Life is a long and complicated thing and anything can happen in it. Many women among those who sent their husbands to war remain widows, but no less of those who have lost a loved one due to an accident, suicide, alcohol abuse, etc. Well, if it all ended there, and the second marriage turned out to be long and happy, but what if the husbands die one after another. What is the reason? Black widow, according to many, is to blame.
Who is a black widow woman?
Those who ask who a black widow is should be answered that those who have buried more than two husbands are called that. The term itself comes from the name of an incredibly poisonous spider - a karakurt spider, whose poison is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. The females of these insects are extremely insidious and cruel - they eat the males immediately after fertilization. It is believed that widow women, like spiders, are themselves to blame for the death of their husbands, because they have a strong destructive energy and often do not even suspect it.
Black Widow - Legend
No one will say who was the first black widow, but one of the most famous and well-known include the baroness and socialite Sternval Aurora Karlovna. Asking the question, the black widow - who is it, it is worth answering that this woman was one of the first St. Petersburg beauties. She met in Pushkin, Vyazemsky and Turgenev, but her personal life did not work out. Having buried two suitors and two husbands, she loses even her only son and daughter-in-law, devoting her life to social activities and charity.
The psychology of a black widow
The fate of a black widow woman is unenviable. They are shunned by men, and women themselves are afraid to arrange their personal lives after several tragedies. There are several versions of the appearance of such notoriety and such evil fate. Here they are:
- A heavy curse on a woman. Not all of those who want to know what a black widow means will believe it, but some parapsychologists and esotericists believe that such women really fell under a strong magical influence or were cursed by someone at a moment of strong emotional shock.
- Karmic widowhood. It is not uncommon for a girl who has a strong emotional bond with her mother to take over her fate. She can choose as her husband a man bearing the name of the deceased father and bury him at the same age as her mother. If she gives birth to a child of the same sex, then there is a great risk that he will remain living under the same roof with his mother and grandmother, without starting a family or tragically losing a loved one.
- Passive victim. The status of "black widow" can be obtained by a woman who has chosen a male vampire as her husband. Having mocked her all his life and died untimely, he transfers all his negativity to her and even from the other world continues to pump energy, not allowing other representatives of the stronger sex to her.
- Vampirism. Such women, wittingly or unwittingly, are looking for those who could become an energy donor for them. They bring men to physical and psycho-emotional exhaustion, and after the death of one they go in search of the next.
Why is a black widow dangerous?
It is clear why a woman is called a black widow, because she brings with her, if not death, then troubles, severe illnesses and sorrows. Not every man will decide to marry such a person, knowing that she has already buried several husbands. Who knows, maybe she poisoned them or hastened their death in some other way? For this reason, in ancient times, in many countries, women who lost their husbands were put to death or forced to commit suicide. Much less frequently, widows were ordered to marry in-laws of their husbands.
Signs of a black widow
It is clear that there is no stigma and mark on such a woman, but those who are interested in how to identify a black widow can say with all responsibility that such women never end up in admirers and suitors. Often they are good-looking, affable, open and friendly. Men are drawn to them like a magnet, because they find understanding and love there. It often even happens that men who are poor and uninteresting to other girls, after meeting a black widow, "rise", begin to earn good money, become more, but their terrible end is predetermined.
Black widow woman - what to do?
The concept of a black widow - creepy by definition, can become the fate of any woman, because it is not known what the distant ancestors sinned in and whose clouded mind caused damage or a curse. Even if the bearer of this definition herself does not believe in everything supernatural and explains everything from the point of view of science, you will inevitably think about karma and fate when beloved men die one after another for unknown reasons. In this case, a woman has only two ways - to turn to a psychic who knows and knows how to remove such curses, or to go to church and ask God for help.
How to become a black widow?
