Maturing widow question

[Bigboy]

When L. hesperus is fully mature do they have any markings on the top of their abdomen? Also, do they continue to molt even after they've sexually matured?

 

[Bigboy]

Come come now I know there are a few widow fanatics out there.

 

[cacoseraph]

some hesperus carry markings their whole life

true spiders experience a true ultimate molt, male and female, as far as i can remember. so once they mature, they do not molt anymore. i am sure there are exceptions, but i do not believe Latrodectus to be one

after a female matures she can live for up to ~3 more years, if you are lucky

males mature in a much shorter time and die fast

 

[Bigboy]

Thanks bud, that question was buggin me, no pun intended.

 

[cacoseraph]

Thanks bud, that question was buggin me, no pun intended.

heh, i was thinking about it... i could see how it would be annoying.

you would be pretty sure they are mature... the right size and everything... but why didn't they shake their immature coloring?

i had a widow named Candystriper, who produced a rediculous number of sacks, and kept some very cool looking (i thought) white stripe and yellow dots till the day she died

i think mactans are pretty much always solid/pure black, but i don't live in mactans area (or they are pretty rare here) so i'm not sure

 

[Empi]

I have a mature widow that has retained the red stripe on its back. i have seen this quite a few times.

 

[Billdolfski]

The few mactans I've seen around here were pretty solid black, other than the "hourglass".

 

[cacoseraph]

The few mactans I've seen around here were pretty solid black, other than the "hourglass".

i believe mactans tend to be solid black, with only a connected hour glass... the classic black widow.

hesperus are more "scrappy" and can have a disconnected hour glass and retain some aspects of their juvenile coloration into maturity.

this could be used as a sort of "positive only" in that a mature widow with a broken hour glass and a bar of white is likely a hesperus, but you really can't tell by coloration a solid black widow with a connected hour glass, if you are in range of both, cuz it could be either

 

[cacoseraph]

I have a mature widow that has retained the red stripe on its back. i have seen this quite a few times.

i believe you, in WA, should be in hesperus only territory, with me, in CA

i think mactans start east of NV, but i'm not too sure about that

 

[Empi]

i believe you, in WA, should be in hesperus only territory, with me, in CA

i think mactans start east of NV, but i'm not too sure about that

I have one right now that just molted into what looks like its final. It still has a very thin red line on its back. Very cool looking.