How dangerous are brown widow spiders in Hawaii?

Also seen in Hawaii is the Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow), and the Latrodectus geometricus (Brown Widow Spider). Their bites are dangerous and require a visit to the doctor. The brown widow is a little smaller than the black widow and its venom is twice as potent as the black widow's venom. read more

The females of this spider species don't get movies and books named after their deadly bite as do the black widow spiders. Yet, these spiders are much more common in Hawaii than their darker counterparts, according to the University of Hawaii. read more

A recently introduced species to Hawaii, the brown recluse is considered more dangerous than the black widow. Unlike widow and leaf spiders, the venom of a brown recluse spider doesn't disperse from a bite. Instead, the venom stays concentrated near the bite wound and can cause ulceration and gangrene. The spider's preferred habitat is in rock piles and stacked logs. read more

Hawaii is home to the southern black widow, the western black widow and the brown widow spider. Neither the black widow nor the brown widow spider is outwardly aggressive but both will bite in self-defense. Venom from a widow spider is not lethal but does cause significant pain and discomfort in its victim. read more