#true widows

[uncharismatic-fauna]

No Tears for the Southern Black Widow

Latrodectus mactans, more commonly known as the southern black widow, is the most common species in the black widow family. While it can be found throughout North America, they are found most often in the southern United States. Within this wide range, L. mactans enjoys a variety of habitats. They prefer areas that are close to the ground, dark, and sheltered; in the wild this may mean dense brush or under logs, while in inhabited areas they may be found in basements, log piles, or under trash lids.

In addition to being the most common black widow, L. mactans is also the largest member of the family Theridiidae. The females are larger than the males, averaging at about 8-10 mm (0.31- 0.39 in) in length and weighing about 1 g (0.04 oz); however the male's legs are generally longer than the females. Both males and females are black, with small thoraxes and extremely large, round abdomens. The female can be distinguished by the iconic red hour-glass shape on the underside of her abdomen, while the male has 4 pairs of red and white stripes on each side of his abdomen.

The southern black widow is mainly solitary, spending most of its time in or near its web. Only the females live long enough to build a web for catching prey, and are the sole source of black widow bites. While bites do require medical attention, no human fatalities have been reported since 1983.

During the day, females hang in the center of the web to expose the bright red warning on their abdomen; when startled they drop to the ground and play dead. Though the webs they construct are haphazard-- the stereotype of cobwebs-- they are extremely strong and are capable of catching woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, other spiders, and occasionally small mice. Once an animal becomes trapped in L. mactan's web, the spider envenoms its prey and wraps it in a thick cocoon. After the animal dies the spider injects it with digestive enzymes and consumes the resulting fluid. Despite their strong venom, the southern black widow can be victim to several predaotrs; namely wasps, the brown widow spider, praying mantises, and large centipedes.

The southern black widow mates primarily in the spring and summer. Mature males build small webs and deposit semen along the threads. He then coats his mouthpieces-- palps-- with sperm and sets out to find a female mate. To court her, he vibrates the threads of her web until she is receptive. On rare occasions, a displeased female may eat the male. Afterwards, if he survives, the male leaves the females web and dies soon afterwards. From just one encounter, the female can store enough sperm to last her a lifetime of reproductive cycles.

After fertilization, the female builds a small web where she lays her egg sac, which can contain up to 400 eggs. She guards these eggs until they hatch about 20 days later, and immedietly disperse to establish their own territories. Until they become fully mature, at about 90 days old, juveniles have no venom and are extremely vulnerable to predators- including adult black widows. Typically only about 30 individuals from a single clutch survive to adulthood. Once mature, males can live for only one year, while females can live up to three years in the wild.

Conservation status: The IUCN has not evaluated the southern black widow, but due to its large range and population size it is considered stable. It is able to adapt to most habitats, and thus the species' only threat comes from extermination via pest control.

If you send me proof that you’ve made a donation to UNRWA or another organization benefiting Palestinians, I’ll make art of any animal of your choosing.

Photos

Mark Kostich

James L. Castner

Meghan F. Murphy

#southern black widow #Araneae #Theridiidae #black widows #true widows #tangle-web spiders #cobweb spiders #spiders #arachnids #arthropods #generalist fauna #generalist arthropods #urban fauna #urban arthropods #north america #southern north america

[headcanonthings]

Natasha: People keep calling Clint the epitome of a golden retriever. Natasha: He is not. Natasha: He is a raccoon that has been too socialized by people and now cannot be released back into the wild.

#god just imagine her saying this in some kind of morning show interview she was forced to go on for avengers PR #clint is not upset by this her saying this at all #he's literally sitting next to her and nodding along #clint staring directly into the camera: it's true #incorrect quotes #incorrect mcu quotes #incorrect avengers quotes #mcu #marvel #avengers #natasha romanoff #black widow #clint barton #hawkeye

[throuple-tournament]

Li Shimin/Wu Zetian/Gao Yizhi created by @xiranjayzhao.

Nathan/Vlad/Ursula created by @thebibliosphere.

