Found a Black widow today

[jwasted]

I find these alot around here and have several as pets. I also have a few spiderlings from one sac. The one I found today was while I was out Scorpion hunting. It is different from the others I have seen around here.

It has a row of red dots that go up it's back. First one I have seen like this here. I live in central Alabama and this is the first one I have seen witht his pattern.

[Venom]

It's probably an L.variolus, "northern widow." They often retain red, or red and white markings ventrally, whereas L.mactans usually don't, or not as much at least. How large was it?

[jarrell]

was it a juvie? cuase that could explain it. I never saw that in southern north america. I hope I get a L. mactan soon becuase I only got a false widow, and I want to see some red hourglasses.

[jwasted]

The widow is about the size of a dime so it's no juvi. I think she is about to make a sac because she is so swollen. My others usally lay once they get this big.

[JPD]

It is not uncommon for widows to possess "atypical" markings. Could very well be an L.mactans. Color/Pattern/Markings are sometimes, if not most of the time, unreliable.

[Venom]

Yeah, that's always a possibility, JPD, though in AL, he probably has both species.

JWasted...could you post a picture of the hourglass ( and the dorsal markings too, if possible )? This would help in ID'ing.

[The Snark]

Could you take a picture?

In a nature center in Darwin there was a large array of photos of Hasselti variations/deviations/abnormalities. Does anyone know of a similar collection in the US?