Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: Black spider with red back - I'm freaked - what is it?, 1 by bokisan

bokisan wrote:
the photographs that lizard tracks posted are the typical markings of all the north american black widow females, as juveniles

they lose this colouration in steps, in a gradual progression, with each molting.

the last remaining traces are usually just red dots down the middle of the back.

the older she is, ... the more times she's molted, ... the less markings on her back

if she lives long enough, the red hourglass on the belly can break up and go away, too

Uma, here, ... has only one red dot remaining on her back, right above her spinneret


This message was edited Oct 25, 2011 10:52 AM