Those wondering who is considered a black widow received an answer to it and concluded that the fate of such women is unenviable. Nobody wants to become a black widow, but a lot in such a situation depends on the woman herself. Even if she does not believe in God, she can live according to the laws of justice, act according to her conscience, strive to bring goodness and joy to people. If, do not allow even the thought of the worst, then the chances are high that everything will change, because thoughts are material.
black widow movie
The most famous black widow who has nothing to do with the heroine of this article is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. A film about a black widow and a character who bore this nickname - Natasha Romanova was released in 1964. Then the well-known Iron Man, The Avengers, etc. were filmed. The very theme of a woman bearing death was raised in many films of both modern cinema and the film industry of past years:
- "Black Widow" - a female killer, filmed by Armand Mastroianni and released on screens in 2008. The main character is charming and successful, she has a loved one - a millionaire, but not everything is so simple in the fate of this woman.
- Black Widow directed by Alejandro Lozano. At the beginning of the film, the main character appears naive and gullible, but after the rape, she is driven only by a thirst for revenge on hated men.
- Black Widow directed by Bob Rafelson. The main character of the film marries rich men and after a while becomes the owner of their entire fortune. An ominous trend draws the attention of a member of the Serious Crime Unit.
Everyone knows that a huge number of spiders inhabit our planet. Spiders are the most ancient representatives of the fauna and have accompanied humans since ancient times.
Some of them are completely harmless, while others are capable of inflicting great harm to a person. The black widow spider belongs to the group of poisonous and dangerous, and in order not to become its victim, you need to know how it looks and what its main danger is.
Description and features of the black widow
black widow spider famous for its unusual view. We can say that it is the most poisonous and dangerous throughout America. This spider got such a terrible name for the reason that female widows eat their males after mating, and that is why the life expectancy of a male is negligible.
Also, the female eats the male when she takes him for food. Scientists say that by eating the male, the females receive the necessary proteins, which will later be useful for small spiders.
Males approach the black widow's web with great caution. If the female is not hungry, then she will gladly let the future father of her children into her territory and share the marriage bed with him, and if she is hungry, she will immediately eat the sluggish groom. To prevent this from happening, the cavalier spiders dance a kind of mating dance, shaking their bodies and paws, swaying slightly from side to side.
The Black Widow leads a hidden lifestyle and never attacks people for no reason. Most often, people suffer from bites that got into clothes or shoes. The only reason can be if a person tries to disturb her home. In this case, the black widow attack will look like self-defense.
Seeing black widow spider in the photo it is impossible not to notice the red marks located on the rounded tummy of the "widow". A large red spot is worn only by females. They are considered the most poisonous and dangerous than males.
Pictured is a male and female black widow spider
Description of the black widow spider very interesting. The black widow spider has 8 legs, like all arachnids. Females are noticeably more elegant and larger than their males. He has a shiny black outfit with a bright red marking on his abdomen, which is shaped like an hourglass.
male black widow spider looks much paler, it has a faint yellowish color and is several times smaller than the female. It is rarely possible to see him, since for the most part they go to be eaten for the sake of procreation of the future kind. Females reach 40 mm in length.
Another distinctive black widow spider feature These are very furry paws. On the hind legs are small setae, with which they can crawl towards their prey.
Black widows lay their eggs in balls. In one such ball, there are usually from 250 to 800 eggs. Cubs are born completely whitish, but after some time they become similar to their parents.
Pictured is a ball with black widow eggs
As children of their parents, little spiders have innate cannibalism. While still in the embryo, they eat each other. Therefore, only about 10-12 spiders hatch from a huge number of eggs. Black widow spider is poisonous. Black widow spider bite can seriously affect human health.
After the poison enters the body, a rash goes through the body, bouts of nausea occur, and a fever may rise. This state lasts up to 12 hours. It is best to quickly take care of the antidote. The poison of the female affects the body more than the male. Thanks to modern medicine, it has been possible to reduce the number of deaths from a bite.
Black widow lifestyle and habitat
The black widow spider lives on everything the globe. Their usual habitats are: Europe, Asia, America. Black widow spider in Russia previously it was exotic and could only be seen in insectariums, where scientists were engaged in their research.
However, it has now been confirmed that they are quickly emigrating to Russia. Behind recent times female and male spiders were found in the Urals and in the Rostov region.
The Black Widow loves to sneak into human structures and weave her webs there. Dry and dark shelters, such as cellars and sheds, become their favorite places.
