Latrodectus (Theridiidae) Picture Thread

oneiric

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Messages
11
and another smaller female (about one/third the size)

12247830_1078739898825619_8032666759585760233_o.jpg

and both of them together, both after meals

12243203_1080481895318086_3643091063352650264_n.jpg
 

menavodi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 22, 2007
Messages
16
image.jpeg
L. curacaviensis, the male cleaning his bulb. One of my better pictures I took many years ago.
 

Daveyig

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 24, 2016
Messages
3

I have this new interest in spiders all of the sudden, and felt like I needed to get out onto some forums and explore the arachnoworld. I didn't realize that there is actually an interest in common spiders. I spent a few minutes browsing the page, and decided to go out and snap some pics out around my property. Hope you enjoy.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,095
Edit: I just noticed the date, but I'll leave this up in case anyone finds it helpful.

Out of curiosity, what's the difference between L. hesperus and L. mactans ? Size ? Markings ?
Latrodectus mactans (the southern black widow) and Latrodectus hesperus (the western black widow) are closely related and similar in appearance. Some differences:
  • range: mactans is a southern species that occurs in the eastern and central U.S.; hesperus occurs in the western half of the country. (Their range overlaps around Texas and Oklahoma.) See this map.
  • markings: Unfortunately, separation (or lack thereof) of the hourglass marking is not a reliable way to distinguish between these two species, as both typically have a complete or connected hourglass. (Latrodectus variolus typically has an incomplete or disconnected hourglass.) However, there are some subtle differences. Hesperus usually has a more symmetrical hourglass, with the top being a mirror image of the bottom. In mactans, the bottom (posterior half) of the hourglass often looks wider and less triangular than the top. For examples, see Widowman's site.
  • size: mactans tends to be a little smaller than hesperus.
  • egg sacs: mactans makes grey spherical egg sacs; hesperus makes tan pear-shaped egg sacs
 

LilTwister123

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
20
She came fertile when she was given to me by someone who collected her by their house. Though I did find a male widow in my coat closet a few months back. The males live only a month or two after their final molt and usually don't eat.

All the egg sacs I have kept have been fertile and have hatched 100's of spiderlings. I have a vial with 3 sacs in it now and 2 of the 3 have hatched. I have noticed that when the egg sacs are nearing time to hatch, if I lightly mist the side of the vial the egg sac hatches with in one day.

I am allowing the older slings to consume the newer hatchlings with the idea of getting only a few adult spiders out of the group. Most of slings that have hatched I have let go back into the wild in various wild places away from people.

John
];')
I would love to buy a female off of you when you have bigger babies and I have more money. I haven't had the luck of finding my own yet. I have a gravid L geometricus ( brown widow) but that's all.
 

Jimmy Jamblez

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
16
You guys have some serious photography skills and macro lenses happening. I'm going to upgrade my camera equipment soon too haha. For now, here's some Samsung Galaxy S6 camera action.

I have two Widows (Red Backs here in Sydney). Here's my new mama.

a.jpg b.jpg
 

cbotable

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2017
Messages
2
Any chance someone can confirm that this is not Latrodectus? Previous pictures of it had been identified as a juvenile male. I was quite surprised as the species has been seen around here but I believe it's uncommon.
I don't typically like to disturb wild spiders but it was taken down to get better shots and it quickly became apparent that this spider was likely not male or juvenile. Teeny tiny spiderlings can be seen around it.
I still wasn't able to get the best shots but hopefully there's enough to get an idea of what I'm working with.
Thanks!
 

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nageuse

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
7
She came fertile when she was given to me by someone who collected her by their house. Though I did find a male widow in my coat closet a few months back. The males live only a month or two after their final molt and usually don't eat.

All the egg sacs I have kept have been fertile and have hatched 100's of spiderlings. I have a vial with 3 sacs in it now and 2 of the 3 have hatched. I have noticed that when the egg sacs are nearing time to hatch, if I lightly mist the side of the vial the egg sac hatches with in one day.

I am allowing the older slings to consume the newer hatchlings with the idea of getting only a few adult spiders out of the group. Most of slings that have hatched I have let go back into the wild in various wild places away from people.

John
];')
Wow. So you received a wild fertilized female widow, and she had so much stored sperm that, with enough food, she could produce several sacs. In the summer of 2015, Detroit, I entertained a wild Argiope aurantia on my porch and invited all the neighbor kids to come feed her. She made 2 huge sacs with all that food. She actually freed grasshoppers when she was well fed.
 

Jimmy Jamblez

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
16
Whoa Atx512 mate those photos are brilliant. I wish I could take pics like that. Excellent home as well. That cricket is a goner haha.

I've recently cleaned out one of my terrariums and reduced my Red Back's home to a more "flat" area so that she can set her trip wires properly as she was having issues with webbing in the old set up.

Here she is (apologies for my photo quality).
IMG_20180322_163013.jpg
IMG_20180322_163045.jpg
 
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