Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 33

BLACK WIDOW SPIDER (sp. Latrodectus mactans) A Black Widow’s venom is more deadly than that of a rattlesnake, coral snake or even a cobra, and yet the Black Widow’s bite proves fatal less than 1% of the time only because of a poor delivery system. The Ol’ Timers swear that the only way of dealing with this bite is to cauterize the infected area. Of course, prompt medical attention may be more advisable. The Black Widow is easily identified by the red hourglass on its abdomen. ROCKPORT BANANA SPIDER (sp. Nephila clavipes) They’re night hunters and are not a true Banana Spider; they are actually called Golden Orb Weavers. Their presence is mostly unnoticed during the day, but at night their large spider webs, which can be 5 ft. wide and mostly invisible in the dark, have caused grown men and women to thrash about and run around erratically. Also, screams have been reported. 32