Black Widow Spider Found in Calgary

 

 

In Airdrie, Lauren Schmidtke took a rare photo of a black widow spider at her sister's house. Lauren took the photo of a black widow spider. After seeing the photo, Ken Fry, an entomology instructor at Olds College, confirmed that the spider is a western black widow, the only venomous spider in Alberta. He said it is a dangerous spider with a strong venom and can pose a threat to humans.

The pea-sized spiders are commonly found in Alberta's dry habitats, especially in areas like Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

Black widow spiders reported in Calgary are sometimes mistaken for similar spiders, such as the boreal combfoot. Fry says the spiders commonly found in Alberta don't have enough venom to harm humans. Fry also clarified that only the Black Widow has venom that produces neurotoxic effects.