Black widow id?

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

Does anybody know how to id black widows (hesperus vs. mactans)? I understand it may be difficult (impossible?) to tell from a picture, but maybe you could give me some hints about what to loook for?
I don't know from what location she originates.

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

Another pic...

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

She's very productive, she has produced 5 egg sacs since november.

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

another pic

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

Babies

El Johano · Jan 31, 2004

One of them a couple of weeks later

Navaros · Jan 31, 2004

Awesome, great pics! What do you keep the babie widows in that's secure? I would like to try hatching an eggsack and letting the babies take care of each other till I have just a couple left. Need to find something large enouigh for them all and secure.

El Johano · Feb 1, 2004

I keep them in a 5' plastic jar with a secure lid. The lid has tiny holes for ventilation. After 2-3 weeks I separate them into smaller cups.
There is a problem with keeping them together for too long, the males grow faster than the females, if you're unlucky you may end up with only males....

Navaros · Feb 1, 2004

Oh, thanks for that info.

Still, my parents wouldn't be too happy with 100 deli cups of black widows in my room.

AudreyElizabeth · Feb 1, 2004

I don't know about the ID, but you have one beautiful spider.

OldHag · Feb 2, 2004

I like how you found a new use for Dill =D Pickled Black widows MMMMMMMM

Navaros- use vials..and hide them in your closet. The widows will like the dark and your mom need NEVER know!! I still have this woman for ya if you want her!! she just needs a boyfriend.

Otherwise Ill send her to Xanadu.
Michelle

Navaros · Feb 2, 2004

I would love to take her, my girlfriend would be so happy, but with the time of year etc. do you think she will actually live much longer?

Kugellager · Feb 2, 2004

Based on the shape and color of your egg sacs I would have to say that you most likely have L.hesperus.

They are quite easy to raise females from egg sac to adult. I have found that by letting the babies cannibalize one another until they are large enought to eat pinhead or 1/2cm crickets that I usually end up with 2-3 adults from one egg sac.

They are an interesting species to keep.

John
];')

nemesis6sic6 · Feb 3, 2004

hmm

The hour glass looks complete or is it just me...
is that not the way to see mactans vs. hesperus

I mean I have kept both species.

the hesperus has a broken hour glass

any ways they're both really cool species

all BWs are.

El Johano · Feb 3, 2004

I like how you found a new use for Dill Pickled Black widows MMMMMMMM

Ha ha, actually it's not dill, just som sort of weed

Based on the shape and color of your egg sacs I would have to say that you most likely have L.hesperus.

L. hesperus lay pear shaped egg sacks wich have a creamy yellow colour, right? The thing that bothers me is that not all her egg sacs have been pear shaped, two of them have been perfectly spherical :?

the hesperus has a broken hour glass

Her hour glass is complete, but I thought that the shape may vary quite dramatically within a species?
But I'm not sure, I don't have them in my backyard like some of you guys :}

Kugellager · Feb 3, 2004

From what I have seen...I currently have 12 L.hesperus and about half of them have the hourglass whole and half have it separated in two halves. Some of the mature females even have a remnant red stripe that runs partially up the top of the abdomen. There is a lot of variation in the color patterns in this species.

One of my females...a wild caught one...had a total of 23 egg sacs before she died, 17or 18 of which were fertile. The shape varied from almost perfectly round to the typical pointed egg sac for this species. The size varied as well. The color of my egg sacs were identical to the ones in your pics El Johano.

The shape of the hourglass can be spearate in L.mactans too...it's not the best way to ID the two species. L.mactans is smaller and has smaller more rounded and lighter colored egg sacs than L.hesperus...L.geometricus has littl spiked egg sacs...very interesting...I have raised one of those from an egg sac a well. There are photos of mine here somewhere...I'll try to find the links.

EDIT: Found the link..It has photos of my L.hespers as well as L.geometricus...you'll also be able to see some with whole hourglass markings.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?threadid=4898

John
];')

El Johano · Feb 3, 2004

Thanks a lot John!
I guess she's a L. hesperus then

Do hesperus and mactans interbreed at locations where they both occur? They look so similar and yet they are reffered to as two distinct species....
Are there any differences in behavior or habitat?

Kugellager · Feb 3, 2004

I not sure if they can interbreed...However, I have heard somewhere...I forget where...that L.hesperus and L.mactans might just be regional variations of the same species...if that is so the may eventually be merged into one species.

John
];')

El Johano · Feb 3, 2004

Weren't hesperus and mactans regarded as subspecies before?

Why did they decide to separate them as different species in the first place?

Kugellager · Feb 3, 2004

I'm not sure why they separated them...probably based on perceived visual/color pattern differences which is not always the best method to determine species...other than that I'm not that deeply into the specifics of Latrodectus.

John
];')

Black widow id?

Arachnobaron

Attachments

Arachnobaron

Attachments

Arachnobaron

Arachnobaron

Attachments

Arachnobaron

Attachments

Arachnobaron

Attachments

Arachnoprince

Arachnobaron

Arachnoprince

Arachnodemon

ArachnoHag

Arachnoprince

ArachnoJester of the Ancient Ones

Arachnoangel

Arachnobaron

ArachnoJester of the Ancient Ones

Arachnobaron

ArachnoJester of the Ancient Ones

Arachnobaron

ArachnoJester of the Ancient Ones