Hangry Black Widows

#FunFactFriday Did you know that male Black Widow spiders can tell if their mate is "hangry"?

When the males are looking for females to mate with, they will stop feeding and will not bite, using all their time looking for the right mate. When they find a female, the males will use her web to communicate and let her know he is present. After an elaborate courtship, they will mate.

It was thought that the females eat the males after mating in order to produce a healthier brood, but this isn't always the case. If the female is well fed, the male might not be eaten and can live on the periphery of the females web. There is evidence of male black widows being able to tell which females are hungrier and more likely to eat them and in this case, the males will avoid them. Basically, they can tell when she is hangry!

The male black widow is the one on the right side of the photo, and the female is on the left with her egg sac.