Description provided by @mochithewondercat.

Description provided by @powerpolyculeshowdown 's submissions.

#throuple #tournament #polls #hunger pangs: true love bites #joy demorra #captain nathaniel j northland #captain nathan #captain nathaniel northland #nathan j northland #nathaniel j northland #viscount vlad blutstein #vlad blutstein #lady ursula #iron widow #xiran jay zhao #wu zetian #li shimin #gao yizhi

[missmorwen]

\o/

Thunderbolts 2023 #4

#buckynat #winterwidow #thunderbolts 2023 #wednesday spolers #bucky barnes #natasha romanoff #alpine #black widow #winter soldier #otp otp otp #his one true love #bucky really said fuck kot and his alien princes

[brother-emperors]

TRY AGAIN LATER

it's like. well. its several things.

(Plutarch's Crassus, trans. Warner)

and also this

(ibid.)

that compliment sounds like an insult, baby.

anyway, there's a fun kind of eroticism in being given everything, in taking things that aren't yours without any real consequence, in climbing towards becoming a Roman Alexander, only for one man to deny you, over and over and over again, at every turn. Sulla tried, Crassus did it better. who would put a butcher in their place? who else knows you well enough to do it? who else can match you step for step like this? doesn't it feel like a kind of intimacy, a kind of—

it's also about the 'even sulla kissed my sword/so you want me on my knees too?' innuendo was too good to pass up. that was actually the first line I wrote, I figured out the rest of this to justify making a comic with it

and finally! the sword line is referencing/playing off of Lucan's Pharsalia a little bit because it fucks hard

(Lucan's Pharsalia, trans. Jane Wilson Joyce)

EDIT: oh, and that's a public domain anatomical illustration of a heart. you know how it is with love and hate.

#marcus licinius crassus #gnaeus pompeius magnus #tris homines #komiks tag #roman republic tag #drawing tag #its about how many ways i can create situations where i have crassus call pompey a brat #the subtext going on here is that pompey and sulla are in the middle of their political falling out #and pompey is like. okay motherfucker. and crassus is something that sulla had under his hand #but uhhhhhh. its not going that well for pompey. because sulla got there first #and left his mark #dont worry tho pompey you'll get him in the end. your descendants are going to marry each other #and name two of their sons directly after both of you!! fucking wild. LOVE it #can't get much closer than that! altho pompey did try something when he married publius crassus' widow #crassus himself however holds true to his statement of 'no one is ever going to touch me ever again.' #he's like. not alive right either so it'd be hard to pin him down anyway #too haunted. your ghosts your dead your ancestors have escaped your family house buddy

[togrowoldinv]

She’s wearing a wedding ring here because she’s married to me (real)

#natasha romanoff #soft natasha romanoff #black widow #catws #she’s my wife #it’s true #I love you Nat #I truly believe she’d wear a ring like this #a simple band

[gayforwanda]

#scarlett johansson #black widow #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff x reader #marvel #this is so true #natasha x wanda #wandanat #nats black widow era

[one-pissed-off-child]

whenever there is an inordinate amount of hate for a female character in fandom, i feel it is my solemn duty to defend her to my last breath. my purpose, even

#this is doubly true for fandoms with an obsession with the guy they will inevitably deem a 'Tumblr Sexyman' #alma madrigal #pepa madrigal #rose quartz steven universe #pink diamond steven universe #spinel steven universe #isabela madrigal #annabel lee nevermore #glimmer she ra #six little nightmares #mabel pines #atla katara #atla azula #abby the last of us #sakura haruno #captain marvel #black widow #any woman in an a-list superhero film tbh #especially one by m*rvel

[movedtodykedvonte]

Simon would totally wrap Betty’s wedding band around the Golb statue cause he is a firm believer in until death do is part and he knows she’s not gone inside of Golb.

No matter what others may tell him.

