Latrodectus variolus
Latrodectus variolus, the northern black widow spider or northern widow, is a species of spider in the genus Latrodectus of the family Theridiidae. The population is closely related to the southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans, and the western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, of the genus.
It is commonly found in Middle Atlantic states of the United States. During the April–May mating season, it can travel north along the coast as far as Massachusetts. It is also found in Connecticut in the late summer, and rarely, in southern Ontario and southern Quebec, Canada, and in south-eastern Michigan.
A bite may cause latrodectism, and requires medical attention in the case of increasingly severe discomfort or spreading local redness accompanied by severe pain. The LD-50 has been measured in mice as ; each spider contains about of venom.
Unlike for the related Latrodectus mactans, as of 2015 no antivenom was available.
