There are two ways of separating the Brown Widow (Latrodectus geometricus) of the family Theridiidae from similar relatives–the Black Widow. First, the former is smaller and lighter, revealing a dark brown or black body with shades of grey and secondly with its egg sac resembling a sandspur. Also called House Button Spider, Brown Button Spider, Geometric Button Spider, Brown Black Widow, and Grey Widow, this spider is cosmopolitan in tropical areas, preferring safe habitats such as homes, woody vegetation, and idle equipment. The Brown Widow also spots an hourglass-shaped marking on their abdomen. They are thought to have origins in Africa and can unleash a nonvenomous bite if threatened.
Male and female Brown Widows vary in size. The female Brown Widow has an overall legspan length between 2.05”-2.72” (52-69 mm), body length of .47”-.63” (12-16 mm), body width of .22”-.3” (5.5-7.5 mm), and body height of .28”-.37” (7-9.5 mm). The male Brown Widow has an overall legspan length between .98”-1.38” (25-35 mm), body length of .24”-.31” (6-8 mm), body width of .12”-.16” (3-4 mm), and body height of .12”-.18” (3-4.5 mm). The common lifespan of the Brown Widow is between 1-3 years.
There are two ways of separating the Brown Widow (Latrodectus geometricus) of the family Theridiidae from similar relatives–the Black Widow. First, the former is smaller and lighter, revealing a dark brown or black body with shades of grey and secondly with its egg sac resembling a sandspur. Also called House Button Spider, Brown Button Spider, Geometric Button Spider, