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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Widow Spiders (Latrodectus) » Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus variolus)
Photo#179112
Doorway Spider - Latrodectus variolus - male
Copyright © 2008 Krissallae

Doorway Spider - Latrodectus variolus - Male
Morrisville, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
April 26, 2008
Size: around 5 mm
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Contributed by Krissallae on 26 April, 2008 - 6:20pm
Last updated 15 July, 2010 - 12:43pm

Moved
Moved from Widow Spiders.
… Lynette Elliott, 15 July, 2010 - 12:43pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Widow Spiders.
… Lynette Elliott, 15 July, 2010 - 12:42pm login or register to post comments

L. variolus. ID by range,
L. variolus.

ID by range, markings, colors, and supposed size estimate.

var males are HUGE. mac males are tiny.
… widowman10, 15 July, 2010 - 12:20pm login or register to post comments

 
Latrodectus mactans?
Did you mean Latrodectus mactans? This one has a size given as 5 mm.
Edit.. oh I see original with legs was 2 inches.
… Lynette Elliott, 15 July, 2010 - 12:37pm login or register to post comments

Looks
like a male Latrodectus mactans.

Two inches is awful large though. Was that including the legs?
… Jay Barnes, 26 April, 2008 - 6:34pm login or register to post comments

 
legs
yes, that was including the legs. My first thought was a black widow, but the extra color/markings threw me off. I've only see them in Arizona and they're much "shinier" looking that him.
… Krissallae, 27 April, 2008 - 3:18pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes
a male widow for sure. I still haven't figured out how to distinguish the Northern Widow male from the Southern male, and since their range overlaps, I'm moving this to the genus level for now. I also changed the size from the 2 inches originally posted to 5mm. Spiders are measured by body size only. They do look around 2 inches with the legs included.

Male widows aren't dangerous.
… Lynette Elliott, 27 April, 2008 - 10:55am login or register to post comments

 
Lynette,
Thanks for catching my assumption. I completely forgot to check the northern widow range.
… Jay Barnes, 28 April, 2008 - 9:42am login or register to post comments

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