spider ID if possible

[iturnrocks]

Sorry about the quality of the pics. These were taken with a USB toy microscope. The LED lighting on the QX5 is ok for transparent critters, but not so good for these larger specimens. The first 4 pics are at 10x (the width of the whole pic is 2 cm)

This cutie was caught in my bathroom in NE Kansas. Had a non-distinct web in the upper corner near the ceiling. She sits upside down and when disturbed runs to a hole behind a piece of trim. I have seen widows in the wild under rocks, and although this one seems to match the body shape, I cant find any distinct red underneath. I dont know if the color shows up with age, this one is smaller than the wild ones ive found.

Hard to get her to pose, curls up as if playing dead or something. I have to shake the tray to get her to stretch her legs out. She is quite small, about 1/4 inch head to tail when curled up.

http://www.iturnrocks.com/images/micro/s1.jpg

http://www.iturnrocks.com/images/micro/s2.jpg

http://www.iturnrocks.com/images/micro/s3.jpg

http://www.iturnrocks.com/images/micro/s4.jpg

This last pic is at 60x of the spinnerette the height of the pic is 2mm

http://www.iturnrocks.com/images/micro/s01.jpg

[ShadowBlade]

Just so you know, true spiders are VERY difficult to accurately ID by photo's. But it looks like it could be a Latrodectus spp. but it is definately not a Black Widow.

[Elizabeth]

When they look like a widow, except that there is no red underneath, it is more likely a Steatoda (pretty common) than a widow who truly is lacking the red marks (pretty rare!).


Link added:

http://spiders.entomology.wisc.edu/Theridiidae/Steatoda/grossa.html

[iturnrocks]

Just so you know, true spiders are VERY difficult to accurately ID by photo's. But it looks like it could be a Latrodectus spp. but it is definately not a Black Widow.

How big do widows get before the hourglass appears?

[Elizabeth]

You should see shapes and coloration even as juveniles if they are widows. The definition and color, IME, gets truer with age.

[iturnrocks]

When they look like a widow, except that there is no red underneath, it is more likely a Steatoda (pretty common) than a widow who truly is lacking the red marks (pretty rare!).


I looked up Steatoda grossa and under range it always mentions coastlines of north america. Im in Kansas City, Kansas, as far from the coast as i can be.

S. grossa is a cosmopolitan species, and is found in many parts of the world, including all three coasts in North America

But you know more about them than I do, so Ill sleep easier.

[ShadowBlade]

And just so you know, there are many different kinds of widows, there are

Western widows
Southern widows
Red widows
False widows (Which actually belong to totally different genus and doesn't have potent venom)
And other widows.

Not all widows have hourglasses, the red marking can appear in many different shapes.

[iturnrocks]

Ill hang on to it for a while, and let you know if anything changes

[pitbulllady]

And just so you know, there are many different kinds of widows, there are

Western widows
Southern widows
Red widows
False widows (Which actually belong to totally different genus and doesn't have potent venom)
And other widows.

Not all widows have hourglasses, the red marking can appear in many different shapes.

All of the above, with the exception of the "False Widows", have either a red hourglass or some other noticeable red markings on the abdomen. That includes the Brown Widow which isn't listed here. "False Widow" is another name for Steotoda. I know that there is more than one species of Steotoda in the US.

pitbulllady

[ShadowBlade]

All of the above, with the exception of the "False Widows", have either a red hourglass or some other noticeable red markings on the abdomen. That includes the Brown Widow which isn't listed here. "False Widow" is another name for Steotoda. I know that there is more than one species of Steotoda in the US.

pitbulllady
Yes I know, that's why I said the red markings can appear in different shapes. I also said False widows implying there are more than one species.

[NRF]

It is not Steatoda grossa. It belongs in the bipunctata-group, probably S. borealis or S. bipunctata.

[Scolopendra55]

Looks like some sort of Steatoda to me as well.