Rare poisonous spider found
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02/09/2008
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Deccan Chronicle (Hyderabad)
Hyderabad, Sept. 2: A rare Black Widow spider was found at L B Nagar and Meerpet in the outskirts of the city recently. The spider is venomous and has been responsible for several deaths in America and Australia.
Wildlife biologists have approached the National History Museums in America and Australia to identify the species.
Dr C. Srinivasulu, a wildlife biologist at Osmania University, said the taxonomic status is being studied. A special trait of these spiders is sexual cannibalism in which a female spider kills and eats a male of the same species before, during, or after copulation, the OU biologist said.