rss
Dear Bug Man,
We found this on the front door of our home in Byron, Georgia. Is it a Black Widow and is it poisonous? Thank you,
Denise West
Hi Denise
Despite originating in Georgia, this looks like a Male Northern Widow, Latrodectus variolus. There is a wonderful image that matches yours on BugGuide. From what we understand, only the female Black Widow has a dangerous bite.
here I go again
Thank you for the help with the beetle I.D. I asked for earlier. Now I have another. While digging around in the backyard (Fort Gordon, Georgia) I came across this beautiful guy. Any ideas?
Stefan
Hi Stefan,
This diminutive beauty is one of the Widow Spiders in the genus Latrodectus. Based on the enlarged pedipalps, it is a male. Immature females and males often have similar coloration, but the pedipalps easily distinguish the males. According to BugGuide, the male spider is harmless, but it doesn’t indicate if they bite, just that they are harmless.
Blackwidow Love
Thought you might enjoy. This gal hung out on the window for months and then this little dude showed up – I though she would eat him right away but after 2 weeks I looked him up on the internet. He is her male counterpart, funny I thought he would look like her. Anyway they finally got to business many many times. I took tons of shots of them and then, a day latter, he was lunch.
Robin
Hi Robin,
Thanks for sending your awesome documentation of the mating of a Black Widow. Black Widows are sexually dimorphic, meaning the sexes do not look alike.
Black widow??? Not sure…
Hey Bugman…
I was diligently cleaning off a table on the patio when I came across what looks to be a black widow – but I am not certain because of the color and markings on the back. I saw the "hour glass" shape while it was pretending to be dead, but the spots when it flipped back over. I have come across this type of spider previously in another part of So. GA. Are you able to identify? Thanks!
Amy
Hi Amy,
This is the not quite as famous first cousin of the Black Widow, known as the Brown Widow, Latrodectus geometricus. BugGuide notes: “The brown widow is highly variable in color. It may be almost white to almost black. Typically, it is a light to medium brown, with an orange-to-yellow hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen; the coloration of the hourglass often is a good indication of this species. The leg segments are banded, with one half of each segment lighter in color than the other half. The back often has a row of white spots (rarely orange or light blue), and there are a few white stripes on each side. Darker individuals lack these markings and are difficult to distinguish from black widows. ” This is an introduced species and according to BugGuide, it is found: “World wide in the tropical zone. It was introduced in Florida and has since been observed moving north through Georgia, and into South Carolina; it has also been officially recorded in California, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. ” Your photo also documents this behavior noted on BugGuide: “Brown widow spiders usually curl up into a ball, and drop to the ground as a primary defense. It is highly recommended that people leave this spider alone; observe, but don’t touch. “
Black Widow?
WTB,
I have had this big spider living outside of my front door for over a week and then tonight I saw the red hourglass marking and thought it may be a black widow, but as seen in the picture it is not completely black. Is this still as dangerous as I think? Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris,
Black Widows are often not black until they attain adulthood. This Black Widow is immature or a male spider.
A rare treat, Western black widow male, female, and eggs in one photo!
Adult female, eggs and male – Latrodectus hesperus – Male Female El Mirage AZ, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA September 6, 2006 An adult female with egg sacks, and a closeby male. I could not believe she was staying put, maybe because she was guarding her eggs, she was quite alarmed at me. This is one of 4 adult females in my yard that I have found. Most of the time they run and hide when I approach. This was a treat!
Candy Cox
Hi Candy,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful domestic moment with our readership, many of whom appreciate family values. We are also thrilled to find there are others out there without widow phobia.
widow egg sac
Hi,
I wrote a while back and asked about keeping a young black widow I found in a box of supermarket firewood. I have had her now for several months, and have been keeping her in a container that has six 2-3mm holes for air. She’s quite happy – I feed her all sorts of other bugs and sometimes pet store crickets. This morning I found her patting the last layers onto an egg sac – YIKES! How did this happen? Was it possible she had bred already, even when she was a wee cm long (including legs!)? Or has she figured out how to bribe the cat to unscrew the lid to her bottle and goes out on the town at night? Hussy! In any case, what do I do now? Take it all out to the woods and let her go? I’d hate to have them running around the neighborhood – lots of little kids. here are a few photos of the little minx.
