Need help identifying (probable) Widow

[Code Monkey]

I'm trying to identify a spider I captured about 2 weeks ago while trapped with the in-laws.

It's a classic black widow type, all black except for 2 red ovals/bars on the dorsal side of the abdomen and one oval/bar on the ventral side - not what you'd call an hourglass, though. It was captured in a wood pile in eastern Maryland. At any rate, it's not L. mactans but I'd like to know what she is - one of the neatest spiders I've ever had.

As an added bonus she dropped me an egg sac about 36 hours after I got her :D

[Alex S.]

Hey, Code Monkey, what you found was Latrodectus variolus, commonly known as the northern black widow. It is one of three black widow species found in the USA. It ranges most of the northeastern US.

Alex S.

[Code Monkey]

Yep, that's her - looked up some pictures for variolus. Thanks much - I was gong nuts trying to find a page with good ID pics since 99% of the pics show L. mactans and then proceed to tell me how I can kill them :8o