Crazy looking L. hesperus!

[KUJordan]

So I got this gal from Greg (Spydrhunter1) a while back when she was a subadult. She is now adult and man is she the best looking hesperus I have ever seen! I have never seen a black widow hold so much of its juvenile pattern before. As you can see, her cephalothorax and legs are jet black, but her abdomen seemed to have stopped the transition to black at some point in her youth. I was telling Greg, I have to look at her about 15 times a day because she is so sweet looking. Anyway, thought she'd be an interesting speciment to post...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/KUJordan/20061026_0502.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/KUJordan/20061026_0504-1.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/KUJordan/20061026_0507.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/KUJordan/20061026_0512.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/KUJordan/20061026_0516.jpg

[diadematus]

Very nice! What kind of enclosure are you using that includes live plants?

-Kevin

[Glen Southern]

Cool looking lady. She is more like a Steatoda grossa in color. Very unusual.

[Anthony]

Never seen that before, congratulations and thanks for sharing

[Cheshire]

Very nice! What kind of enclosure are you using that includes live plants?

-Kevin


If my eyes serve me right, that's an agave plant...too big for a widow enclosure. I think he just took it out for pics.

[KUJordan]

yeah, it's just an aloe from my kitchen and the pics were taken on my front porch. i just thought it would make for better pics. it is indeed a very large plant. you can kind of see her starting it, but after being on the plant for only about 3 minutes, she already started to construct a web! it was pretty cool to watch- i thought about just letting her live on the plant in my kitchen as long as she promised to stay there and never to go wandering about my apartment unless she notified me first, but she is a spider, so i decided not to trust her...

[Canth]

Put a big plexiglass enclosure around the plant. It'd look pretty sick.

"Why's that box around your plant?"
"Has a widow on it."
"What?!"

:P

[Arachnophilist]

you should be able to get one of those window sill "greenhouse" covers for it

[buthus]

Can't beat that creamy color! ...but here are some of mine that have some nice features though...
This ones dorsal line faded/shortened with time after her final molt... but what was strange is that the tip of red got brighter.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hesp_Rosario_encl01_03.jpg

This one still has a decent dorsal line, but her markings faded after her first sac and are only apparent under extremly bright light.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-brnmrph-A02A01_mate_297.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-brnmrph-A02A01_mate_476.jpg

Here is my new "project" ...the one that I was going to pair up with that male brought up here on arachnoboards.
She is plump, but has never produced a sac ...so I am very hopeful that she is not gravid.

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-clrmrph_A3_01.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-clrmrph_A3_02.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-clrmrph_A3_03.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/hsp-clrmrph_A3_04.jpg


Glen, if you see this ...lighten up your PMs. You're full. ;)

[What]

Put a big plexiglass enclosure around the plant. It'd look pretty sick.

"Why's that box around your plant?"
"Has a widow on it."
"What?!"

:P
you called? ;P

but that is actually a good idea, quite a conversation piece....