Thanks,
Syndi Burton
San Francisco
Hi Syndi,
First, we love your colorful letter. Minx is such an underused, descriptive word. We believe it is possible that your Elvira was fertilized prior to becoming your pet. She wouldn’t have begun to swell with eggs until she was well nourished, and we believe she probably had a more regular diet with you than she would have gotten in the wild. It is also possible that the eggs are unfertilized and non-viable. To be safe, to the woods with Elvira might be the kindest solution to the riddle. Eric Eaton wrote in to add this: “Everything else looks in great shape:-) You are right about the female widow, by the way. Female spiders (and most insects, too) can store sperm from one mating and it lasts them a lifetime. Further, female spiders (and moths, etc) will lay eggs regardless of their viability, especially toward the end of the female’s lifespan.”
Juvenile Western Black Widow?
From the information I was able to find on the web, it looks like I may have found a Western Black Widow (juvenile) is it possible to make that determination from the attached photos? Hope they are clear enough.
Scot
Hi Scot,
This is a male Western Black Widow. The photos are wonderful.
Black Widow?
Hello!
Just wondering if you could confirm for me if this spider is in fact a black widow? It was found in Victoria BC, under a rock. As you can tell from the second photo, it was found with a messy web made of a really strong web material. It didn’t have an hourglass on the abdomen, and only had one orange mark, not two as the northern black widow is reported to have.
Hi Vanessa and Colin,
There is often a degree of individual variation when it comes to coloration and markings. This is a Widow, and Eric Eaton informs us it is a Western Widow. Thanks for sending in such marvelous photos.
Black widows mating
You recently helped me identify this young male Black Widow. I caught him messin around with an older woman and thought you might like to add one of these to your Bug Love section. Thanks for your help.
Rus
Wow Rus,
Your photos just made our day. Thanks for sending these awesome images to us.
What’s that spider?
I found this this little spider crawling on my 9 year olds bike here in Placentia, Cal. and was trying to figure out what it was. I searched thru your spider images but didn’t see one quite like it. It’s about 1/2 inch long including the legs.
Thanks
Rus
Hi Rus,
Nice photo of Latrodectus hesperis, the Western Black Widow, a male specimen. Males are not as well recognized as females, but their bite can also be dangerous.
Albino Widow and Idunno
We live within 25 miles of Los Angeles. The "egg sacs" on the bottom of the lawn chair were found on the 4th of July. The closest one looks like it has legs, but I never saw anything move. We left it unprotected and I think the gardener destroyed them. I’ve shown the picture around without a hint. And this is the second time we’ve found one of these. Looks and acts a lot like a Black Widow, but the color…
Thanx for this website!
jared
Hi Jared,
Here is what Eric Eaton has to say about your bachelor: “It IS a widow, probably an immature, or a male, or both. Widows are “born” white, with scattered darker markings. They darken as they age. Males of some species retain the pale color into adulthood (they reach adulthood much faster than females, and are less than half the size of females at maturity). The egg sacs shown with the widow are NOT Achaeranea tempidariorum, but not sure exactly what they are. Very strange, but distinctive and probably identifiable. Eric ”
Black widow spider picture
Hello there,
I found this Black Widow spider in my back yard the other night. To be quite honest, “I hate these things with every ounce of life in me!” They are the only things that really make my skin crawl. With that said, I took this picture with my new camera and I was very surprised how well it came out. The picture is so good; I thought I would share it with you and the world. I hope you like it, if so please post it on you web site. My name is Mike and I live in Southern California .
Thanks
Hi Mike,
While we respect your dislike, we have learned to live in harmony with Black Widows in our Southern California offices.
black widow?
Hello, we live in Kentucky and found these in our trash bin outside, we assumed the large one was a black widow, but there is a very small one with it on the side, is that a male or another female?Thanks.
Kerry
Hi Kerry,
Though your photo doesn’t actually show mating activity, we still felt it appropriate for our Love Among the Bugs page. The Black Widow has earned her name because of her reputation for devouring her mate. The tiny male in the upper corner of your photo is biding his time, living in close proximity and waiting to make his move. The male is a much smaller spider. When the time is right, he will move in and if the fates allow, consumate the pairing. Once years ago, I watched a male widow snare his mate by spinning a web around her. This probably kept her still while he did the deed, hopefully allowing him to skulk off into the night afterwards.
