#widow spiders

[jumping-widow]

Few spiders in the United States have a more fearsome reputation than black widows. But throughout the South, the bulbous arachnids with red hourglasses on their bellies are engaged in a lethal competition with the brown widow, a relative from abroad — and they’re losing.

This isn’t a case of one species outcompeting another for food or habitat. In research published Monday in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, biologists found that young brown widow spiders have a dramatic tendency to seek out and kill their American cousins.

“Brown widows will aggressively go after black widows, chase them down,” said Louis Coticchio, a science tutor at St. Petersburg College in Florida and an author of the paper. “They don’t play well with being neighbors.”

Three species of black widows are native to North America, including the Southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans. Exceedingly shy insect hunters, black widows like to live in crawl spaces, woodpiles and sheds. This fondness for human habitation does occasionally lead to people getting bit — 1,004 cases in 2021, according to America’s Poison Centers — but deaths are extremely rare. “Black widows generally don’t bite when harassed,” preferring to run, play dead or flick webbing at a poking finger, Mr. Coticchio said. “It’s only pinching them that’ll get you bit.”

Mr. Cottichio spent several years working as a venomous species zookeeper in California, looking for spiders in his spare time. While hunting for western black widows in suburban Los Angeles, he noticed that wherever they and brown widows overlapped, the black widows eventually disappeared. Upon starting his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida, he found the same thing. “Every time I returned to a site, there were less and less of them until there were none.”

Brown widows — a closely related species — arrived in Florida around 1935, probably from South Africa. A single mother produces multiple egg sacs and potentially thousands of spiderlings. Like black widows, brown widows like to live around people. Brown widows are less venomous than their native cousins, and aren’t at all shy.

To figure out why, Mr. Coticchio and his colleagues looked at the mathematical population modeling of the two widow species, which showed that both black and brown widows were more likely to get eaten than to starve — suggesting that they aren’t competing over scarce prey.

When they paired brown and black widows in container habitats — along with other related species like red house spiders and triangulate cobweb spiders — the researchers found that brown widows were 6.6 times as likely to kill black widows than other species. Young brown widows in particular made a beeline for their native cousins, eating them 80 percent of the time.

Adult brown widows were less belligerent, the researchers found, and significantly less likely to successfully kill a black widow hiding in an established web. But they still instigated observed attacks. “Southern black widows were never the aggressor and always the prey,” Mr. Cottichio said.

What drives such predation attempts? One possibility lies in the spiders’ respective temperaments, the researchers suggest: Brown widows tend to be bold, investigating nearby webs and attacking spiders that don’t resist. House and cobweb spiders challenge them, and brown widows often go on to coexist with them peacefully. The shy, retiring black widows generally tried to escape, fighting back only as a last resort.

“We have found similarly high levels of aggression and activity in invasive brown widows in Israel,” said Monica Mowery, a spider biologist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev who was not involved in the new study. “One key remaining question is whether brown widows are outcompeting local species” in other parts of the world that they have invaded, she said.

In the Southern and Western United States, the outlook for urban-living black widows isn’t good. But the species does have a fallback: Black widows like deserts and woodlands as much as suburbs, Mr. Cottichio said, while brown widows prefer urban and suburban areas. The ongoing contest might end with black widows being cast out of crawl spaces and attics in favor of the wilderness, where their aggressive cousins won’t follow.

In the meantime, Mr. Cottichio said, if you find yourself on a property with black widows, don’t be so quick to kill them: They’re already having a bad time.

“If you have some on your property,” he said, “do a good deed, and move it outside somewhere.”

A version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2023, Section D, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: For Black Widows, a Brown Cousin Is the Real Killer.

[becomingvecna]

Arcana by Miguel Cruz

[spiderverseconceptart]

Concept art and color keys for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse by Mike McCain ( 1, 2.)

[prinnay]

Hunters

Newsletter / Art Blog / Prints

[incorrectquotesmcu]

Peter: Mr. Rogers, how do I get revenge on my enemies?

Steve: The best revenge is letting go and living your life to the fullest.

Peter: ...

Peter: Ms. Romanoff, how do I—

Natasha: Brick.

[mamaspidershit]

Peter: And then I accidentally called her "mom!" Yelena, holding back laughter: Oh no. *In another room* Natasha, in tears: And then he called me "mom!" Clint: Are you crying out of happiness or disgust? Natasha: YES.

[mothmothwoth]

Eat your Heart out.

[daily-bugle-ny]

Black Widow Cloned! (GONE WRONG)

A new theory in the hunt for Spider-Man's identity emerges! He is a CLONE of the Avenger, Black Widow. An experiment gone WRONG! He wears the mask to hide his LIES and spider face!

The proof is there! Similar costumes, a spider motif, and strange technology on their arms. Not to mention the red heads!

To whoever is behind this, put your failed experiment away. One spider out there was enough.

-JJJ

[ghoststillhaunting]

My current favorite hobby is to make my own incorrect marvel quotes cause I think I'm so fucking funny

Here are some of my favorites :)

~

After a rough mission

Steve: whew! well that was crazy! I definitely need a smoke after that. Anyone got a cigarette I can bum off them?

Sam: uh Steve? aren't you asthmatic?

Steve: I mean I was? but what does that matter?

Bruce: cause cigarettes have been known to cause asthma...

Steve, who was prescribed cigarettes specifically to TREAT his asthma: What

~

Tony: Hey Steve. what'cha reading there?

Steve: Oh! it's this short horror story called I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. It's about this AI that gains consciousness and sets out to destroy humanity.

