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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Widow Spiders (Latrodectus) » Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)
Photo#1380832
Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - female
Copyright © 2017 Salvador Vitanza

Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - Female
Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA
June 4, 2017
This spider was clumsily walking on an exterior wall. Missing one of its legs. I believe it had recently molted.
Coordinaes: 31.335387, -110.937935

Images of this individual: tag all
Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - female Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - female Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - female Female Western Black Widow? - Latrodectus hesperus - female
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Contributed by Salvador Vitanza on 7 June, 2017 - 7:29am
Last updated 20 June, 2017 - 2:58pm

Mixed specimen photos?
Honestly, the first two photos look like a false widow—Steatoda grossa, perhaps. The classic light crescent on the front of the abdomen. The dimples in the abdomen. The more extended pedipalps.

The last two photos are obviously a true widow, but look like a completely different specimen.
… Travis, 6 March, 2023 - 2:30pm login or register to post comments

 
Absolutely not!
I don't know about your expertise on black widows and look-alikes, but the background (an exterior wall), time stamps (metadata), file numbers, and the specimen itself all confirm that this image series depicts one individual, not two. I wouldn't make that mistake or try to deceive anyone. Sorry to hear that you arrived at the wrong conclusion, but thanks for your input.
… Salvador Vitanza, 6 March, 2023 - 7:59pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Widow Spiders.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 20 June, 2017 - 2:58pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you Jeff!
I mistakenly thought that this spider had just molted. Later, I discovered that in fact she was getting ready to molt when I took the photos. Three days after molting, she had become jet black, but I did not take additional photos before releasing it.
… Salvador Vitanza, 20 June, 2017 - 3:09pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Spiders.
… Lynette Elliott, 13 June, 2017 - 8:37am login or register to post comments

Probably ...
... Species Latrodectus geometricus - the Brown Widow, a variable colored species; see here: (1). I have seen many female Western Black Widow Spiders, and they have all been coal black in color; see here for a female that I photographed a while back: (2). But lets see what an expert has to say.
… Jim Moore, 7 June, 2017 - 11:09am login or register to post comments

 
Cool!
Thank you for your help.
… Salvador Vitanza, 7 June, 2017 - 1:31pm login or register to post comments

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