Update: (08/31/2008)
Bug Love and the Black Widow.
I just had speak up after seeing this section in bug love.. the problem is MALE black widow’s arnt Black and they have no hourglass shape mark on the abdomin. The are actuly almost translusent. Very small in comparison the the female they are an beige almost. kinda clear looking. Just thought id mention it considering you refer to the other black spider in the picture as a Male… Great site and keep up the good work.
Steve
Hi Steve,
WHile what you say is often true, one has only to glance at page after page of Widow photos on BugGuide to see there are several species and much variability within the species, and much confusion on how to accurately distinguish the various species. We searched until we found some support that male Widow Spiders can have an hourglass. There is a series of three images of a very black male spider with red marking on the upper surface as well as a distinct hourglass underneath that are posted to BugGuide. Lee from Cass County, Texas, questioned the hourglass specifically. The identification on that spider is the Southern Black Widow, Latrodectus mactans. BugGuide has not received any submissions of the Southern Widow from Kentucky, where the photo in question was taken, but submissions from Ohio and Illinois would indicate that the Southern Widow ranges far enough north to include Kentucky. Our conclusion that the spider in the photo submitted to our site was a male was based on behavior, that the diminutive male Widow Spider will take up position at the perifery of the larger female’s web until he can attempt mating.
what is it
Photographed this spider in the rose garden.. Unable to identify.. Hope you can help..
Thank you very much.
Jay Lowrey
Hi Jay,
Beautiful photograph of an Immature Black Widow Spider. She may not be mature, but she can still bite. Be careful.
Spider
Though I would send you a good picture of a BLACK WIDOW spider. The longest legs are 1 3/8" each .
What a Beauty.
beautiful tennessee spider
Hello,
This is actually a re-posting* so I can provide more information in hopes that you’ll be able to identify this beauty. Picture was taken June 11, 2005, in Crossville, TN (Cumberland Plateau area) in a wooded area. The spider’s body is very shiny black, hairless and a little smaller than dime. I’ve looked everywhere on the web and can’t seem to find it. The Australian Red-back comes close, but what would that be doing in Tennessee?? Hopefully, you can solve this mystery.
Thanks,
Melinda Z
*I showed the picture at a friendly gathering last night and in the heat of the moment, my friend sent you the picture without much info. We all really want to know what kind of spider this is!
Hi Melinda,
Over the years we have gotten letter describing a spider that looked like a Black Widow but with hearts on its back. Yours is the first photo we have received substantiating this. Of course, it does look exactly like a Black Widow, but we could find no information on the Heart shaped markings. So, when in doubt, we wrote to Eric Eaton. Here is his response: “This is indeed a black widow, the Southern Black Widow, Latrodectus mactans. Many females have red markings on the top of the abdomen like this. The hourglass mark is on the UNDERSIDE, so apparently the folks who say there is no hourglass hadn’t looked at the belly of the beast:-) Additionally, Northern Black Widows, L. variolus, have a broken hourglass on the belly, and often red stripes and spots on the back. They are generally smaller than other widow species. Lastly, widows begin as WHITE spiderlings with various darker markings. As they age they darken, but may retain several red markings. Older individuals may have few if any markings other than the hourglass. Female widows may easily live two or more years in the wild. Hope this clarifies. Eric”
Thanks for the quick response. It’s a black widow after all: southern bell!!
American Homebody, our mother site, just sent in this photo of a female Black Widow spider spotted in their Jefferson Park offices.
(01/31/2004) Not True but False Widow
Hi, Hi Mary,
Great site!
Have a question about black widows. When we lived in the New Orleans area, we saw several spiders that were black and shaped just like a black widow, but had red markings on the top side of the abdomen.
I have not been able to find anything online that resembles them , and thought you might be able to help.
Thanks,
Mary P
First, the red hourglass is on the under side of the abdomen. There is a spider known as the False Widow, Steatoda grossa. Both the true and false widows belong to the Comb Footed Spider Family Theridiidae. The False Widow is a beneficial spider, reported to prey on its more poisonous relative. It also eats Sow Bugs. It is a hardier spider than the true Black Widow. We find them in our yard all the time, and will take a photo the next time.
