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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Widow Spiders (Latrodectus) » Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)
Photo#10099
Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - female
Copyright © 2005 Lynette Elliott

Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - Female
Fort Bragg, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
May 15, 2004
This was the first of four Black Widows we found last summer around our house. The last one we found inside our screen door IN THE HOUSE. Finally, I broke down and had the house sprayed....didn't want to, but with kids and animals I couldn't take any chances. We have a lot of widows in this area. My neighbor found 11 under her kids' outdoor toy box.

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Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - female Black Widow - Latrodectus mactans - female
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Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 23 January, 2005 - 8:49am
Last updated 10 May, 2007 - 2:46pm

Southwestern Black Widow
Out here in New Mexico we have the species Latrodectus hesperus. It is about as common in my Albuquerque back yard as any other spider found in New Mexico. I taught my oldest son when he was three to identify the female of the species as well as the juvenile. I remove the adult females, but I've also kept one each year for the past three years as educational pets for the boys. They are spine-tinglingly beautiful, wouldn't you say?
… John Racette, 14 September, 2005 - 2:55pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes,
it definitely gives one a rush when found!
… Lynette Elliott, 14 September, 2005 - 3:57pm login or register to post comments

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