>>6488143Agreed that the lethal capability of a black widow is usually exaggerated, and agreed that allergic reactions are a huge factor.
However, the venom usually kills a pretty good sized chunk of flesh, especially if a person isn't fully aware of what bit them or otherwise doesn't get fast treatment. You can end up with a hole in you the size of a golf ball or a baseball where necrotic tissue needs to be removed.
I know a guy with a "small hole" in his calf, about half the size of a golf ball, caused by an infected spider bite. The only reason the doctors don't think it was a black widow is because the size of the dead tissue is so small, and it would be exceptionally rare for him to have encountered a black widow where he lives.