Australian black widow- Habitat Australia. The female is small (10 mm), the male is much smaller than the female (4 mm). In Australia, this type of spider is considered very dangerous. When bitten, a person feels severe pain. There is an antidote that removes mortal danger, but as it turned out, the pain after the bite still does not go away.
Western black widow- spiders are poisonous. Habitat - America. Females are not large (15 mm). The color is black with a red spot. Males are painted in pale - yellow. Females weave very strong webs.
Black Widow Nutrition
About the black widow spider we can say that they eat like other arachnids. The spider's diet consists of insects. They hang upside down and wait for their prey. Do not mind eating, midges, and caterpillars.
As soon as potential food enters the web, the spider sneaks up to tightly wrap the burning food in a web. With their fangs, spiders pierce their prey and inject their poisonous solution into the body of the victim, which dilutes the body of the prey, and it dies.
An interesting fact is that the black widow spider can go without food for a long time. If there is no food nearby, then the spider is able to live without food for about a year.
Reproduction and lifespan of the black widow
During intercourse, the male uses the pedipalps to carry sperm into the female's body. Sometimes only one mating occurs, however, the female may store the seed in her body and use it, for example, after a few months.
Female black widow spider lays its eggs in silky balls, where the eggs are completely safe. The females incubate the babies for one month. The life expectancy of female karakurt is five years, and the life of males is much shorter than that of female black widow spiders.
The lifespan of spiders depends on many factors. It may be a lack of food, the nature that surrounds them, but the most important thing is for spiders their home. In the absence secure home, which for them is strong, like silk and a dense web, the spider black widow karakurt definitely dies.
Karakurts are small in size. Their body is spherical, slightly tear-shaped. The female is 3-4 times larger than the male. Its size varies from 1 to 2 centimeters. The male is only 5 millimeters long. The color of the spiders is radically black, but red or dark orange spots may be present on juveniles, sometimes with a white or yellow outline. In adults, such spots may be absent. European species of black widows living along the Mediterranean coast have a characteristic luster of the body. The hairline is completely absent.
How does it look in the photo
Another one distinguishing feature karakurt - long front paws.
Where is found
Karakurt can be found on the territory of the countries of the former Soviet Union:
- In Kazakhstan. Most often in desert areas.
- In the steppes of Kyrgyzstan.
- In Russia, they live throughout the south of the country. Most often found in Astrakhan and Rostov regions, in Krasnodar Territory, on the Southern Urals. AT last years began to come across in the Saratov, Volgograd and Novosibirsk regions, in Altai.
- In the Crimea, almost throughout the peninsula.
- In Ukraine. In the cities in the south, which have access to the Black and Seas of Azov, as well as in some cities in the east and south (Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Mariupol).
- in Azerbaijan.
- In Kyrgyzstan.
Where else can you find this spider
In countries located on the coast of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Caspian Seas. Ranging from southern Europe to the Near and Middle East, as well as North Africa.
Every year its habitat increases. Over the past few years, karakurt has been noticed in more northern regions Russia and of Eastern Europe, even in the suburbs. Although, such a climate is completely unsuitable for him, and with the onset of cold weather, the spider itself and its cocoons die.
Crimean karakurt
The most dangerous representative of the poisonous inhabitants of the Crimea, even more dangerous than the Crimean steppe viper. Lives throughout the peninsula. Happens in bulk.
Where he likes to settle in nature
European species of these spiders prefer desert and steppe areas with sparse vegetation. A favorite place is the shores of salt lakes, which are often found in the Crimea. In coastal vegetation on beaches, in sagebrush thickets, on wastelands and along river banks, in ravines and in garbage heaps. They often settle in colonies. A characteristic feature of the dwelling of the karakurt colony is a chaotic layer of cobwebs on the surface of the earth.
How to determine the habitat of this spider
How dangerous are they to humans?
Karakurt, of course, is a danger to humans and domestic animals. Its venom is highly toxic and adverse conditions can lead to death, which is periodically recorded in the Crimea. Only adult females are dangerous. The male is so small that it cannot bite through human skin. The spider attacks only in case of real danger to it. The most common bites to the arms and legs are mostly due to human inattention.
When are the most dangerous?
