Family: Theridiidae

Scientific Name: Latrodectus hesperus

Size: See Image 3

Gender: Male

Black widows are usually found close to the ground. The may be in barns, garages, woodpiles, rodent holes, etc. In Southern California they seem to be being replaced, in urban environments, by the brown widow. The best way to distinguish between the adult female brown widow and the black widow is my their egg sac. It is easy to mistake an immature black widow female or a mature male black widow. See my widow guide page.
Click to View female

1 – D5 (Santa Fe Springs, LA Co. / 3 Oct. 05) | 2 – D50 (Fullerton / 9 Feb. 06) | 3 – D54 (Brea / 13 Feb. 06) | 4 – D63.1 (Brea / 6 Mar. 06) | 5 – D246.1 (Fullerton / 12 Nov. 06) | 6 – D412 (Fullerton / 6 Nov. 08)