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Description
Scourges of the flatlands and terrors of the open plains, the Road Widows are a nightmare for any beast or traveler that wander these barren places. Though one can see for miles around in these empty lands, you will hear the Road Widows well before you ever see them. The vrr-vrr that comes from their stridulations is quite booming, but then it is amplified by the dozen other members of this vicious pack. Riding upon wheels made of silk, stone and debris, they tear across the landscape in hunt of food and fun. Though some may see them as mindless invertebrates, these predators are quite intelligent. They craft wheels and tools from the environment around them, and they have utilized a treadle-style system with their legs to propel themselves at astonishing speeds. These brains have also given them the desire for amusement and play, which they get from their high-speed chases and breakneck races. Road Widows love speed, and chasing down fleeing prey is one of their favorite activities. Their packs descend upon herds with their revving noises and dizzying speeds, using the noise and chaos to startle and separate the group. When a prime victim is split from the herd, the gang will convene on it and give chase. Interestingly enough, not many creatures can outrun a Road Widow, yet their chases can last for quite some time. It seems during times of plenty, the Road Widows enjoy playing with their food, finding amusement in taunting it with stylish moves and fake-outs. They will let it run until they have had their fun, and then they use silk bolas and whips to tangle its legs and drop it. The feasts are quick and then they are back on the road, ripping away from the drained corpse in search of their next target.

Research has found that these speed-loving spiders are all female, with the males being much smaller and incapable of such feats. The two spend most of their time far away from each other, with females being more nomadic and the males acting more like simple spiders. The only time the two shall meet is during the breeding season, which soon results in most females carrying an egg sac beneath them. When their young hatch, they will cling to their mother as she carries them across the land. The whole gang will tend to their young together, feeding them and protecting them from danger. When the time is right and they have grown strong, the group will speed through the lands and drop their children off in promising locations. Eventually, these young ones may build wheels of their own and join their kind out on the open road.

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Saw a post on Tumblr about the widow species Latrodectus elegans, which has flame-like markings on its abdomen. There was a mention of it looking like hotrod flames, and failing to realize that refers to a car, I got thinking about motorcycles. At first I thought it would be cool to make some spider biker creature, but then I figured, why not make it the bike itself? When you look at it, motorcycles and spiders are pretty identical. Thank you to the numerous videos out there that explain how treadles work, because for some reason I really needed to figure out how a creature like this would propel themselves, and a Boneshaker design was not going to cut it!

And thankfully I have decided to actually draw this up and post it in a timely manner, rather then wait six months after seeing the original inspiration and then putting it out a year later when no one has any clue what I am rambling on about.

Description
Scourges of the flatlands and terrors of the open plains, the Road Widows are a nightmare for any beast or traveler that wander these barren places. Though one can see for miles around in these empty lands, you will hear the Road Widows well before you ever see them. The vrr-vrr that comes from their stridulations is quite booming, but then it is amplified by the dozen other members of this vicious pack. Riding upon wheels made of silk, stone and debris, they tear across the landscape in hunt of food and fun. Though some may see them as mindless invertebrates, these predators are quite intelligent. They craft wheels and tools from the environment around them, and they have utilized a treadle-style system with their legs to propel themselves at astonishing speeds. These brains have also given them the desire for amusement and play, which they get from their high-speed chases and breakneck races. Road Widows love speed, and chasing down fleeing prey is one of their favorite activities. Their packs descend upon herds with their revving noises and dizzying speeds, using the noise and chaos to startle and separate the group. When a prime victim is split from the herd, the gang will convene on it and give chase. Interestingly enough, not many creatures can outrun a Road Widow, yet their chases can last for quite some time. It seems during times of plenty, the Road Widows enjoy playing with their food, finding amusement in taunting it with stylish moves and fake-outs. They will let it run until they have had their fun, and then they use silk bolas and whips to tangle its legs and drop it. The feasts are quick and then they are back on the road, ripping away from the drained corpse in search of their next target.

Research has found that these speed-loving spiders are all female, with the males being much smaller and incapable of such feats. The two spend most of their time far away from each other, with females being more nomadic and the males acting more like simple spiders. The only time the two shall meet is during the breeding season, which soon results in most females carrying an egg sac beneath them. When their young hatch, they will cling to their mother as she carries them across the land. The whole gang will tend to their young together, feeding them and protecting them from danger. When the time is right and they have grown strong, the group will speed through the lands and drop their children off in promising locations. Eventually, these young ones may build wheels of their own and join their kind out on the open road.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Saw a post on Tumblr about the widow species Latrodectus elegans, which has flame-like markings on its abdomen. There was a mention of it looking like hotrod flames, and failing to realize that refers to a car, I got thinking about motorcycles. At first I thought it would be cool to make some spider biker creature, but then I figured, why not make it the bike itself? When you look at it, motorcycles and spiders are pretty identical. Thank you to the numerous videos out there that explain how treadles work, because for some reason I really needed to figure out how a creature like this would propel themselves, and a Boneshaker design was not going to cut it!

And thankfully I have decided to actually draw this up and post it in a timely manner, rather then wait six months after seeing the original inspiration and then putting it out a year later when no one has any clue what I am rambling on about.