Predatory mites occur on infested plants, but are larger than their prey and move more quickly. Some may be purchased for biological control. Spiders resemble spider mites, except they are larger and have two clearly distinct body regions with a thin waist between. Most spiders are predators of insects, and thus are beneficial. One common poisonous species is the black widow spider.
Black widows are shy and like dark places.
They spin a characteristically messy web. They are shiny black, moderately sized spiders with a reddish or orange hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Males and immature females can have stripes of red, yellow, and black on the abdomen. Ticks are larger than mites and are important because they are parasites of man and animals. The most prevalent tick in Arizona is the brown dog tick.