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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
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Photo#241040
Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male

Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - Male
Sand Springs, Osage County, Oklahoma, USA
November 19, 2008
Size: 5mm (3/16")
I think this is a Brown Widow. However a few things I've found that doesn't agree. First the size. BugGuide has the size at about 12-16 mm (> 0.5 inch) and this one is not unless it is a male. Also, the range doesn't list Oklahoma. My reference books also have roughly this size and also list the same ranges as BugGuide.
The Brown Widow is the only thing I have found that even looks similar.
Whatever it is it's another beautiful spider. I released it back where I found it after taking quite a few pics.
Please help with ID.

Images of this individual: tag all
Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male Southern Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - male

spider
Looks almost like a latrodectus geometricus(brown widow) seeing as how the banded legs are consistent with the browns I find here in south Texas. Although I can't say for sure since I can't see an hourglass.(browns tending to have an orangish, broken hourglass)

Moved

Immature black widow.
This is an immature black widow (not sure of species). Remember that they start out life very ornate like this, females losing their markings as they age (most of the time, anyway).

 
black widow
yes, and check out this image of a Northern Black Widow.

 
....
So is it Northern?

 
No guarantees from me,
but it certainly matches Northern the best.

 
The
spider is an antepenultimate male, meaning it has two molts left before mature.
The hourglass shape is typical of mactans.

Where (habitat) did you find it?

 
....
In a corner on my front porch.
So, Jeff, can you tell if this is a Northern or not?

Addition :
I updated the gender to male.

Revision :
Never mind about the question above. I re-read your comment above....and paid attention this time :-)
I'll move it.

 
and oops
I should have checked the hourglass...I'm getting lazy, sorry.