Basic Information on the Black Widow Spider
The Black Widow spider aka Latrodectus mactans are known for their female dominancy because of their tendency to eat their mates. They are one of the most venomous spider in North America, however their bite is may be fatal to humans. Male and female black widows look different. The females are the most noticeable with shiny bodies and the red hourglass shaped mark on the underside of their abdomen. Females are about one and a half inches long. The males are half that size and are lighter in color with red or pink spots on their backs.
In this video it shows how the black widow hunts and eats her date.
tHE Nervous System of a Black Widow Spider- Latrodectus mactans
The nervous system of spiders are based around the cephalothorax. The cephalothorax is the fused head and thorax of spiders. Their masses of nerve tissue are called ganglia, which are masses of cells that form a nerve center in the nervous system. These ganglia are formed with a ganglion that are under the esophagus and below and behind the brain. Their brain is called epipharyngeal ganglion.
The eyesight of a spider is very complicated, they have eight or less but don't always use them. They consist of two groups, the main or direct eyes called the anterior medians and the secondary eyes. The secondary eyes include anterior laterals, posterior laterals, and posterior medians. All of these parts allow the spider to see different parts of the area. They also have structures called rhabdoms, which receive light rays. They face the lenses in the main eyes however, the rhabdoms in the other eyes are turned inward. Spiders also have other sense organs, the long hairs (trichobothria) on the legs. They are sensitive to air currents and and vibrations. There are slit sense organs in the form of minute slits or many parallel slits that are located near the joints in the legs or all over the body. The slit sense organs (slit sensilla) is a small mechanoreceptory organ or group of organs in the exoskeleton. A mechanorceptory organ is an organ that responds to mechanical pressure or distortion. The slit is closed toward the outside by a thin membrane and on the other side by another membrane that may be penetrated by a nerve. The slit sense organs are responsible for feeling stresses on the cuticle the other organs act as vibration receptors or hearing organs. Proprioceptors or internal receptors provide information on the body movement and position. Smell related organs, or olfactory organs are specialized hollow hairs found at the tips of legs.