I.D. please

[Paradoxica]

I found these eggs at the preschool I work at, a teacher thought they were black widow eggs.

 

[dlemmings]

I say brown widow ...they look spikey like that and have really exploded in so cal....black widow eggs are smooth spun without those spikes that make them look like thorns

 

[Paradoxica]

I see, are brown widows equally dangerous?

 

[Mime454]

I see, are brown widows equally dangerous?

No.

Like all Latrodectus species, L. geometricus has a neurotoxic venom that, drop for drop, is as toxic as the black widow's. However, brown widow bites are usually not very dangerous; usually much less dangerous than the black widow's.[3] Brown widow venom is twice as potent as black widow venom,[8][9] but is usually confined to the bite area and surrounding tissue, as opposed to the black widow's.[4] Mere toxicity of the poison is not the only factor in dangerousness. Brown widow bites are minor compared to black widow bites, because they cannot deliver the same amount of venom as the black widow.[1] Some sources say the brown widow is less venomous than L. mactans.[citation needed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_geometricus

 

[aNisip]

Brown Widow for sure!

 

[dlemmings]

funny and true story:

while walking out of the house my son and I checked the mail box and my son says "dad what kind of spider is that?" not knowing I used the mail to knock it out of mail box and gave it a swat. I handed the mail to my son and examined the spider which was shaped like a black widow but was brown with darker "rings" on its leg joints, and aha! red hourglass on abdomen.

My son then showed my a flyer from our townhome association warning that there has been an increase in reports of "brown widow" sitings in the neighborhood.

first I had heard of them....ironic to disccover a brown widow in the mail box the warning was placed in. My son said they thoughtfully included a specimen so we knew what to watch for.... :shifty:

Anyways I read that the brown widow is less aggressive and thus less likely to bite. this seems to bear out with my experiences on my patio when I poke one out of its "nest" it drops straight down and almost "plays dead" .

We have to wash off patio furniture once a week cause the ladies in the house (esp. my daughter) hate spiders and for that matter all manner of bugs.

(my daughter is always overjoyed when one of my "hideous mantises" as she calls them...dies.

 

[Paradoxica]

Wow crazy

 

[Reptiliatus]

interesting for sure.