The black widow, found throughout the world's temperate and tropical regions, is indeed the most venomous spider in North America — but the notorious black arachnid with the red hourglass on her abdomen hasn't exactly earned her fearsome reputation.  

Still, that doesn't mean her bite is pleasant. The video above considers which parts of the black widow's infamy aren't justified — and which ones are.

This video originally appeared on Slate Video. Watch More: slate.com/video