Latrodectus Hesperus

[ignithium]

I'm thinking of getting maybe 5 or 6 of them, hopefully some will be females... when they're 1/6 of an inch in size, how hard is it to feed them ?

I use pinhead cricket or small roach species i dont have a problem, some people prekill for the small one but with species like this with strong venom i never needed to. They dont aggressive feeders but like scorpions u just put prey in and come back later and its eaten. With widow i actually hope for more male than female because when breeding, well, u know, the male has only one shot . For example with hasselti now i have 6 female and only 1 male left, previous males were a little bit unlucky

 

[Ferrachi]

I use pinhead cricket or small roach species i dont have a problem, some people prekill for the small one but with species like this with strong venom i never needed to. They dont aggressive feeders but like scorpions u just put prey in and come back later and its eaten. With widow i actually hope for more male than female because when breeding, well, u know, the male has only one shot . For example with hasselti now i have 6 female and only 1 male left, previous males were a little bit unlucky

Thanks again for your help !

I'm gonna order them tomorrow and should have them on Thursday... I'll keep you posted

 

[darkness975]

Oh wow, that's a lot... 9 out of 10 ? I guess they're pretty common in Cali... Have you ever kept any of the ones you've come across ?

Didn't realize their webs are that strong !

It is unfortunate that in some parts of their range they are being outcompeted by the non-native L. geometricus.

 

[Ferrachi]

It is unfortunate that in some parts of their range they are being outcompeted by the non-native L. geometricus.

I wonder if they are just more aggressive or they're just multiplying faster

 

[darkness975]

I wonder if they are just more aggressive or they're just multiplying faster

From what I have read they are more prolific. They do seem to prefer human habitation, though.

 

[Khaos Weaver]

Install between toilet tank and wall. They keep themselves.

Found this funny because I have a female Latrodectus hesperus next to my toilet she appeared about a month after removing the sink and lives under the drain pipe she had babies which I caught as many as I could as they grew I have 4 females two are now fully mature two are almost full grown. 5 were males I released them away from my home I have lots of desert around me. The males don't live long and are less interesting to keep, I figure I let them live out their life and spread their seed. The females are beautiful. I caught my first female when she was a itty bitty spider she was all white with spots and lines it was fascinating watching her grow. The mother spider in the bathroom has already made a intricate web around her spot she hides under the pipe and I feel like it is better to just let her be she doesn't bother me and is great pest control in my bathroom the females don't wander so I'm not worried I'm aware of her and they are not aggressive just don't shove your hand into their web. Even than they would likely hide before they would attack. They get such a bad rep it's sad really, they are definitely dangerous don't get me wrong nobody should ever forget that and you should respect that. In my personal experience they are not aggressive nor do they seek to bite you. The one in my bathroom I found in late summer 2024 I believe she had just matured because her markings were still hard to see and I could make out a bit of a chevron on her backside she is now fully shiny black. They are pretty easy to care for if you use common sense and precaution. I <3 I added a photo of the mama in my bathroom she has a lot of bugs in her web as I said great pest control.

 

[The Snark]

@Khaos Weaver Cute little Hesperus. Yups, they love the damp and odor of toilets, behind or under them.
PS Read a study long ago. They found cells resembling olfactory cells in Latro knees. Rare to find an outhouse completely free of them.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

In over three decades of daily interactions, both in the field and in captivity, I have never been bitten or envenomated by a venomous snake or lizard.
The same cannot be said for L mactans.
I was bitten on the right thigh while nestled in a sleeping bag, resulting in systemic effects that were QUITE unpleasant. I was given the option of serum treatment, however declined due to having mast cell issues which would almost certainly result in an anaphylactic reaction.
I spent 74 hours sitting upright in bed because my abdominal muscles were severely contracted. Sheets changed every 6 hours due to extreme diaphoresis.

I would heartily recommend avoiding the experience if you can .

 

[Khaos Weaver]

@Khaos Weaver Cute little Hesperus. Yups, they love the damp and odor of toilets, behind or under them.
PS Read a study long ago. They found cells resembling olfactory cells in Latro knees. Rare to find an outhouse completely free of them.

In over three decades of daily interactions, both in the field and in captivity, I have never been bitten or envenomated by a venomous snake or lizard.
The same cannot be said for L mactans.
I was bitten on the right thigh while nestled in a sleeping bag, resulting in systemic effects that were QUITE unpleasant. I was given the option of serum treatment, however declined due to having mast cell issues which would almost certainly result in an anaphylactic reaction.
I spent 74 hours sitting upright in bed because my abdominal muscles were severely contracted. Sheets changed every 6 hours due to extreme diaphoresis.

I would heartily recommend avoiding the experience if you can .

That sounds horrible. I’m sorry you had to go through such an awful experience. I don’t deny they are capable of causing a great deal of misery if one is unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a widow’s bite. What I was saying is it’s unfortunate that they are made out to be some sort of wicked creature that people should watch out for because if you’re bitten, it’s over. I actually recall some show when I was younger that made black widows out to be murderous spiders that got their name because their bite can leave you a widow. Don’t get me started on pest control websites I have stumbled across that really want to strike fear into people so they pick up the phone and call right away to kill the spider in the basement corner.

