CLOSED: New Spider Please Identify

Lakewood, CA

Today on my way back home I noticed a spider sitting in a web on the porch, but unlike most spiders he set up a web on the steps of the porch. I went in to get my camera at that time he migrated into the window and was sitting in the corner, that's where the picture was taken. He is about 1.5" in diameter legs included, they were long, skinny, striped legs, also seemed to have some sort of red underbelly, but the spider was more brown not black like a black widow. When I went to get him out of his corner he curled up then when threatened began to move about very aggressively. Please identify and is he a threat to me and my family?

Thumbnail by SoCalMark
Sinks Grove, WV

The image is too fuzzy to make a determination, but from your description, it more likely is an orb weaver of some type (family Araneidae) than a widow spider (family Theridiidae). Look at the images at http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/orb_weavers_genus_araneus and http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/orb_weavers_genus_neoscona to see if any resemble your spider. BTW, some of these spiders have reddish ventral markings, but all are harmless to humans.

Lakewood, CA

Looks closest to the male Marbled Orb Weaver - Araneus marmoreus but maybe not as transparent a little darker, although it was at night so I might have a jumbled memory of the spider. Hope I don't see any others but if I do Ill snap a better photo.

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