Latrodectus (Theridiidae) Picture Thread

[JPD]

Awsome photos JPD. What camera are you using?

A Nikon Coolpix 5700. It has been really decent so far. I still don't know how to use anything but the macro settings. I try to take decent pictures of the kids or indoor stuff without proper lighting and all goes to hell.
Oh...btw....do you have any L.bishopi? I am getting 20 next week and was hoping, (if I end up with some males), that I might find someone with some females. Just a thought.
And.....I heard it through the grapevine that someone may be getting some L.pallidus in August. This prompted me to initiate contact with a friend in the middle east again and am trying to get him to send a few eggsacs. I figured they would weather the trip well.

 

[Kugellager]

Oh...btw....do you have any L.bishopi?

No I don't.
My widow collection at the moment has trickled down to just two L.hesperus...which by the way seem to have some of the longer lifespans. My L.geometricus lasted a little over a year and a half from egg to death...but then again L.geometricus is not from as harsh a habitat as my local L.hesperus are.

I need to collect some more L.hesperus.

John
];')

 

[JPD]

I need to collect some more L.hesperus.

Where do you collect from locally?
When I lived in the Springs, I was totally oblivious to spiders so I never took advantage of T hunting in Pueblo or widow hunting.

 

[Kugellager]

Where do you collect from locally?

They are all over the place here. I have found 1 female and one male in my garage, one male in my coat closet. Though for collecting' the Golden area is great...N Table Mesa in Golden is where we find alot...I also get quite a few from Co-workers who bring them in for me when they find them around their house. It seems they are more abundant during or just after drought years.

John
];')

 

[Spider-man 2]

Yes, Jason, get those L. pallidus, because....you know why.

 

[BooYaKa]

Yeah yeah...Here is my young female of L.hesperus. Now I have 2 adult females and somethin'bout 200 spiderlings. I hope that I can find male

I wanna collect more species of latro but in my country it is impossible
Some time ago friends had l.variolus and l.mactans but now here is only hesperus...

 

[docxp]

I've got the same problem as You Booyaka.

 

[Christoph]

.............

 

[The Snark]

Mactans

<<Also L.hesperus is confined to the western US while L.mactans is generally found in the eastern US.>>

Could you clarify something, please?

In southern California, the Mactans is by far the most predominant of the Latro. At the nature center I worked at all we could find were the Mactans. (We did a study on why the Latro tended to find their way to bathrooms)

In northern California, 300 miles north of San Francisco, I was able to find the occasional Mactans but far more common was the Geometricus. This Geo however was a very drab brown without any variations in it's coloration.

A peculiar bit of evolution. The Red Back spider of Australia, L Hasselti, another variation of the Latrodectus, which has red on it's back, is millions of years removed from it's relatives. In that both the Australian and American versions demonstrate identical traits, habitat preference and so forth, it seems that the Latrodectus is most likely one of the oldest arachnids in the world. To the best of my knowledge, of all the animals in Australia, only the Latrodectus is commonly found elsewhere.

 

[JPD]

In northern California, 300 miles north of San Francisco, I was able to find the occasional Mactans but far more common was the Geometricus. This Geo however was a very drab brown without any variations in it's coloration.

This sounds like L.hesperus rather than L.geometricus. It is fairly common to see L.hesperus sport a uniformly brown abdomen while L.geometricus of course carries somewhat of a pattern.
While L.geometricus has recently been documented in CA, I am fairly certain that it is still limited to So. Cal.

In southern California, the Mactans is by far the most predominant of the Latro. At the nature center I worked at all we could find were the Mactans. (We did a study on why the Latro tended to find their way to bathrooms)

I think you are probably thinking of L.hesperus in So. Cal. L.mactans range, last time I checked, doesn't extend that far West.

 

[The Snark]

I stand corrected. I /suspect/ that, and I am confessing my age here, that when I studied the Latro, the group wasn't quite as well identified. (35 years ago)

 

[JPD]

I stand corrected. I /suspect/ that, and I am confessing my age here, that when I studied the Latro, the group wasn't quite as well identified. (35 years ago)

You may want to double check my info as well. I am fairly certain but there is always room for error....I am basing my information on what I have read over the years.
Don't worry about the age thing.....I am pushing 40 so I am no spring chicken myself

 

[The Snark]

A hint for all you collectors out there, they are attracted to the smell of urine. When we went on our hunts the first places we would clean out were the porta pottys. Usually 5 to 10 in each (temporarily unused) potty. The next place they love to lurk is in holes in vertical banks. One day we got smart and dug an outhouse. Into the sides of the pit we dug dozens of holes 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches deep. The toilet erected over the pit was designed to tip over on it's back to access the pit. We then opened the toilet for public use. As chance would have it we had a fire in that area and several hundred firefighters partook of our convenience.
After 3 weeks we tipped over the outhouse and collected a little over 100 Latros.
The area where they thrive in such great numbers is along the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains north of Los Angeles. The area that they were most common was from the cities of La Canada to Irwindale. They range quite far into the cities themwelves, being found all over the Los Angeles basin.

 

[Kugellager]

Could be the moisture...Or...maybe it was just all the food availability...um...like...Flies perhaps...Spiders don't have noses

John
];')

 

[Steven]

 

[swatc1h]

nice as always. ok i've purcased a dozen or more last december or so and ended up with 3 + females but knowing the males have short life span i've mated the fem's at a early stage sucks it's been awhile no eggsac no shed oh well next time i'll buy 1 dozen and hold off then buy another i've kept the biggest one and gave the rest to a friend but before that i'll tell you this i've mated bishopi male with hesperus fem the trick i did was switched hesperus 2 bishopi web!!!.

 

[swatc1h]

ones i bred with diff specie but not this one only its own kind.

 

[The Snark]

Could be the moisture...Or...maybe it was just all the food availability...um...like...Flies perhaps...Spiders don't have noses

John
];')

One researcher claimed to have found cells which resembled olfactory cells in the knees of the latro. I would really like to hear if anyone has heard of this or has any additional info.

 

[Mistwalker]

My L. mactans, which recently died:

I'll have to go find another one. Liked keeping her.

 

[JPD]

A few new pics....

L.pallidus

And a fat L.tredecimguttatus