Posted on 03/14/2023 6:42:44 AM PDT by Red Badger
Black widow populations are declining in parts of the southern United States as the spider becomes prey for the non-native brown widow, according to new research. Photo courtesy of National History Museum of Utah March 14 (UPI) -- Black widow spiders could face extinction in parts of the southern United States, as they become prey for the non-native brown widow, according to new research.
The research, published Monday in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, found that black widows are slowly being displaced by invading brown widows in a pattern first discovered a decade ago.
While there are three native species of black widow spiders in the United States, brown widows are believed to be native to Africa, according to researchers who say brown widows are now seen on all continents except Antarctica.
Since its introduction into Florida, the non-native brown widow has displaced the state's southern black widow and has quickly expanded into urban areas as far north as Kansas and as far west as California.
While black widows are known for their poisonous bite, they are not aggressive if unprovoked. In comparison, brown widows grow faster and are twice as fertile, producing more egg sacs than southern black widows.
Brown widows are also six times more likely to kill and consume "shy" southern black widows, according to researchers, than other cobweb spiders.
As the study ruled out competition for scarce prey or disease as the reason behind the decline in black widow spider populations, the study is the first to blame aggressive predation by brown widows.
Researchers found that brown widow spiders killed and ate black widows in 80% of their confrontations. While some of the encounters ended with the two spiders cohabiting, none ended with the black widows showing aggression.
"Brown widows are not labeled invasive. They're still non-native," said study lead author Louis Coticchio, a spider biologist specializing in the widow and recluse families, in an interview with Gizmodo. "If it does come out that the introduction of brown widows is absolutely the main reason why we're seeing a huge decline in black widow populations, I would love to see the attitude towards them changed."
The Black Widows out of Pacoima are the greatest biker gang of all time.
I saw 2 ladybugs on top of eachother. I quished them! I’m tired of this deviancy!
Lol! If only she would become a widow.
If 2 ladybugs are mating, should they be called lesbian bugs?
Does this mean they are also lesbian???
All those lesbian bugs should be sent back to Lebanon!
No. The lesbian bugs come from the Greek island of Lesbos.
I’ve seen the BIG Brown Widow spider here in CA.
They look exactly like the Black, but are brown and bigger.
I do not know if they are poisonous to humans and animals.
But Google does.
Does this mean they are also lesbian???
They could just be like Quentin Tarantino's remake of the Golden Girls. Old, witty and leaving a trail of dead bodies behind.
Why is it that invading 3rd world species always kick the asses of native North American species?
I knew they came from some raghead country
Law of the Jungle.....................
Latrodectus geometricus, commonly known as the brown widow, brown button spider, grey widow, brown black widow, house button spider or geometric button spider is one of the widow spiders in the genus Latrodectus. It is a ‘cousin’ to Latrodectus mactans (Black Widows) and is not native to the United States but has been present in peninsular Florida for decades................
A co-worker where I used to work was bitten on the fingertip by one. He lost the end joint of his finger..................
The browns are replacing the blacks.
Nah, just means they are 1 widow short of a Golden Girls reunion.
Does Jessie Jackson know about this?
Well played.
“Brown widow venom causes less severe reactions to humans than black widows, and bites to people are very rare.”
That’s good to know!
I wonder if the environmentalists will get all bent out of joint over one spider species killing another.
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