Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You'll notice the Red Hour Glass pattern on the under belly of the Black widow. Now look at the picture below at what appears to be the Red Back Spider of australia and that southern hemisphere part of the world. Maybe it's because they are on the bottom side of the globe ????
Interesting. Ive kept a few black widows in the past. Neat spiders with horribly messy webs!
I actually had a house plant I brought up from my mum's house who lived in the city of San Diego where I lived in San Jacinto Mtns of Southern California and unknown to me it had been outside for a time and became inhabited with a Black Widow. It lived in between the actually plant container and the fancy piece of pottery I had it in. The plant was a fairly good size Aparagus Fern. I put the plant in my livingroom and one day noticed the web. She was tiny when I first noticed her. But I had no pets, so I decided to let her stay there. At night around the porch light there were lots of moths and beetles. Hence plenty of food to feed the spider. I know it sounds strange, but it was cool as a pet. After several months she grew huge, but I had to get rid of it because to many friends complained and were creeped out.
But you're right about the web. It's not the most organized or architectually interesting design, but it is one of the if not the toughest & strongest webs among spiders. Try and take a stick and break the strands. You almost can't do it. The dragline silk of the Black Widow's is one of the toughest and strongest to be identified thus far. Take a look:
I'm not put off by them, but I certainly respect them. Mostly they like the dark hidden areas to live and building their nests. They like other things are important to have around any garden. Like rattlesnakes , scorpions , etc, they just do what they do. It's just for the benefit of the earth we have them to help keep the checks and balances. Certainly for the benefit of anyone's garden. I've never been bitten by a Black Widow, but I have been stung by a scorpion. Nothing more than a strong bee sting. Still creepy, but most likely from all the over exagerated movies Hollywood makes. You just need to take care
I was bitten once. The pain is much more intense than a bee or wasp, throbbing, more like smashing a finger with a hammer. It lasted a couple of days. It left a small hole in my finger for a few months.
I've lived around Black Widows all my life! In the LA area of CA I could go out and find one at any time. I lived in the mountains in CA and they were there too! I live in NC now and they are here as well. The only person I personally know that has ever been bitten by a Black Widow was my grandmother. She was climbing up in a hay loft and put her hand in a widows nest. That was probably 100 years ago..she survived. As a rule they will avoid you.
That is very odd seeing the spots on their back! You may be right about them being on the bottom side of the globe! Ha!
Great photo of a black widow. However that is NOT a photo of a red back spider. See Redback spider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Red back spiders appear to have a single red stripe from a distance. Closer viewing (if you dare) shows some curves in the line. I have red backs in my back garden in Sydney. They are very shy creatures.
First off aussie12, welcome to this wonderful forum. You may want to go back to wikipedia and read the description of the red back again. The red back spider does have what is called a red stripe (only the females) and the stripe does have narrow places there the sides of the stripe looks wavy or lumpy but is sometimes broken in the middle according to the wiki site you referred to and can appear as two red dots. The red back and the black widow are related. One thing I noticed about the photo of the red back is that the photo is from National Geographic Magazine and you basically are calling that well respected magazine liars !!! Don't expect that picture to last long on this site as it violates C.D. T.O.S. and will most likely be converted to a link as soon as it is reported or a mod happens to notice it.
Ahhh the good ol' widder spidder...I know them well, and they me. They seem to like the way we plumber guys taste and they are common round here. It's a nasty bite to be sure, and will make a guy right sick, but you get used to them. I go into battle with them almost daily and I WILL be victorious.. I've learned to think like they do.
Red Black Spider of Australia Found in Georgia, USA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluepacific
Black Widow spikers now in "Sweden"
[URL="http://www.thelocal.se/14306/20080912/"]Black widow spider now calls Sweden home - The Local[/URL]
You'll notice the Red Hour Glass pattern on the under belly of the Black widow. Now look at the picture below at what appears to be the Red Back Spider of australia and that southern hemisphere part of the world. Maybe it's because they are on the bottom side of the globe ????
I just found this spider today on my farm it didn't look like a Black Widow that I ever saw. It has a hour glass but it has also a trail of red blocks up his/her belly with the last one with yellow band around it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
and I WILL be victorious.
Red Black Spider of Australia Found in Georgia, USA.