The most dangerous females of karakurt are during the mating period, before and after that. In June-July there is a mass migration of females in search of a new nest. More often, it is during this period that bites of humans and domestic animals occur.
How to stay safe while hiking
You need to be especially careful in June-July when hiking in the Crimea, the southern regions of Russia and the countries of Central Asia. Since during this period, the female karakurt can choose her housing, shoes left near the tent, clothes thrown on the grass, and the tent itself.
What happens when you bite. Symptoms
The first minutes after the bite are asymptomatic. Black widow chelicerae are so thin that the bitten person may not feel anything. Severe pain comes within an hour, most often after 10-15 minutes. The lower back, chest, calves and abdomen hurt the most due to muscle cramps. Because of this, they can make an incorrect diagnosis, for example, a heart attack or peptic ulcer stomach. Pain usually lasts 1-2 days.
To determine the cause of pain, you should pay attention to the presence of local redness that appears at the site of the bite.
There are quite a few deaths from spider bites in Crimea, but still there are people who died on contact with it.
Possible symptoms of poisoning:
- dyspnea;
- swelling of the face;
- frequent heartbeat and acceleration of the pulse;
- dizziness and loss of consciousness;
- headache;
- vomiting and nausea;
- heavy sweating;
- weakness and feeling of heaviness;
- dilation of the pupils and their shift forward or to the side;
- difficulty breathing due to bronchospasm;
- painful erection;
- problems with urination;
- nervous irritation;
- delirium and blackout of consciousness;
- elevated temperature;
- convulsions or paralysis of the limbs;
- conjunctivitis.
What to do if bitten by a karakurt
First aid
If you know for sure that you were bitten by a black widow, then traces of poison should be visible at the site of the bite. This poison can be partially neutralized thermally, since the jaws of the karakurt bite through the skin by only half a millimeter. One of the most popular options is cauterization of the bite site with 2-3 match heads. This method was proposed by professor of zoology, entomologist and doctor of biological sciences Pavel Marikovsky. Put the match heads on the affected area and set it on fire. It will hurt, but the poison under the skin will partially collapse. It is important to carry out this procedure no later than 2 minutes after the bite, otherwise the poison will penetrate deeper and not collapse. Also, you can cauterize with any metal object strongly heated over the flame of a lighter.
Urgently to the hospital
You must immediately contact medical institution. Explain to the hospital that there is a suspicion of a karakurt bite. Otherwise, you may be misdiagnosed with all the ensuing consequences.
Mortality from the bite of the "black widow" is 4-6% of the number of those bitten. At risk are children and people suffering from chronic diseases.
What victims of the bite of a black widow say in a Kazakhstan hospital
What is treated in the hospital
As a rule, the bitten person is left in the hospital, in the toxicology or intensive care unit. Antikarakurt serum is introduced. After taking the necessary drugs, it will take some time to recover. Neurological effects may last for several months.
- A specific diet is prescribed.
- It is advisable to drink more liquid.
- Limit physical activity.
How to prevent a bite
Adults. In the habitats of poisonous spiders, try to wear closed shoes and long trousers. Pay attention to the web, located closer to the ground. Do not camp or picnic in such places. Just be careful.
Remember that in the Crimea, karakurts are found even on the beaches, in the coastal grass.
Children. Tell your child about karakurts. If you are walking in an area where it can live, and you see cobwebs on the ground, change the place for a walk to a safer one.
So he weaves a web among the stones
Summarize. Karakurts are dangerous but not aggressive and attack, mostly due to our inattention when we get too close to them. By observing the precautions described above, you will have a trouble-free rest on trips to the southern coastal countries.
Video of the fight between karakurt and scorpion
How they breed
Spiders are quite prolific. They lay several thousand eggs in one year. Once every few years, mass outbreaks of karakurt breeding are recorded. For laying cocoons, the female is looking for a reliable shelter. Most often, these are various earthen holes, sewer and ventilation holes, at the entrance to which one can observe a dense layer of cobwebs, of a chaotic shape. A favorite place under the leaves at the base of the plant. There, the female lays cocoons, each of which contains more than a hundred eggs. Cocoons are in such a shelter throughout the cold period, and young spiders hatch in the spring, closer to April-May, when it is already warm enough. After mating, the female very rarely eats the male. This is characteristic only of the Australian species of karakurt. That is why they are called the black widow.
