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- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Jul 19, 2020
- Photographed: Aug 15, 2015
- Spider: Unidentified
- Location: Athens , Alabama, United States
- Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.)
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes:
Unidentified
Picture ID 116812
Hi there! This appears to be a female Latrodectus mactans, the Southern Black Widow.
Not a black Widow…some what new to the US it’s a steatoda paykullana mild bite goes away in most people within few hours max so far as I can tell it’s not that poisonous but I’d still be careful
But Steatoda paykulliana is not always red, neither is it as clear or bright of red as this. Even in the reddest individuals, the red is not in spots, but an unbroken line which undulates in width. Latrodectus mactans is known to have juvenile specimens with red markings on the back, specifically bright red spots, outlined in white, where the second spot is longer than it is wide. Check out these examples:
Red-toned Steatoda paykulliana:
https://spiderid.com/picture/56433/
Juvenile Latrodectus mactans:
https://spiderid.com/picture/23609/