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Beware black widow with yellow hour glass


sm1mex

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I saw this classic shaped black widow spider in a web in my garden. Closer exam it had a yellow hour glass on its belly. I googled it and found a brown  widow has a yellow hour glass and more poisonous than a black widow and more aggressive. It also said black colored widows can have a yellow hour glass. I’ve never seen a widow with a yellow hour glass but they exist. I took him out to save my gardener a bad experience. 

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Yeah I have heard about the yellow black widow before.  In Chapala they have what they call the Capulina spider and the Viuda Negra.  The way I understand the difference between the two is that the Capulina is larger.  In Chapala they don't always have the perfect drawn hour glass.  Often times it is just a red dot or no red dot at all.  You have to go by their shape usually.  They are pretty common around these parts in the summer.  The good news is that generally they are not very agressive and avoid biting humans unless overly threatened.  

What other venemous spiders do we have in the Chapala area and do we also have Brown Recluse?

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The family of Black Widow spiders can have quite a variety of colors and patterns here in Mexico.  Some have the hourglass and some have a red or orange spot on the back.  Some even have spots or stripes all over the back and some have a more yellowish orange color combo instead of red.  All have the same body type and basic blackish base color.  The web is easy to identify by it's dense, messy, and very strong silk.  I have touched the webs many times by reaching under the edge of a patio chair to scoot forward or by grabbing the edge of a patio table to move it.  The spiders always move away unless you are unfortunate enough to put your hand right on it.  The webs are strong enough to hold a tossed pebble in place.  Once you touch one, you'll always recognize it later by it's feel and look. 

There are Brown Recluse spiders here also.  Harder to recognize since they don't look quite as sinister.  Also Hobo spiders which I think might be related to the Brown Recluse and also harder to identify.  I just last night killed a very large scorpion right by our front door.  They seem to be active this time of year perhaps looking for moisture and warmth.  Be careful picking up or moving stuff left outdoors. 

I'm generally a live and let live person but anything that bites or stings will meet an untimely death.  Sorry.

Alan

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"he said, they’re less aggressive than black widows and less apt to bite people, preferring to retreat than fight. In addition, brown widow bites are reported to be less venomous.

But they will bite if threatened, cornered or protecting their egg-sacs. UC Riverside, which has led research on brown widow spiders, said their bite hurts but is relatively harmless. Conlan, however, recommended that people who were bitten see their doctor to be safe."

https://www.countynewscenter.com/brown-widows-what-you-need-know/

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