AT wild nature The spider lives only 1-2 years.
Little spiders are born hungry. So much so that sometimes they can eat each other.
The spider has enemies. Among them
- Wasps. They can sting a spider, and it dies.
- Hedgehogs. Invulnerable to spider attacks.
- Rider beetles. They lay their larvae in the cocoon of the karakurt. Naturally, a new offspring of rider beetles will hatch from the egg.
- Sheep, goats and pigs. These are the most, since a herd of such animals is able to trample down a tub with karakurt eggs. At the same time, pigs, goats and sheep do not suffer from bites.
Who eats
The spider eats only insects. Among them:
- locust;
- may beetles;
- grasshoppers;
- invertebrate animals.
The process of eating the victim is as follows:
- The spider spins a web for insects to get in.
- Once the prey is caught, it injects poison into it to paralyze it.
- Now he begins to eat it, by sucking it out. Only the chitinous cover remains of the insect.
The black widow spider is known for the fact that after mating, the female destroys the male, hence the name. In addition, there are legends about its extreme danger: it bites, the poison is deadly, and the animal itself is aggressive. But, as you know, fear has big eyes, and if you get to know the monster closer, it will turn out to be not so terrible. Well, let's find out who he is, and whether he is as dangerous as they say about him.
Black Widow business card
To begin with, the black widow is indeed poisonous. Moreover, biologists rank it among the most dangerous of all such species. It is very small: females, which are many times larger than males, have a maximum of 20 mm, on average - about a centimeter. Males are even smaller - 7-8 mm. Having mated, the female immediately ruthlessly bites off her partner's head. Hence the poetic name.
Often they say about the black widow that it is a karakurt. In fact, they are both wrong and not. Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (from "kara" - black, "kurt" - worm) is one of the species of the black widow genus. Just as dangerous as all the other representatives of this "family".
The coloration is bright, conspicuous, this is what it looks like: red spots are scattered over a black background on the back of the animal. Looks like color ladybug, exactly the opposite. Paws are long, 4 pairs. Curved mandibles are clearly visible on the head - devices that serve to inject poison into the victim. There are also tactile organs that inform the spider about the quality of this very food, and indeed, give a lot of information about the outside world. The Black Widow is practically blind: her eyesight is extremely poor. But it is perfectly compensated by touch and smell.
It is wrong to call this creature an insect. Any spider belongs to a separate detachment - arachnids. Like all other relatives, the hero of our story weaves a web. But these are not beautiful, geometric regular networks. In black widows, the traps are chaotic, reminiscent of a ball that has been disheveled by a kitten. Inside such dwellings, spiders are agile and dangerous, but it is worth depriving them of their shelter, and the animals immediately become clumsy.
The lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal. This is a predator that lives on its own. On the Internet, you can find videos in which the spider absorbs another victim. He does it this way. When the prey is caught in the net and tangled, the animal runs up to it and bites, injecting special digestive enzymes and paralyzing poison. For some time, the victim is digested alive, while all its insides turn into a liquid slurry, which is then eaten by an eight-legged predator.
Why does the black widow bite
By itself, the spider is not so aggressive as to just attack a person. It usually bites in case of danger, when something threatens life. Usually, these animals, like many others like them, prefer to sit in ambush, waiting for food to fall into their nets. They do not even attack and do not fight with future prey. Therefore, a person can only suffer by accident.
The bite of a female is dangerous. It is her jaws that can bite through human skin. The male is too small to cause any significant harm. Look carefully at the photo of the female black widow spider to know the danger "in the face."
When the enemy bites, it is almost not felt. The damage is so small that you won't even notice it. But very soon the poison will begin to act, and the bitten place will ache. Then the poison will get further into circulatory system spreading throughout the body. painful cramps, muscle pain, clouding of consciousness - all this is possible after the attack of the black widow. In addition, men have another “side effect”: for several days, an erection will be accompanied by severe pain. But then everything passes.
