Could someone describe the appearance of a black widow? Are they
particularly nasty spiders (their bites, that is)? We've got several
types of Red Back-like spiders in the greenhouse which lack the RB's
"arrow" marking and instead are either pitch-black, or have various
white-dotted patterns etc. They make similar webs to the RB's, and
aren't exactly in your cuddly critter class... Their preference for
living in drainage holes of pots, under trays and stands doesn't endear
them to you either.
An interesting thing about the Red Back, that my relatives discovered when
they killed the dozen or so that took up residence in their "shed", is that
they leave white "droppings" underneath their webs. You can be guarenteed
that where these white spots appear, there is always a red-back somewhere
above...
| John Taylor [The Banshee] | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |