male black widow pics?

Can anyone show me pics of a male black widow? I think my fiance just found one, but im unsure. It has the legs of a black widow, its palps are huge at the ends, and slender abdomen. It also has a feather-like shape on its back, but its colors are hard to make out b/c its so small, no more than 1.5".
I cant take any pics, and even if I could, its so small they probably wouldnt come out good on my sisters camera.

So does anyone have any pics of the black or brown male widows so I may see?
Also, ill more than likely be letting this guy go, im just curious to see if its actually a widow, as ive never found one before.

Thanks!

PS: above its chelicera is black, and its carapace is light brown/tan. Legs look tanish also.

Try this:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...t=4&prev=/images?q=male+Black+Widow&hl=en&lr=


Google: Images search words: male Black Widow for a bigger selection of pics, but I have to say that I didn't find any stand-outs in the lot. They are small spiders, and apparently there is some variability. Hope this helps anyway.

male widows

If I am not mistaken, male widows are exactly the same shape as the females. The only difference should be the size, color and strength of venom. Males would be smaller, like dime sized as to females can maybe get a little bigger than a quarter legspan and all. The males will always be brown, never black and will have the red hour glass underneath as well. Reportedly the venom of a male is significantly weker in comparison to the female, and in my opinion "Blacks Widows" as a whole don't hold any life threatening potency except for that of a bite sustained by an elderly person or a child. Don't take that as a free ticket to biteville and think you are magicaly immune to them! If ever bitten by a Widow, seek medical attention immediately.
That is my take on the subject as far as my experience and knowledge of what I have studied on them, I am not an arachnid expert but I have raised "Blacks" once before and that was a challenge and experience not to be easily forgotten.

Take care of your spiders,
Sean

If I am not mistaken, male widows are exactly the same shape as the females. The only difference should be the size, color and strength of venom.

Click to expand...

The males abdomen is much more narrow or tapered and as mentioned before, he is significantly smaller. The coloration ranges from brown to black with striping. I will see if I can dig up one of my old pics for ya.

while it doesnt have the round abdomen, it has the same legs, besides them being brown. No hour glass that I can see....just the white feather shape on its back. The top of its carapace is pretty raised where its eyes are.

Mature males look nearly identical to sub-adults but usually have a thinner abdomen...plus they will have the characteristic 'boxing glove' looking palps...and they only live 2-4 months once they mature...they usually won't eat once mature either...

John
];')

Male black widows can be tan with white markings, brown with orange or yellow, black and brown, black with red, and a variety of looks. I am from San Antonio, and I have seen 2 males in a females web. One was pale and the other was darker. I just uploaded some pics of 1 of my male Black widows, L. variolus. You probably have L. hesperus. Males of hesperus I have seen are usually smaller and paler than males of variolus though. Here is mine.

Before final molt:


After final molt: