L.geometricus find!

neubii18

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
74
I found a brown widow this morning!I'm super excited.I wasn't aware they were here.I've seen them about 1.5 hours north,but never around here.she's gorgeous,and pretty large.i'm hoping she's gravid.if i found one,there should be more around,correct?I'm In southern CA.I really want to find more.just thought is share.I'll post some pictures later.thanks for looking!
 

Widowman10

Arachno WIDOW
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Joined
Jan 25, 2007
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4,212
this late in the season, chances are she's gravid. and you should find plenty more around, just be on the lookout. ;)
 

insect714

Arachnoknight
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Nov 18, 2005
Messages
213
@Asn1234 L. geometricus was orig. found in your area of Cali. first. The reports of the "new" widow believed to have come from S Africa first made notice around 2003 and began to be reported in heavy numbers within the next 2 years they can now be found in huge numbers up past LA County. On any given day I can find 20+ in my yard alone. Look under patio furniture, playground toys, chairs, benches and the such...they are deff. in your area.
 

insect714

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Messages
213
The LD50 of L. geometricus is 2x that of our native Latros. But they also deliver only about 1/2 the venom, so while having stronger venom they tend to have a weaker reaction. (dont have the source quotes on-hand, but will find them again and post)
 

insect714

Arachnoknight
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Nov 18, 2005
Messages
213
The LD50 of L. geometricus is 2x that of our native Latros. But they also deliver only about 1/2 the venom, so while having stronger venom they tend to have a weaker reaction. (dont have the source quotes on-hand, but will find them again and post)
OK yea I quoted myself... But I figured it would be easier as the next 2 posts I have are a bit longer...

BITE RISK
Although the bite of a widow spider is much feared, the widow spiders are generally non-aggressive and will retreat when disturbed. Bites usually occur when a spider becomes accidentally pressed against the skin of a person when putting on clothes or sticking their hands in recessed areas or dark corners. According to Dr. G.B. Edwards, an arachnologist with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in Gainesville, the brown widow venom is twice as potent as black widow venom. However, they do not inject as much venom as a black widow, are very timid, and do not defend their web. The brown widow is also slightly smaller than the black widow.

Source (http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/IPM/BrownWidow.htm)

and

Spider Bites: The bite of a brown widow spider is minor in comparison to that of a black widow. Although one frequently cited study demonstrates that, drop per drop, brown widow spider venom is as toxic as other widow species, venom toxicity is only one aspect when considering a spider's bite potential. An African study with 15 verified bites demonstrated that the brown widow spider bite victims showed none of the classic symptoms of latrodectism, a response induced by neurotoxins in the venom of spiders in the genus Latrodectus (e.g., brown widows, black widows [L. mactans], Australian redbacks [L. hasselti], European black widow [L. tredecimguttatus], and New Zealand's katipo spider [L. katipo]). The reason for the weaker effect of brown widow bites on humans is possibly because the brown widow does not have or cannot inject as much venom as its larger relatives. The two major symptoms of a brown widow bite were that the bite hurt when it was inflicted and it left a red mark. These two symptoms are not much different from the bite of normal household spiders. However, there is one recent report of a verified brown widow bite manifesting in more severe symptoms that required hospitalization of the bite victim.

Source (http://cisr.ucr.edu/brown_widow_spider.html)

I knew I had the write-ups somewhere...just had to do some digging. I only pulled the bite info out for these posts but the the source links have the University write-ups
 

neubii18

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
74
OK yea I quoted myself... But I figured it would be easier as the next 2 posts I have are a bit longer...

BITE RISK
Although the bite of a widow spider is much feared, the widow spiders are generally non-aggressive and will retreat when disturbed. Bites usually occur when a spider becomes accidentally pressed against the skin of a person when putting on clothes or sticking their hands in recessed areas or dark corners. According to Dr. G.B. Edwards, an arachnologist with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in Gainesville, the brown widow venom is twice as potent as black widow venom. However, they do not inject as much venom as a black widow, are very timid, and do not defend their web. The brown widow is also slightly smaller than the black widow.

Source (http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/IPM/BrownWidow.htm)

and

Spider Bites: The bite of a brown widow spider is minor in comparison to that of a black widow. Although one frequently cited study demonstrates that, drop per drop, brown widow spider venom is as toxic as other widow species, venom toxicity is only one aspect when considering a spider's bite potential. An African study with 15 verified bites demonstrated that the brown widow spider bite victims showed none of the classic symptoms of latrodectism, a response induced by neurotoxins in the venom of spiders in the genus Latrodectus (e.g., brown widows, black widows [L. mactans], Australian redbacks [L. hasselti], European black widow [L. tredecimguttatus], and New Zealand's katipo spider [L. katipo]). The reason for the weaker effect of brown widow bites on humans is possibly because the brown widow does not have or cannot inject as much venom as its larger relatives. The two major symptoms of a brown widow bite were that the bite hurt when it was inflicted and it left a red mark. These two symptoms are not much different from the bite of normal household spiders. However, there is one recent report of a verified brown widow bite manifesting in more severe symptoms that required hospitalization of the bite victim.

Source (http://cisr.ucr.edu/brown_widow_spider.html)

I knew I had the write-ups somewhere...just had to do some digging. I only pulled the bite info out for these posts but the the source links have the University write-ups
thanks for that.i'm really excited that i found this one.their venom may be bad,but it's not easy to get bit when keeping them in captivity.you have to pretty much stick your finger in the web to get bit.
 

insect714

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Messages
213
you have to pretty much stick your finger in the web to get bit.
It actually would take a bit more than that, they do not show any form of protection for their web, they will drop to the ground or retreat to their hide. Most people that get bit are bit because the spider made a hide in a shoe that was left outside, or by moving outdoor items like patio furniture and actually crush the spider "injecting themselves" in the process.
 

neubii18

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
74
such misunderstood little creatures.widows have a bad reputation for theier venom,but they're not the least bit aggressive.people think of them monsters still though...
 

davisfam

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
287
We own a female L. geometricus and she is very calm; not aggressive unless protecting her egg sacs. I've had to switch her cage and all I had to do was simply pick up her "hang-out stick" and transfer her; no hassle or movement. I also had to move her egg sac and she didn't attempt to bite the transfer object, all she does is hover over the egg sacs at certains times when she feels frightened due to movement or loud sound. She is quick to catch meals and eat them, although, she is not as quick without her web. She is mostly active during the early AM hours; 3am-6am. The L. geo is def. an amazing beauty! Congrats on your new widow.. Good Luck!! :)
 
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