How Does a Black Widow Poison Its Prey?
Catching the Prey
Black widow spiders are known for an identifying red hour-glass spot on their abdomens. With a few weapons in its arsenal, the black widow spider is able to take down its prey with a potent poison giving the final death blow. First however, the black widow spider must be able to somehow catch its prey. Unlike the wolf spider, which chases its prey down, the black widow spider finds other ways to get food. Instead of running after its prey, the black widow sets a sticky trap to ensnare its food. Using its spinnerets, a black widow makes a web to capture prey that may fly into or somehow get stuck within it.
Injecting the Prey
The black widow waits in its hiding spot just off the edge of the main web. Black widows consume a diverse expanse of insects, including diplopods, lice and other arachnids at times. After insects become stuck in the web, a black widow senses the movement through vibrations in the web that lets it know how big or strong the insect is. This is important so it does not end up as prey for other insects, such as the praying mantis, which can sometimes kill and eat the spider. The black widow then leaves its hiding place and goes to the location of the snagged meal, then quickly wraps it up in a stronger form of its web from its spinnerets. It is not until this point that the black widow delivers its poisonous bite.
Poisonous Bite
After captured and wrapped prey has been injected by a poisonous bite from the black widow, a chain of events begins inside the victim's body that cannot all be seen by the naked eye. The poison's deadly effect is actually a neurotoxin that causes the victim to lose control over muscle function or bodily movement. Injected insects typically take 5 to 10 minutes to experience a series of uncontrollable spasms followed by paralysis and death, all the while being held firmly by the awaiting black widow. When movement in the insects stops, then enzymes begin the digestive process from the inside of the insect's body. As the black widow rarely eats in the open, it then carries its meal to the safety of its den or hiding place for a feast.
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