Subject: What’s in my web?
Geographic location of the bug: Camarillo, Ca near succulents
Date: 05/07/2018
Time: 07:53 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,
I was outdoors enjoying some fresh air and succulents and noticed a pretty substantial spider web plus these very interesting white spiky spheres. I’m wondering if you can identify them?
How you want your letter signed: Melanie on the Irish Chain
Dear Melanie on the Irish Chain,
These are the Egg Sacs of a Brown Widow Spider, a species recently introduced to North America from Africa. The Brown Widow is a relative of the native Western Black Widow, and since the introduction of the Brown Widow, populations of native Western Black Widows seem to have diminished, perhaps being displaced by a more competitive relative.