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No, they eat their mates. Hence the name 'widow'.

I'm not sure about that. I have a double paneled window in the kitchen and have watched a black widow grow from a tiny speck. She has grown to a lovely size.

I noticed the remains of a male black widow discarded and I watched as she built her round egg container. She tended to it for several weeks. I watched it daily and eventually noticed several tiny Spiders on the glass. She didn't kill them at first. She seemed to do something to them by hitting them with one of her long front legs. She would insert the legs into her mouth and then touch them. Then I noticed a web covering over them. Occasionally, they would move around, but did not grow much at all. They definitely were less agile than the mother. And they avoided her at all cost. There were four live babies and now there are only the remains. They did not grow normally.

This window allows other insects in but sometimes the fishing is scarce. It may just be a case of survival of the fittest and I think she ate those babies.

Another thing I thought was fascinating to watch is how she traps her food. She walks along the web feeling vibrations with her two front legs. When she feels anything on the line above her she manipulates the line with her front legs and tries to ensnare the wiggling insect by wrapping the line tighter around the catch.

I have named her Cleopatra.

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13y ago

What else can I help you with?