I have a juvenile Southern Black Widow in a jar at my house. She’s very small and has striped legs, a red stripe down the topside of her abdomen and of course, the tell tale hourglass on the underside of her abdomen. I’ve had her now for approximately 3 weeks. I would very much like to keep her but since I have a 10 year old daughter I cannot just let her roam about freely. I don’t want to put her outside because I live in Oklahoma and the temperature is decreasing daily. The jar that I have her in is a gallon glass jar with a metal lid. We’ve poked holes in the lid so she can breathe and put dirt, rocks, leaves and plenty of sticks in the jar. She seems to be content because she has spun a very nice web in there. We’ve fed her a variety of things including flies, little bees and other spiders. She liked all of those just fine but now that the weather is turning much colder it is getting harder to find suitable bugs for her. So, I went to the pet store and bought her some crickets. There is only one problem, the crickets are much bigger than she is and she won’t eat them! Last night she was hanging upside down in her web as she always does and one of the crickets walked right up to her (via a stick) and she retreated. The cricket then stomped all over her web and went back to the bottom of the jar. I have a few questions concerning this amazing spider of mine.
First of all, will she eat the cricket if she’s hungry or is he just too big for her?
Will the cricket eat her?
How often do Black Widows need to eat?
Does she need a fresh supply of water or does she get this from her prey?
If she does need a fresh supply of water, how much?
When will she molt?
When she does, how long afterwards should I wait to feed her again?
I very much adore this spider and want her to live through the winter. Please let me know what I can do to keep this truly wonderful creature alive and well. Thank you!
Misty McClain
Dear Misty,
Thank you for your sensitive letter. I will try to answer all your questions. First, while it is possible for your juvenile spider to feed off of the crickets, the size differential might be a problem. Find out from your pet store what their source of crickets is. You might be able to contact the breeder and get juvenile crickets. Another solution which might be fun for your daughter as well is to raise Drosophila, fruit flies, which can be obtained from a biological supply house for schools, or you can just try to attract the flies to an overripe banana in your kitchen. The fruit flies are very easy to raise as any home maker who has forgotten to remove fruit from the kitchen or fogotten to take the garbage to the compost pile. I always have some fruit flies swarming in my kitchen. Crickets are omniverous, and they might try to eat your spider. Not to be evasive, but your spider will eat when hungry. In the wild, they do not eat daily, but rather when they catch prey. Sometimes this happens several times a day, and at other times it might be weeks between meals. The spiders are resilient. Black Widows are fond of damp dark places but they will not drink water. They get their water from the life giving juices sucked out of their prey. She will molt when she has outgrown her current skin. This happens several times over the course of her life. At her final moult she will achieve the glossy black color that typifies her species. it is also possible that you have a male spider which is colored similarly to the juvenile. I hope this answers your questions, and good luck.
Dear Daniel,
I’m sorry to report that my captive black widow has apparently expired, without warning, and before her time (I think), and I’m hoping that you might be able to offer some possible causes of death.
I found this brave arachnid in my house, right next to the front door, where she had constructed a nice web in the corner. This was surprising, because these spiders are typically shy-er and aviod the insides of our home, keeping to the piles of garbage and debris that surround it. I dusted off my spider cage and tossed her in with some sticks, and she set up shop immediately, dispatching every bug I could capture and introduce into her one-spider ecosystem. She ate four flies in about three weeks, and then, last night I caught three June beetles almost at once and decied to toss them all in and see how she’d handle an overabundance of supplies. She caught and wrapped all three in quick succession, then set to work on one, and I went to bed. This morning she was curled up in a ball on the bottom of the cage (see photo). Now there’s a giant bead of clear fluid emerging from her mouth-parts-area, and her legs are sort of clenching up and slowly releasing, over and over.
Could all this be the result of a tainted june beetle? Is she going to suddenly pop out of her old exoskeleton and finish off the three meals left un-eaten in her web? Please advise.
Yours,
Sean Dungan
Dear Sean,
I have never heard of a spider stuffing herself to death, but I guess that is always a possibility. I guess you should just wait and see what happens. Her typical lifespan would be three years, and it is entirely possible that you had a senior citizen move in with you.
