What am I? - Latrodectus mactans

Thanks

Thanks for the info everyone! This has been my first visit to this site and I am very impressed. I do have some black widows around in my garage and have found them in my lawn furniture. It was easy to identify the females of course, but I was not familiar with the male.
Thanks again

Michael Johnston
CENTURY 21 HORIZON PROPERTIES
Port St. Lucie, Fl 34953
772-370-5675

… Michael Johnston, 4 August, 2005 - 1:25pm

Looks like

a male Widow. One of the experts here may know which species. See

… john and jane balaban, 1 August, 2005 - 10:53am

I agree.

This is most likely a male of the southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans. The swollen pedipalps (mouthparts that look like little boxing gloves here) help distinguish this as an adult male, as opposed to a juvenile female.

… Eric R. Eaton, 1 August, 2005 - 11:39am

Northern vs Southern

If Michael's is a Southern, does that make Troy's image a Northern?
There are about 20 images of Widows in the guide with Troy's ID'd only to Genus. Can they be ID'd to species? Can any be separated out simply by range? If you or Jeff comment on them with species ID, we can move them

… john and jane balaban, 1 August, 2005 - 12:27pm

Eric is right.

L. variolus does not occur in St. Lucie County

… Jeff Hollenbeck, 3 August, 2005 - 5:04pm