Subj : ES Picture of the Day 15  2022
To   : All
From : Black Panther
Date : Thu Sep 15 2022 12:00:58

 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Black Widow Spider

   September 15, 2022


    Black Widow 1

   Photographer:  Brian Toycen
   Summary Author:  Brian Toycen

   I recently came across this  black widow spider in my back yard in
   Amarillo, Texas. This is the third one I’ve found this year. So, I’m
   cautious when moving things around and always look for their
   characteristic ‘messy’ web. Only the females are marked with the red
   hourglass design.
   Black widows are the most venomous spider in North America. Their venom
   is around 15 times stronger than  rattlesnake venom.  Every year
   approximately 2,500 people seek treatment for their bites. Fortunately,
   they don’t inject much venom and are considered to present a high risk
   only to the very young and very old.
   This specimen is probably a Latrodectus hesperus, based on my location
   in the Texas panhandle. There are currently 31 ‘widow’ spiders in the
    Latrodectus genus and of these 5 are  black widows, 3 of which
   are found in North America, Latrodectus variolus, the northern species;
   Latrodectus mactans, the southern species, and Latrodectus hesperus,
   the western species. Photo taken on August 20, 2022.
   Photo details: Canon EOS 80D; exposure 1/250 second; ISO 640; f5.6;
   focal length 200 mm.

   Amarillo, Texas Coordinates: 35.2220 -101.8313

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    More...

Animal Links

     *  Animal Diversity Web
     *  ARKive
     *  BirdLife International
     *  Bug Guide
     *  Discover Life
     *  Integrated Taxonomic Information System
     *  Microbial Life Resources
       Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
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        Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
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