| Widow spiders | Widow spiders | The western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) female is a velvety jet black with two reddish markings on the underside of their abdomen resembling an hourglass. Males and immatures are striped with white and yellow. Adult female black widows are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter including legs and are commonly found in firewood, old lumber, dry crawl spaces, outbuildings, rock piles, or hay bales. The bite of the adult female is more toxic than that of juveniles or males. However, black widows are shy spiders and reluctantly bite only when bothered. If bitten by a suspected black widow spider, seek medical attention. Also, bring the spider to an expert for correct identification. For more information, see the following publication: Common Spiders of Washington EM113E at http://pubs.wsu.edu.. |
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