They’re helping you, not hurting you.” Editor’s note: This article was updated at 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to correct that the red hourglass shape is on black widow spider’s abdomens.

News How to protect yourself from the black widow, America’s most venomous spider Updated: Aug. 08, 2023, 7:58 a.m. | Published: Aug. 08, 2023, 7:47 a.m.

A black widow spider with an egg sac. The spider can be found in every state other than Alaska. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images "And unlike bees and wasps, they do not leave their dwelling to ...

Black widows are small to medium-sized spiders with shiny black bodies. The females can easily be spotted by their distinctive red or orange hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of their abdomen.