptoms.”

And another interesting thing: “A large number of controls are sometimes promoted for control of spiders, including widows. These include various chemical repellents (e.g., mock orange, garlic) or ultrasonic frequencies – neither of which spiders perceive or respond to. Because of their complete lack of demonstrated effectiveness, the promotion for sale of such products is considered fraudulent and illegal under Colorado law.”

I guess I will NOT be marketing my ultrasonic spider blaster.