Since I discovered her last summer, she has not moved from her location. She has put down roots, or perhaps I should say webs. I have a large plastic container blocking off her area, and she appears to be quite comfortable. I always make sure to know where she is when I’m in the bathroom for any reason, despite her having never left that area. Knowing she is in the house and the fact I’ve captured a number of her offspring (all were in the bathroom as well), I keep my bathroom door closed. I shake out my clothes and check my shoes when I put them on. Of course, I live in the desert, so that’s actually good practice anyway since scorpions like to crawl into shoes. In the cases that most people are bitten, it’s usually the spider is backed into a corner, unable to retreat, or someone shoveling their hand into their web while digging in a garage or shed or getting firewood or slipping into shoes or perhaps like with yourself, a sleeping bag. Situations that make them feel trapped and threatened.

I respect how dangerous they can be and take precautions when around the one in my bathroom or whenever I need to feed the ones I’ve captured. My first girl I caught back in late October, and she was so itty-bitty. I’ve had to rehouse her twice, the last time a couple of weeks ago, and it took me half the day. She stubbornly refused to move out of the jar I had her in. I didn’t want her to become stressed, so I used a long-handled, soft-bristle paintbrush to gently coax her toward the new enclosure. She would head towards the jar opening with her front legs, just tap tapping, reaching the other jar opening, starting to cross over, then quickly deciding to make a U-turn and run to the other end of her old enclosure. My experience so far is that they would rather retreat and hide than attack. Even when feeding them, they use a lot of caution approaching the prey, more so when they are younger. My first female, her name is Khaos Weaver, is full grown, and she has mastered her catching game.

I hope never to experience a bite; it sounds awful. Of course, I could argue that being smashed to death by a shoe because some massive, hairless ape is freaked out when it sees you and you’re just hanging around minding your own business sounds way worse. It’s usually the first reaction people have when they discover one. It makes me sad because I myself have reacted that way out of fear mostly because of the reputation they have been given. I feel like it is a misrepresented reputation. Yes, they are equipped with potent venom, and yes, it is more potent than the venom of a rattlesnake; however, when bitten by a black widow, the amount of venom would be substantially less and from an animal with much smaller fangs. If a rattlesnake were to bite someone with its weaker venom, the danger would likely be much greater due to the larger amount of venom delivered and the deeper penetration from the snake’s much longer fangs.

here's some stickers I made from photos of my girls

 

[The Snark]

I was bitten on the right thigh while nestled in a sleeping bag, resulting in systemic effects that were QUITE unpleasant.

Very nice post. Succinct and accurate.
It bears mentioning that a Latro bite going systemic is quite rare. I was bitten on the knuckle of my right hand but it remained localized. A few months later I developed a wart like growth at the bite site which I still have 50 years later. A biopsy and a top flight expert in neuro pathology determined the cells pass on genetic messages to their replacements and in the case of my bite the cells were scrambled. Your effects and mine are quite normal for a powerful neuro toxin. As little as .5 ug of latro toxin can set off chains of event. I think Geomericus is the most powerful.

Wise of you to know of your mast cell issues. When I was bit by a rattlesnake they administered antivenin but warned me of the high likelyhood of there being side effects. While the antivenin did it's job I developed a severe allergy to ants, bees and wasp stings which are permanent. Just eating a mouthful of ant eggs, a delicacy here in Thailand, a classical anaphylaxis reaction went off in less that a minute. Rapid thready pulse and constriction of the airway.
Of note, anaphylaxis causes millions of deaths for every death from a latro bite. The games the immune and adrenal systems play.

The diaphoresis, so common and typical. The body doing anything and everything it possibly can to purge the system. Did they run a NS IV or force you to drink water like a fish? Just what you need in the midst of a bio-chemical disaster, an electrolyte imbalance.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

Very nice post. Succinct and accurate.
It bears mentioning that a Latro bite going systemic is quite rare. I was bitten on the knuckle of my right hand but it remained localized. A few months later I developed a wart like growth at the bite site which I still have 50 years later. A biopsy and a top flight expert in neuro pathology determined the cells pass on genetic messages to their replacements and in the case of my bite the cells were scrambled. Your effects and mine are quite normal for a powerful neuro toxin. As little as .5 ug of latro toxin can set off chains of event. I think Geomericus is the most powerful.

Wise of you to know of your mast cell issues. When I was bit by a rattlesnake they administered antivenin but warned me of the high likelyhood of there being side effects. While the antivenin did it's job I developed a severe allergy to ants, bees and wasp stings which are permanent. Just eating a mouthful of ant eggs, a delicacy here in Thailand, a classical anaphylaxis reaction went off in less that a minute. Rapid thready pulse and constriction of the airway.
Of note, anaphylaxis causes millions of deaths for every death from a latro bite. The games the immune and adrenal systems play.

The diaphoresis, so common and typical. The body doing anything and everything it possibly can to purge the system. Did they run a NS IV or force you to drink water like a fish? Just what you need in the midst of a bio-chemical disaster, an electrolyte imbalance.

My treatment consisted of IV fluids, intramuscular Hydroxyzine, starting with a very large initial dose, and then maintained throughout the following 96 hours, and an intramuscular benzodiazepine.
Due to my mast cell issues I am unable to tolerate narcotic pain medication since the potential for mast cell degranulation is very high, so the level of pain was rather excruciating.

Sorry to hear of your experience!
Unfortunately, it seems you and I are at higher risk for anaphylaxis than the average person, and having experienced it first hand, I can assure our readers that it most certainly isn’t something to take lightly.