Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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#12510
Western Black Widow - Latrodectus hesperus - female
Copyright © 2005 Bryan E. Reynolds

Western Black Widow - Latrodectus hesperus - Female
Kirtland Air Force Base, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA
July 7, 1997
Contributed by Bryan E. Reynolds on 8 March, 2005 - 9:20pm
Last updated 23 January, 2013 - 9:09pm

pet spider
I found one of these in the yard in Richland, WA. She's a pet now, but I have a question. After her recent molt, I noticed the red hourglass seems to have vanished from her new exoskeleton. Is this common? I thought it might be that she's in a predator-free environment where a warning sign is unnecessary? Any info on this behavior?
… misterfreeze, 13 November, 2007 - 12:09am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo