Judith Keeler, age 9, of Springfield, Ill., for her question:

CAN A BLACK WIDOW SPIDER CAUSE DEATH?

Black widow spiders are the most dangerous spiders in the United States. Their poisonous bites can cause illness and severe pain and some deaths have been reported. But deaths from black widow spider bites usually result from complications, and not from the bite itself.

The black widow got its name because the female sometimes kills the male after mating. Scientists believe only the female is dangerous  to man.

A poisonous black widow spider has a shiny black body about the size of a pea. With its legs extended, it measures about one and a half inches long.

On the underside of the blak widow's abdomen is a red or yellow mark that has an hourglass shape.

This spider weaves shapeless webs in dark nooks. It can sometimes be found living in the corners of barns, sheds and near homes. It is found in every state and Canada.