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I suspect these were simply immature spiders that were still hanging around where the egg sacs were. That is not uncommon with cobweb weavers. The mother spider may be gone, but these partially grown juvies just took up residence in the same area where they hatched. I don't think you can assume...

OK @The Snark, I can see how you came to the decision, flawed as your logic may be. ;) I still don't agree with your reasoning, but I understand. I also really get the not wanting to euthanize her. This is something I ALWAYS struggle with. I currently have a problem with invasive Steatoda...

First of all, @Scribbler26 - YAY YOU! Great job facing your fear and working to get past it!! Super impressive, and you deserve a trophy for that! Then re: the spider. She is a female. Because if it were a male, even immature, at that large size we would definitely see bulging at the ends of...

Looks like a Steatoda (by the appearance), and all those irregular egg sacs support that ID. Probably Steatoda grossa. Not a danger to humans. If it were the other option, a Latrodectus hesperus (the Black widow found in Northern California) the egg sacs would be smooth and uniform, usually...

@TheSnark, I am really perplexed as to why you released the spider in your garden? You were bemoaning globalism and invasives, understandably. But then you transported an invasive species from where she was found and released her at a new location, where she could easily lay more egg sacs and...

It's my understanding that Trochosa terricola and Trochosa ruricola are pretty indistinguishable from each other in a dorsal view photo. I am no expert on these, but that's what I've heard from others who've worked with the descriptions.

Just curious, how long has your Kukulcania been alive? I've had a few, but released them after doing some presentations, so I've not seen how long they last. Also re "Once they molt, they can't produce additional egg sacs without mating again"- Interesting info! I hadn't thought about that.

Dadgummit! As soon as I had hit the "post" button on my answer, I thought "aw man, why did I say ALL true spiders? There are prolly some exeptions!" I know better than to make statements like that without double checking. Thanks for correcting me. I am actually gonna edit that reply so that...

Yes, all true spiders stop molting once they reach sexual maturity. EDIT: Sorry, I misspoke. MOST, but not all true spiders stop molting after maturity. There are some exceptions. (thank you @Ungoliant for calling out my mistake!)

Also @The Snark, thanks for the lollipop rating.:D But what does it mean? o_O

@The Snark, sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you'd like me to explain. I'd be happy to elucidate (I love that word!) if you could clarify, pretty please.

My brain is close to exploding from trying to decipher the regulatory language and legalese in order to understand these changes. What I am really trying to figure out is exactly what is CHANGING when these regs go into place. So Myrmecophile, do you have additional knowledge about this...

FYI, there is a public hearing about this issue - tomorrow, Monday, May 8, in Sacramento. (See below.) Also, the deadline for written comment is Monday (May 8) at 5pm (also see below) These changes have been in the works to varying degrees since 2012, and the current review was announced 45...

Strange hobby? Ha! Nothing strange about it! Just ask anyone here! ;)

Hate the message, not the messenger...er, um.... It's not Facebook's fault that people have been passing around this ridiculous story since 1999. People need to stop hitting the "share" button without ever checking anything out. (I have an aunt that shares some stupid thing every few weeks...

If he is wandering, and therefore probably sexually mature, he won't be much help in ridding you of any roaches. Males usually stop eating once they hit sexual maturity. The only thing on their minds is gettin' with the ladies. ;)

That is exactly why I usually end up taking so much time (read: obsessive) on answers and consultation I do online. I am very particular about making sure that anything I put out there is accurate. Since my whole deal is spider education, busting myths and misinformation, etc, I work very hard...

According to a colleague who has extensively studied the brown widow's spread in California, they're found only in areas of human habitation, not in natural habitats, while the L. hesperus populations are still healthy in the natural areas. Pretty fascinating.

That's really interesting! I wonder if it is related to recent climate patterns or something. For example, 4 years of epic drought in California made some pretty big changes in our local flora and fauna, at least temporarily. I don't know. I'll have to ask some of my colleagues...

yeah, most tales of invasive species are alarming. My husband has worked in the field of invasives for 20+ years, it is some pretty crazy stuff.