help id blackwidow

[Shodges]

a quick question , was harvesting several black widows and one has a red stripe on her back with a lil white near the head , is this a juve or a subspecies ? the size is the same , just all the others are all black on the back.
any ideas

 

[Shodges]

can send a pic if no ideas ,just new to the forms and dont know how to post them

 

[KoreanSpiderMan]

there are several variants in forms of colour in the same species, some are more orangey to yellow than red. White it commonly found in immature specimens. Howver with that said you can compare the six species to see which one you have, Western black widow or Latrodectus hesperus
Southern black widow or Latrodectus mactans
Northern black widow or Latrodectus variolus
European black widow or Latrodectus tredecimguttatus
Redback spider or black widow, Latrodectus hasselti
Katipo or black widow, Latrodectus katipo
Hope that helps, without seeing it i cannot tell you.

 

[KoreanSpiderMan]

a quick question , was harvesting several black widows and one has a red stripe on her back with a lil white near the head , is this a juve or a subspecies ? the size is the same , just all the others are all black on the back.
any ideas

It could also be a L. geometricus which is known as the brown widow. It is not uncommon for different Latrodectus species to dwell in close vacinity.

 

[John Apple]

look at the front legs...variolus legs have a somewhat reddish hue on the last long segment....judging from where you are at it is most likely variolus....have seen very few mactans with much color on the abdomen let alone a stripe''
I have seen geometricus as far north as your local but they have no red on the abdomen back and have markings similiar to parasteatoda trepidorium [spelling]

 

[Widowman10]

judging by your location, it could either be mactans, or variolus. but i will echo what apple said, in that it will most likely be a variolus, as they often retain a stripe on the dorsal abdomen until maturity. pics coming.


immature variolus:

one molt later, mature variolus (same spider):

oh, and the variolus in your area (TN) will most likely not have the red stripes on the legs. seems like the ones near the east coast (especially FL!) have the brightest red on the legs.

 

[Shodges]

oh, and the variolus in your area (TN) will most likely not have the red stripes on the legs. seems like the ones near the east coast (especially FL!) have the brightest red on the legs.
yep thats the one in the pics

Thanks for all your help .