I found this spider in my porch last night, and have never seen one around my house like it before. It's about a half inch in size, maybe a little smaller. I live in New Jersey if that helps. I hope that it zooms large enough to see the details. But it has tan markings on it's back.
This is another shot of it. Sorry, I don't know how to load multiple pics at a time.
The image is too fuzzy to make a determination, but if it was in a rather haphazard web, it might be one of the cobweb spiders (family Theridiidae) in the genus Steatoda - see http://insectzoo.msstate.edu/Images/2steatoda.jpg for an example. Could you try getting a bit closer for another photo?
Here, I tried to make the pic closer. I haven't seen the spider since that night, but it did crawl into a crevice.
This definitely appears to be a Steatoda spp., such as Steatoda bipunctata, a species widely distributed in the northern hemisphere - see http://www.eurospiders.com/steatoda_bipunctata_nest_2133.jpg for an image. Although they belong to the same family as the widow spiders, they generally are not considered dangerous, but they still can deliver a painful bite if mishandled (personal experience, among other references...).
Thanks so much. I was concerned because I never saw one around before and it reminded me of a widow spider. I have pets, and I didn't want to be too concerned about them getting bit. This is a great site.
