Jack of all Inverts

Moisture

40-60% humidity
Spray weekly

Temperature

21-25.5°C (70-78°F)
Can tolerate periods of temperatures slightly lower than 65°F.

Sexing

Males have orb-like pediplps and longer legs, females lack round pedipalps and are usually more robust in the abdomen.
Adult males are much smaller, have white markings, and very long legs. Adult females are much larger, and display a black abdomen with red markings including the signature broken hourglass.

Lifespan

Females generally live for 18+ months, but can sometimes live up to 3 years in captivity. Once males molt to adulthood, they only live for 2-3 months.

Instars

Female black widows molt to adulthood after 8 or 9 molts, while males generally 7 or 8.

Feeding

Most moisture is gained through food. Webs are very sticky and used to trap prey.

• i1-i4: D. melanogaster, D. hydei (fruit flies)
• i5-i7: Buffalo worms, mini mealworms, house flies, meal moths, small waxmoths
• i7-i9: House flies, green bottle flies, blue bottle flies, waxmoths, buffalo worms, mealworms, small roaches

Enclosure

A 32oz deli container or a 4x4x7 in enclosure is usually enough space for an adult black widow. Black widows prefer dark, enclosed areas with lots of places to attach their webs.

• i1-i2: cohabitated in 32oz deli container with excelsior and lots of fruit flies
• i3-i5: single slings in 5.5oz deli container
• i5-i7: older slings in 16oz deli container or larger
• i7-i9: adults in 32oz or larger

Breeding

When breeding, the male will deposit sperm into the reproductive organ on the underside of her abdomen. After mating, the male will attempt to run from the female. Sexual cannabalism can happen.

Other Information

This species of spider is venomous, but bites are rare and often inject little venom. Fatal bites are exceedinly rare, as the spiders themselves are very timid. Males and slings cannot easily bite you. I have no fear of getting bit as bites are a last-ditch effort. To minimalize stress to the animals, I rarely (if ever) handle my widows.