Identifying sex of Black Widow (latrodectus hesperus) Spiderlings / Juveniles

[Darkchrist31]

Hello, Good day everyone!
I'm getting a black widow, possibly newborns. Here I would like to seek advices or experiences on how to determine their sex at stages (spiderlings-juveniles).
Is there a way to tell? If so, it would be nice to know the ways to identify them.

Any advice or experience sharing would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance and have a nice day!! ^_^

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Hello, Good day everyone!
I'm getting a black widow, possibly newborns. Here I would like to seek advices or experiences on how to determine their sex at stages (spiderlings-juveniles).
Is there a way to tell? If so, it would be nice to know the ways to identify them.

Any advice or experience sharing would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance and have a nice day!! ^_^

The males stay really tiny, that’s how you tell.

 

[Darkchrist31]

The males stay really tiny, that’s how you tell.

Oo, so there's no way to tell their sex at first glance or at the first month after they're born?

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Oo, so there's no way to tell their sex at first glance or at the first month after they're born?

Nope.

 

[Darkchrist31]

Nope.

Got it. Thank you! ^_^

 

[Ferrachi]

It takes a few molts before you can tell

 

[Darkchrist31]

It takes a few molts before you can tell

Noted. Thank you ! ^_^ hope they grow fastt!!

 

[darkness975]

I have a few egg sacks that have hatched this year. So far, in one of the containers all but one sling is left, the rest having been cannibalized. It is most definitely female by the appearance.

 

[SilentWidowMaker]

Oo, so there's no way to tell their sex at first glance or at the first month after they're born?

There really isn't a way to tell I've even gotten them confused until they've molted into maturity other then males are smaller it's hard to tell. I have a male that has breed several times that has an hour glass on his abdomen.

 

[SilentWidowMaker]

I have a few egg sacks that have hatched this year. So far, in one of the containers all but one sling is left, the rest having been cannibalized. It is most definitely female by the appearance.

Were you feeding the slings? They really shouldn't eat each other a whole lot unless you're not feeding them and of course they will eat each other otherwise. There are hundreds of them so I know it's impossible for them not to eat each other I was just wondering what method you approached it?

 

[darkness975]

Were you feeding the slings? They really shouldn't eat each other a whole lot unless you're not feeding them and of course they will eat each other otherwise. There are hundreds of them so I know it's impossible for them not to eat each other I was just wondering what method you approached it?

I intentionally leave them to cannibalize. I don't have room right now for 300+ individual containers so I let them get their numbers down to a manageable level.

 

[Richard McJimsey]

You can sex widows very early on visually, males will have bulbous pedipalps starting as early as antepenultimate. Buy a loupe off of amazon, or use a good macro lens if you have one.