Northern Black Widow

Description:

I found this female a few days ago on a grill that had been covered for a long time, almost placing my hand on it--yikes! It is now living in a terrarium (outside) for a while so I can get some shots. Tonight I found it out in a good position, so was able to take a few--very carefully. I took about six, and made one movement too quickly, and it darted under a piece of bark.According to the BugGuide account, the incomplete hourglass indicates this is Latrodectus variolus, the Northern Black Widow. (A complete hourglass would indicate the Southern Black Widow, which also occurs in this area.)