Question regarding L. variolus male size...

[KUJordan]

I had a sac of variolus about two months ago of which the female slings are nearly mature now and the males have been molting out since a while back, and I still have had some recently. My question is, what is the average size of a variolus mature male? I have a few varioluls males that are honestly bigger than wildcaught mactans and variolus females who have dropped sacs for me! I have one variolus male that looks 100% female in size and shape, except for the male palps. I know geometricus are the much smaller than variolus and mactans anyway, but those mature males are very, very small and so are mactans males I've used in the past. I guess I really can't emphasize how freakishly big these males are without posting a pic (which I will take tonight), but it is extremely weird. My friend Matt (mechanicalmindO posed the interesting question of whethere it is possible that gender of young widows can change at some point, so even if they're nearly mature females they can switch to male, and thus create a giant male....anyone know? I sent JPD one of my large males, but it still doesn't compare to the few that I still have here. My largest one has a legspan that's as big as a 50 cent piece. Thanks for any info...

 

[buthus]

I have read from several sources that variolus males are (or can be) larger than other latro males and can have legspans as large as variolus females.

Latro males are strange. I find freakishly large males out here. The male in the mating pics I posted has a good size legspan compared to the average hesperus. His legspan is almost as long as some adult females I find. The last few years I have been paying more attention to the widows in my immediate vicinity and I have noticed that the large males don't seem to start showing up until the later months of the season.