#team they tell him she’s gone and he asks the statue if that’s true and used that to keep hopeful #Simon rejecting dates with compatible humans cause he’s like only into Betty #sorry I like weddings and unions and sad they never got to #he can’t even call himself a widower #simon petrikov #betty grof #petrigrof #adventure time #fionna and cake

[geraldofallon]

Fallen London’s True Identities

Princess Shirin, daughter of Möngke Kahn as the Gracious Widow

#fallen london #gracious widow #fallen london’s true identities #true identities #princess shirin #mongke khan #fourth city #my post

[crybabycunt]

Kate: I'm the most responsible person here, by far.

Yelena: You literally just set the kitchen on fire.

Kate: Yes, and I take full responsibility for that.

Yelena: Who else would?!

Kate: Well—

Yelena: WE ALL SAW YOU.

Kate: And now everyone has learned that if a watermelon explodes on impact after being hurled at a kitchen fire, it does, in fact, put it out.

Yelena: Kate Bishop, you are impossible.

Kate: The word is ‘responsible’ and you’re pronouncing it wrong.

#i know fuck all if that’s true so don’t do it #i highly doubt it #bishova #yelena belova #kate bishop #hawkeye #black widow #crack #funny #incorrect marvel quotes #marvel incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #bishlova #bishova incorrect quotes #bishlova incorrect quotes #yelena belova incorrect quotes #kate bishop incorrect quotes

[mamaspidershit]

Clint: Guys, I have a question.

Natasha: kys <3

Clint: I love you too.

Peter: Ah, yes. Siblings.

#can confirm #very true #peter parker #natasha romanoff #incorrect peter parker #spider man #incorrect natasha romanoff #black widow #incorrect mama spider #incorrect avengers #mama spider #incorrect spiderman quotes #marvel incorrect quotes #incorrect marvel quotes #incorrect mcu quotes #marvel shitpost #incorrect quotes #mcu shitpost #mcu textpost #marvel text post #incorrect black widow #marvel memes #incorrect clint barton #clint barton incorrect quotes #clint barton

[morbidsmenagerie]

Steatoda grossa egg sac finally emerged!

#invertebrates #invertiblr #inverts #invert #bugblr #true spider #steatoda #steatoda grossa #false black widow

[twinsfawn]

SEVERED HEAD SYNDROME

#true widow #s:h:s #circumambulation

[plan-3-tmars]

okay i don't really know how to title this so im just gonna call it how Half tells the story of Kazui's marriage with Stages.

Half opens up with a green apple in the center of a stage, the spotlight illuminating it. The green apple in Kazui's MVs is tied to Kazui's sin. The apple being in the center of the stage before the 'performance' even begins could represent that this is Kazui's main motive for acting and lying, this is the reason for the show.

The Kazui of the present is in the audience of the play. Throughout the entirety of Half he is there watching the events leading up to Hinako's death with us. We are the audience watching the video but also the literal audience of this performance. I think this could represent Kazui reflecting on his actions and what he did throughout his marriage while in Milgram, or right before Milgram (which I'll get into at the end.)

It then cuts back to the stage, where we see the Kazui of the past walk onto the stage wearing a mask - the performance is about to begin. This is, I'm assuming, when he is freshly married. Sure he would've had to lie while they were engaged or simply partners but there's not so much at stake at that stage in a relationship rather then when he's married. Kazui is wearing a mask to cover up his sins with lies and now he is also acting, putting up the performance of a happy marriage for others so they wouldn't question his true motives for getting married or see the real him.

When we see flashbacks of Kazui during his marriage, we can see either stagelights or the background never filling up the entire screen. This also ties to the fact that, even when Kazui isn't wearing his mask, he is still acting and putting up the performance of being content in his marriage with Hinako. I've chosen this scene to showcase this because it shows both at the same time but this happens in the bar scene too.

