Is this a black widow spider?

[Cruisin]

Was the web a lot stronger than other webs? That's how I tell if a black widow is nearby. Their webs have a high tensile strength & feel a little stickier. no other webs feel quite the same.

Imature females and males are brown & don't have the hourglass.

 

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[wazonme]

The hourglass simply stated means times up

 

[Red_desert]

I know that the males of other poisonous spiders usually have a much narrower abdomen, compared to the female.

 

[EDDE]

The daddy long legs is the most poisonous spider but they say our skin is too tough for their small teeth to penetrate

i like brownies

 

[Marc]

The daddy long legs is the most poisonous spider but they say our skin is too tough for their small teeth to penetrate

from... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae


Most venomous?
There is an urban legend stating that daddy long-legs spiders have the most potent venom of any spider, but that their chelicera (fangs) are either too small or too weak to puncture human skin; the same legend is also repeated of the harvestman and crane fly, also called "daddy long-legs" in some locales. Indeed, pholcid spiders do have a short fang structure (called uncate). However, brown recluse spiders also have uncate fang structure, but are able to deliver medically significant bites. Either pholcid venom is not toxic to humans or there is a musculature difference between the two arachnids, with recluses, being hunting spiders, possessing stronger muscles for fang penetration. [1]
In 2004, the Discovery Channel show MythBusters set out to test the daddy long-legs myth (season 1, episode 13 "Buried in Concrete"). After measuring the spider's fangs at approximately 0.25 mm (average human skin thickness varies from about 0.5mm to 4mm), the show's host was apparently bitten, although the bite produced little more than a mild short-lived burning sensation. This appears to confirm the suspicion that pholcids can penetrate human skin, but that their venom is practically harmless to humans. Additionally, recent research by Alan Van Dyke has shown that pholcid venom is actually relatively weak in its effects on insects as well[5].
According to the University of California at Riverside, the daddy long-legs spider has never harmed a human and there is no proof that they are poisonous to humans.[6]

One reason why these spiders are said to be so dangerous could be that they regularly prey on other spiders, including the black widow (Latrodectus spp.), which itself can be dangerous to humans, with the reasoning that the preying spider must be even more venomous. (Pinto-da-Rocha et al. 2007:4)

 

[gametalman52]

Not even close, Had to learn to spot widows in my greenhouse. Widows have very pronounced abdomens. They usally fall to the ground and curl up when nest is disturbed. Widows can also be brown in color. Female much bigger than male.

 

[Hank]

Not even close, Had to learn to spot widows in my greenhouse. Widows have very pronounced abdomens. They usally fall to the ground and curl up when nest is disturbed. Widows can also be brown in color. Female much bigger than male.

Agreed. It's not even a 'false' black widow. And, to another writer BWs are NOT aggressive, are very shy, rarely bite, and then only in self defense. The danger is in their fecundity and love of dark, damp places.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

I believe your spider is a genus of the "redback" spider.

It's not a black widow.

When identifying a black widow - no matter what sex or age, always remember "round, shiney hiney". We had black widows in Az, and we seem to have tons of them here, too.

And, black widows will make their nests where ever they please. Over our horse trailer door was their most favorite place.

B

 

[Bridge End Farm]

I'd still squash it

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Oh yea - I squash them, too - and kill their babies, just as they hatch.




B

 

[SC_hunter]

Oh yea - I squash them, too - and kill their babies, just as they hatch.




B

LOL..Charlotte and Wilbur would not be happy to hear this..

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Oh yea - I squash them, too - and kill their babies, just as they hatch.



B

LOL..Charlotte and Wilbur would not be happy to hear this..

nothing better than squashing bugs and having pork chops

 

[MiniMe]

Ok...now I feel itchy and sick....just looking at those things make me squeamish. You should see my daughter when she sees a spider, she immediately grabs her neck and starts screaming. - like they're vampires or something...they're going for her throat, LOL.

Definitely would find a big boot to step on all of them. Yuck yuck yuck.

 

[Gilligan]

Perhaps it is a black widow on a diet, hence the slenderness. I would have to say that it is one.

 

[Rattler0216]

That is a male black widow and they aren't quite as venomous as the females. Also more people have died due to the anti-venom than the bite itself. Lots of people tend to have allergic reactions to the anti-venom.

 

[wesfrye53]

As a reminder to all you Do-It-Yourself fixer-uppers:

We tell ourWater Meter Readers to be very careful reaching into meter boxes. It is quite common to find a couple of them in there. Keep that in mind next time you try and cut off (or on) your water with a wrnech when you can't find the meter key!