The venom is nerve-paralytic in nature. Hence the resulting convulsions, and general oppression nervous system. In the worst case, death may result. But now this rarely happens: antidotes have long been invented. In addition, many videos talking about karakurt advise you to see a doctor immediately as soon as you find an inflamed bitten place. The first measure is to immediately cauterize the damage (for example, the head of a freshly extinguished match is suitable) to slow the spread of the poison.
Distribution of the spider in Russia and Ukraine
Of course, black widows can be found on the territory of our country, as well as in Ukraine. In Russia, poisonous animals are common in the expanses of Kyrgyzstan, the Kazakh deserts, the Astrakhan region and Krasnodar Territory. In general, black widows are very fond of a hot and fairly humid climate, so they live in the south, for example, in the Crimea. It happened that people suffered from their attacks in the southern part of the Urals, in the Volgograd region, Novosibirsk and the Altai Territory. But there are not many of them.
Study the photo and description of the spider, remember to immediately recognize it when you meet a danger and avoid problems. Do not forget: the animal prefers to wait for prey. It is not aggressive and does not just attack. That's why it works here. Golden Rule: Don't provoke and nothing will happen. 
And it has the same poisonous properties.
Black widow spider - distributed throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska; especially a lot of these spiders in the southeast. The body length is up to 1 cm, the leg span is up to 5 cm. This spider is shiny, black, with two red marks in the form hourglass on the ventral surface of the abdomen, the abdomen is like a droplet, convex, thick. The female is a highly venomous spider, the males are less common and are almost harmless. Males have four pairs of red dots along the sides of the abdomen. After mating, the female devours the male, hence the name "black widow" - although this is found in most spiders and even praying mantises.
The black widow weaves webs in the dark corners of sheds, barns, garages and under stones, boards, pipes stacked for repairs. Most bites occur during the summer and early fall and occur when humans are breaking webs or trying to catch the spider.
The bite of a female spider is venomous, accompanied by local pain, swelling, nausea, difficulty in breathing, and is sometimes fatal. At least three other varieties of the black widow are also poisonous to humans: the brown or gray widow spider; red widow spider, with sparse red and yellow markings; and northern widow spider. Black widow spiders produce a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, muscle cramps and even paralysis in humans. Poison is more dangerous for children than for adults. Their bites are very dangerous, although antidotes have long been created that allow you to recover from poison in a few days - because it takes time to get to the hospital. But neurotoxins paralyze insects so quickly that often the spider starts eating when the victim is still alive. Most black widow species prefer flight to attack. A disturbed spider often pretends to be dead, with its legs between its legs, and starts running only if they are trying to catch it or it seems to it that the danger has passed, it is not aggressive in itself and attacks people in case of its protection.
The venom of black widows is extremely toxic: they are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in the world.
Notes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .
See what "Black Widow (spider)" is in other dictionaries:
Black Widow redirects here. See also other meanings. ? Black Widow Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Black Widow (meanings). Black Widow Black Widow. Black Widow Vol 2 #1 cover art by Greg Land ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see The Avengers. Avengers The Avengers ... Wikipedia
- (Aranei), a detachment of the arachnid class, which also includes ticks, scorpions, haymakers, etc. Spiders are close to insects in a number of ways, but they clearly differ from them, and these groups are connected only by a very distant relationship. Well known... ... Collier Encyclopedia
This term has other meanings, see The Avengers. Avengers New Avengers #1 (February 2005). Artist Joe Quesada ... Wikipedia
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates ... Wikipedia
Developer Rogue Entertainment Publisher Activision Release date October 31, 1998 Genre First-person shooter ESRB age ratings ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Owl (meanings). Owl ... Wikipedia
Avengers New Avengers #1 (February 2005). Artist Joe Quesada general information Marvel Comics Publisher Debut ... Wikipedia
This article lacks links to sources of information. The information must be verifiable, otherwise it may be questioned and removed. You can ... Wikipedia
Books
- New Avengers: Breakout by Quitney Alice. A lot of prisoners have escaped from a special prison for superheroes Raft. The Avengers have disbanded and Iron Man and Captain America again had to unite and assemble a new team, to ...
