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*Latrodectus* is a genus of spiders in the family *Theridiidae*, most of which are commonly known as widow spiders. The genus contains 31 recognised species distributed worldwide, including the North American black widows, the button spiders of Africa, and the Australian redback spider. Species vary widely in size. In most cases, the females are dark-coloured and readily identifiable by reddish markings on the abdomen, which are often (but not always) hourglass-shaped.
While rarely fatal, or even serious, the venomous bite of these spiders is seen as particularly dangerous because of the neurotoxin latrotoxin, which causes the condition latrodectism, both named after the genus. The female black widow has unusually large venom glands and only its bite can be particularly harmful to humans.
