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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#568605
Mammoth Blacky! Latrodectus mactans or hesperus? - Latrodectus variolus - female
Copyright © 2011 SpiderManiyac

Mammoth Blacky! Latrodectus mactans or hesperus? - Latrodectus variolus - Female
Cave City, Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA
June 16, 2011
Size: 3/4" - 1" body
Is it possible to differentiate between Latrodectus mactans and hesperus (or is she something else all together) with the provided photograph? Photo taken in Cave City, KY on the inner side of an used barn door in mid June.
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Contributed by SpiderManiyac on 26 August, 2011 - 4:03am
Last updated 26 August, 2011 - 9:24am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Lynette Elliott, 26 August, 2011 - 9:24am login or register to post comments

Latrodectus variolus?
You're not quite west-enough for hesperus, and the hourglass looks like it might be disconnected, which would would place this more likely into the variolus bin (the Northern Black Widow). That's not even remotely conclusive, though. It's just impossible to say for certain from this angle. If you have a photo of the top or bottom of the abdomen, even if it's a crummy picture, it could help in the ID.

You can also compare to the guide's Latrodectus info pages and see if you can match up what you saw.
… Brian Stone, 26 August, 2011 - 5:50am login or register to post comments

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