2007-01-07 00:53:32 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It is a myth that the Black Widow spider eats the
male after mating. I know a person who raised
black widows for his research. He said he had
watched 500 matings and had never seen the
female eat the male. Any kind of spider may attack
and eat a potential mate under some circumstances, however. These are: that the pair
is disturbed in some way during courtship and
mating, or that the female has already mated and
is now interested only in food.
It is entirely possible that the spider got its name
because black is the color of mourning in many
places. The notion of its eating its mate could
have been an invention after the fact, attempting
'to explain the name. Many myths have originated
in this way.
2007-01-08 02:57:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because it's black and after it kills the male it becomes a widow.
2007-01-07 00:58:06 · answer #2 · answered by Big Boy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1) It's black
2) It's a spider
3) It mates with a male
4) It eats the male making her a widow
2007-01-07 05:34:38 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas M 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1. It is black.
2. The female kills and eats the male after mating.
2007-01-07 00:56:39 · answer #4 · answered by Jerry P 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The spider is black. And after the female (the poisonus one-red hourglass) mates, she kills her mate!
2007-01-07 00:58:01 · answer #5 · answered by Just a Human Being. 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think the females eat the males after mating- not such a bad idea.
2007-01-07 01:04:02 · answer #6 · answered by Susan H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the female mates with the male then kills him
2007-01-07 01:46:09 · answer #7 · answered by hill bill y 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