Natasha: sounds right up your ally Tony

Tony: That's not funny 😐

~

Tony: Now I do believe that capitalism can work-

Steve, who literally grew up during the Great Depression: I don't. It has done nothing but fuck us over and is the disease at the core of America.

Interviewer, taking notes: "Captain America is a communist" got it.

~

Tony: hey kid! what're your plans for Christmas?

Peter: Uh me and Aunt May don't really celebrate for Christmas

Tony: WHAT!? WHO WOULD EVER DEPRIVE A CHILD OF THE SWEET JOYS AND WONDERS OF CHRISTMAS???

Peter: Mr. Stark...I'm Jewish.

Tony:...oh

~

Steve: Hey Peter! Hey Ned!

Ned: omg Captain America knows my name!

Peter: Ned, you have dinner with us. Every Friday. Of course he knows your name.

Ned:...I know but it's still CRAZY

~

Tony: Peter. You must learn the consequences of your actions therefore I have no choice but to punish you. You aren't allowed in the labs for a month.

Peter: OH SO YOU WANT ME TO KILL MYSELF

Tony: PETER

Peter: NO NO I SEE HOW IT IS YOU HATE ME AND WANT ME DEAD

Tony: PETER YOU RECREATED A LIGHTSABER AND SLICED THE COUCH INTO TWENTY PIECES

Peter: GOD I CAN'T DO ANYTHING IN THIS FUCKING HOUSE

~

Tony: Kid WHY and HOW do you know how to use a gun???

Peter:...I play a lot of call of duty?

Tony: this is the closest i have ever been to wanting to punt a child

~

Steve: Jesus Tony stop being such a cunt!

Tony: 😦

Peter: ATE

~

Bucky: Peter...do you think i'm gay?

Peter:....you are wearing a rupaul muscle tee

Bucky:...you didn't answer my question :(

~

Interviewer: What are your thoughts on immigration?

Steve: my parents were immigrants...what do you think my thoughts are?

[natasharswifey]

This is so them

[onenicebugperday]

Phinda button spider, Latrodectus umbukwane, Theridiidae

This widow spider was confirmed as a new species in 2019 and so far is found only in South Africa’s Phinda reserve. It is believed to be the largest member of the widow genus.

Photographed in South African by hrodulf

[hemlock-dreams]

What's Spidys relationship like with the other NY bound heros?

Got a bunch of other hero asks so it's time for Ye Olde Lore Dump!

Johnny and H!Spiderman have never gotten along- in either universe.

They don't even really have any real beef with each other, they're just two dudes who grate on each other's nerves for no particular reason- like two guys at a frat party who are just waiting for an excuse to duke it out.

There's just something about Johnny's playboy easy-come-and-go vibe that makes Spidey want to plant a fist in his face. And Johnny thinks Spiderman is a fucking buzzkill.

Black Widow and Spiderman have a good working relationship. He once helped her out of a tight spot in New York and he was fast, smart and discreet about it- so when she's got some ops she needs a second pair of hands for (under the table), she calls him.

Spiderman admires Nat's competence and single-minded focus in getting things done- they all appeal to the hunter in him. (And he's got a massive crush on her.)

They usually do one or two jobs every few months, and meet up for drinks at one of her safehouses. She's also knows his secret identity, because she's just that scary.

Logan and Peter are BFFs. For real. Logan was in town to help with some shit that ended up involving Deadpool and found himself at St. Margaret's.

He and Peter struck up a friendship that ends up with them going camping every couple of months for a week or so.

Logan likes Peter's no-bullshit sincerity and can tell he's had some shit(TM) go down in his life. Peter's easy to talk to and is good at reading the room. And Peter feels like Logan fills in that space Marko left as a friend/mentor/gruff bro figure.

Logan actually picks up when Peter calls. (most others he leaves on read).

Fun fact, he has no idea Peter is Spiderman.

And another fun fact, it's not Johnny Deadpool is jealous of, it's Logan.

Peter has a very complicated relationship with the Avengers.

On one hand, he knows what they do and what they stand for- on the other hand, he's got a real problem with authority figures. He's been invited to the Avengers multiple times, in both realities.

The answer is always blanket N.O. (And, depending on whether it's stark asking, accompanied by a giant middle finger). (Though he's reluctantly agreed to have an avenger's phone in case there are any massive threats they need help with).

As for the members:

Stark gets on his nerves like nothing else. He's not super easy to rile up, but Stark's playboy arrogance (real or not), way he talks down at people, the self-appointed authority, the entitlement, and, of course, the fucking hypocrisy- it makes Spidey go 0 to 'cashmeoutside' immediately.

He and the Captain sometimes get along, but mostly when the Captain isn't in one of his preachy, pontificating moments. They do work very well together in a combat capacity, but they don't have much to talk about.

Thor is fine, but completely outside of Spidey's sphere and also, difficult to work with given his powers.

Bruce and Spidey just don't have much to talk about, and once again, Hulk is way too loud and can't particularly coordinate when they have to team up.

In general, H!Spiderman gets along with the more 'loner' heroes like Murdock, Deadpool, Black Widow, Bucky, Logan, Clint and so on.

(Side note, imagine he said all these shots fired shit to the Avengers and they were like 'no? none of this happened?' because it's not the same reality and Spiderman has to go home and die from the cringe???) (no we'll let him be cool for this)

-----

Once again, thank you so much for the asks!! I really appreciate all the love this AU has gotten and I hope these answers satisfy!!!

[sloppjockey]

venatrix ii. graphite on paper

[soranatus]

The Web-Slinger Spider-Man By Flesh.png

[uncharted-constellations]

I... Cannot stop

[ex0skeletal-undead]

Widow by ImmortalElderGod