Latrodectus (Theridiidae) Picture Thread

[Tleilaxu]

In the first pic is it playing dead?

 

[surena]

In the first pic is it playing dead?

Yes she is

 

[Tleilaxu]

What a cutie.

 

[P. Novak]

Does anyone have any pictures of a juvie L.hesperus? I currently have only one female L.hesperus and i found a pretty big one a few days ago but it died prbly becuase of the stress.. and no its leaking some stuff after sitting in a cup for a couple of days...anyways heres a pic\

and heres some not so good pics of my female that is thriving...

 

[P. Novak]

Another Question, where do all of you have the most luck finding L.hesperus?

 

[surena]

Another Question, where do all of you have the most luck finding L.hesperus?

Usually in damp dark areas. For example around the house water meters, under rocks, ect…

 

[pwilfort]

Thanks Terri,
There is a nest of them outside by our porch in the bush and I have seen the little brown one male and then i found him dead and she was spinning web on him so I guess she will have him for dins! She's nice and big now so I guess she will do a sac soon?
Penney


Pen, we have both hesperus AND mactans here. I have a VERY difficult time telling them apart though. I'm sure the bite of both would give the same reaction. Unfortunately, in CA, if they are black and shiny, they are referred to as "black widows."
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My bucket of photos.

 

[pwilfort]

Thanks surena for the info on them,
Penney

 

[P. Novak]

Thanks Surena!

Alright i cant figure out the dif, between L. mactans and L.hesperus. Can someone tell...better yet show me?

 

[ShadowSpectrum]

Thanks Surena!

Alright i cant figure out the dif, between L. mactans and L.hesperus. Can someone tell...better yet show me?

Surena explains it here, don't know if you saw this already.

 

[MizM]

The California widow would be L.hesperus.

Actually, we DO have both. The article below states that they have been found in CA, and are found in all of our deserts. They've actually done quite well here in the high desert, the heat and humidity favor BOTH species.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/26336

I suppose I will have to get close enough to photograph them now (ugh) to demonstrate that we have mactans AND hesperus. I was hoping to avoid that, I usually just send them out to whomever wants thems and let THEM worry about which is which! Californians are brought up to fear and hate them, I'm still not too fond of them, but WILL capture them to send to friends.

I too, have noticed that both species do the pretend death curl when bothered. If it weren't for that behavior, I would not be able to collect them at all as I've had a lifelong irrational fear of them!

 

[surena]

Actually, we DO have both. The article below states that they have been found in CA, and are found in all of our deserts. They've actually done quite well here in the high desert, the heat and humidity favor BOTH species.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/26336

I suppose I will have to get close enough to photograph them now (ugh) to demonstrate that we have mactans AND hesperus. I was hoping to avoid that, I usually just send them out to whomever wants thems and let THEM worry about which is which! Californians are brought up to fear and hate them, I'm still not too fond of them, but WILL capture them to send to friends.

I too, have noticed that both species do the pretend death curl when bothered. If it weren't for that behavior, I would not be able to collect them at all as I've had a lifelong irrational fear of them!

I think you misunderstood my point. I didn't say that CA didn't have L. mactans. L. mactans are referred to as southern black widows even if they are found in the West, and L. hesperus are referred to Western black widow even if they are found in the South. I guess you could think of it as the "common name" that is used in the hobby. The link below shows that under the "species" category.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-422/444-422.html
Also HERE and HERE it shows were they are more common and therefore getting the "name" based on concentration.

As to your second point about the behavior, as I said, I have only noticed that in L. mactans and not L. hesperus, but you say that you have noticed in both?

 

[pwilfort]

Are there brown widows? Yesterday I was picking some dead leaves off some plants when this tiny brown spider got onto my hand. it was just like a baby BW except it was all brown. It did have a marking under it's belly but it got off my hand so I couldn't get a picture. I have a few baby black widows just like it on some of the plants and they are black.
Penney

 

[surena]

Are there brown widows? Yesterday I was picking some dead leaves off some plants when this tiny brown spider got onto my hand. it was just like a baby BW except it was all brown. It did have a marking under it's belly but it got off my hand so I couldn't get a picture. I have a few baby black widows just like it on some of the plants and they are black.
Penney

Hi Penny,
Yes there is such thing as brown widow. There are 5 species of widows in the US.

L. bishopi (red widow)
L. geometricus (brown widow)
L. hesperus (western widow)
L. mactans (southern widow)
L. variolus (northern widow)

 

[P. Novak]

I got a urgent questinon..

My L.hesperus just laid a sac, im pretty sure she mated cause she is wc but if she wasnt can widows lay false sacs? how long will it take for them to hatch out?

 

[surena]

I got a urgent questinon..

My L.hesperus just laid a sac, im pretty sure she mated cause she is wc but if she wasnt can widows lay false sacs? how long will it take for them to hatch out?

I've had over 30+ CB sacs and there weren’t any false sacs (of course I had mated my females and the ones that weren’t mated didn't lay an eggsac). I'm not sure if it can happen with true spiders. Hatch out depends on temp. Usually about a month if kept at about 75 deg. You'll start noticing the sac getting dark as it gets close for the spiders to hatch out. Also keep the humidity at 60% or higher.

 

[insect714]

L. geometricus in So. Cali

Are there brown widows? Yesterday I was picking some dead leaves off some plants when this tiny brown spider got onto my hand. it was just like a baby BW except it was all brown. It did have a marking under it's belly but it got off my hand so I couldn't get a picture. I have a few baby black widows just like it on some of the plants and they are black.
Penney

As Surena pointed out there are brown widows L. geometricus and yes we do have them here in So. Cali ( I am in Santa Ana) we have them all over our property. I have actually been able to find more Browns than Blacks over the last year.

Jon Insect

 

[Insecto]

Hello, maybe some one wants to trade L.mactans female in to this little guy

http://www.hlasek.com/argyroneta_aquatica_6913.html

he's name is argyroneta aquatica or underwater spider

 

[ajlauer1984]

white widow

i know this is a picture thread but i was very interested in obtaning one of these white widows(Latrodectus pallidus) does anyone know of a place in the states that they can be purchased from?? thanks for the help guys...

 

[swatc1h]

If you look closely one guy JPD has quite a impressive/pix sp. even the L. pallidus, awhile ago he was selling some. Try PM