What is this? Advice needed

[Binstrall87]

 

[shining]

Latrodactus sp.

 

[chanda]

It could be a black widow, but it's hard to be certain from that shot. Better shots from different angles would be helpful - especially if you could get a ventral shot. Black widows have a distinctive red/orange hourglass shape on their bellies. The mark can vary considerably, both among species and between individual spiders. On some spiders the hourglass is very clear while on others it looks more like a pair of triangles or even a pair of spots.

There are other spiders - including the Steatoda spiders, some of which are commonly called "false widows" - that can look similar.

 

[Binstrall87]

It could be a black widow, but it's hard to be certain from that shot. Better shots from different angles would be helpful - especially if you could get a ventral shot. Black widows have a distinctive red/orange hourglass shape on their bellies. The mark can vary considerably, both among species and between individual spiders. On some spiders the hourglass is very clear while on others it looks more like a pair of triangles or even a pair of spots.

There are other spiders - including the Steatoda spiders, some of which are commonly called "false widows" - that can look similar.

Thanks, i thought it could be a black widow. Whats the best way to catch it?

 

[Tarantula20]

Depending on where you live you should definitely remove it, A black widow infestation would suck!

 

[chanda]

Thanks, i thought it could be a black widow. Whats the best way to catch it?

I've had good luck with the "cotton candy" method - you put a bucket near/below the spider, then swirl a long stick gently around the web, like you were making cotton candy and wrapping it around the stick. When you have the spider and web on the stick, move it to the bucket. The spider will likely drop off the stick at some point which is why you want to have the bucket close. Cover the bucket with a piece of paper or cardboard and take it outside to a more convenient spot to relocate the spider.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Nice find!

 

[Python]

It looks very much like a black widow but then again, as mentioned already, it also looks like a Steatoda. Without seeing the underside it's hard to make an ID. L. mactans has an eggsac production rate of around 2 weeks so either the spider has arrived at that location, hasn't been bred yet or I don't see an eggsac that is actually there. Just a note on the hourglass design, it happens very rarely that a widow won't have any trace of the hourglass. It's as rare as hen's teeth but it happens. If you see a red or orange hourglass, that is a positive ID. Otherwise, treat it like it's a widow and enjoy it. Widows are awesome creatures and one of my favorites. They are always interesting and always hungry. You can scoop it up in a jar or something easily enough. When the web becomes breached, they will frequently let go and drop straight down and just ball up. If you have something under them to catch them, it's pretty easy. They will take full advantage of a one gallon jar so that would be the minimum size I would go with. They can make do with smaller but I love to watch them roam around their web doing things when they aren't hanging under their little home base. Good luck and I'd like to get a positive ID on it. It looks plenty like a female widow to me though.

 

[Mossae]

Keep it as a pet! Widows make great captives. I will always have a few in my collection.

 

[Python]

Keep it as a pet! Widows make great captives. I will always have a few in my collection.

That is a true statement my friend. They are almost always good for a show come feeding time. They are not scared of much while in their web. They'll take prey many times their own size without any problem whatsoever. When they have the home field advantage they almost cannot be beaten by anything. That's why I these are some of my favorites to keep of any inverts out there.

 

[The Snark]

Latrodectus or Steatoda? https://sites.google.com/site/widow...ting-between-latrodectus-and-steatoda-species

 

[Willuminati]

Gotta be a black widow. Use a small and very simple arboreal set up if you keep her, she'll love it.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Gotta be a black widow. Use a small and very simple arboreal set up if you keep her, she'll love it.

Do you have any evidence to back up its a widow? Can you properly ID it? This isn't a facebook group.

 

[Willuminati]

Do you have any evidence to back up its a widow? Can you properly ID it? This isn't a facebook group.

Lol chill out, it's a pretty easy to ID widows, I keep them myself. Mybad though dungeon master

Im also pretty sure I know what website I'm on, thanks. Happy tro lll in

Here's my big girl tho

 

[Python]

As already said, the differences between steatoda and latrodectus are minute and difficult to spot even with a really good photo. Be aware that an hourglass on the abdomen always indicates latrodectus (as far as I know) but the lack of an hourglass does not necessarily indicate steatoda. Whatever it is, don't let it bite you.