In this scene Kazui is singing the chorus of Half while acting on stage. However, he is wearing his mask and doesn't show alot of emotain in his movements or expressions. This could be interpretated as the effects of hiding his true self that Kazui experiences, which can really be seen considering the fact that the lyrics and way his VA sings them is very intense and rich with emotain, compared to how Kazui's expression and movements are animated

In this same scene, there is a shot of an empty chair on stage alongside Kazui. This most likely referances Hinako's involvement in Kazui's 'performance', or lack thereof, as empty chairs usually represent the empty space of a person in art. This could be interpreted in different ways: Hinako isn't shown in the performance anymore because she's dead, Hinako isn't shown in the performance because she wasn't aware of it happening so her presence is replaced by a chair - etc.

This scene in Half is one of my favourites for a multitude of reasons, so let's point out the things that stand out first and then we'll delve into my understanding of their meaning. Firstly: Kazui isn't wearing a mask in this scene but he also isn't on the stage, which has more meaning considering the other times we saw Kazui without his mask, he was still on stage - still acting. Here his performance has fallen. Secondly: the green apple is atop the stage in between Kazui and Hinako. I've already established my previous interpretation of the apple on the stage at the very start, but I think its appearance here is in a different context. This is the scene where Kazui tells Hinako the truth, so his mask and performance has stopped because these are both tied to him hiding his true self and his lies. The apple being on the stage in the middle of the two of them could mean that this is the topic of conversation. It is illuminated because they are litteraly bringing to light the elephant in the room that has been putting a wedge in their relationship. The reason why it's still on the stage might be because Kazui is still hiding what his sin is from us, so in a way his sin is putting on its own performance - disguising itself as an apple.

After Kazui tells the truth, his performance is alot more emotional. His movements are more dramatic, and so are his expressions. He's not trying to hide his real feelings anymore, and after years of doing so, they come bursting out all at once. He is still acting and putting on a performance, so we can assume at this point in time Hinako is still alive and they are still married, but he's unmasked. He's no longer lying to her.

In this scene, Kazui takes what looks to be a final bow infront of the chair before walking off the stage. I think this scene shows Kazui's intentions when it came to telling the truth. He told Hinako the truth and expected them too get a divorce afterwards, so he walks off the stage - ending the performance (their marriage.) The bow to the chair could be interpreted in different ways: a goodbye, an apology etc.

However, despite what Kazui's actual intentions where when it came to telling Hinako the truth, they didn't happen. Kazui sees the apple shattered on the ground (Hinako's death) and goes back onto the stage. He starts his performance again, this time as a mourning widow, and starts lying again too. He puts back on the mask, scared of what might happen if he were to reveal the truth about himself to someone again.

Remember what I said at the start of this painfully long post about how this might be pre-Milgram Kazui watching his performance? Yeah, this is where that comes into play. There are things I had to leave out because of tumblr's 10 photo limit, but the main point is that this Kazui on stage at the end of Half and the Kazui in the audience are wearing the same outfit. I think this might be a case of Kazui reflecting on what happened in his marriage right after Hinako's death and pinpointing where he went 'wrong' (in this case, he deciphers that telling the truth was his mistake) and decides to start his performance all over again, careful to not repeat his mistake - vowing to never reveal his sin to anyone else.

#in case it isnt obvious i think the mask represents Kazui's lies to hide his true self #and the performance/acting imagery represents him upkeeping the appearance of a happy marriage #him not having the mask on around Hinako could imply that she was aware of his sin which i think definitely could be a possibilty tbh. #but thats a different tangent for a different post! #sorry this post is so long. now you know what my notes app looks like lmao #also is there a masc version of the word widow? because i have no idea and have only ever heard it in relation to women with dead partners #milgram #kazui mukuhara #milgram project #everyone thank my vkei playlist for helping me write this monster of a post #also daily reminder to vote kazui innocent!!!!

[imnothulk]

It's such a fucking shame I'm gay cause Natasha Romanoff is hot dude

#no one cam say otherwise cause its true #shes terrifying #but so so pretty #bruce banner #hulk #mcu #incredible hulk #the incrediable hulk #natasha romanoff #natalia alianovna romanova #black widow #marvel mcu #marvel cinematic universe #marvel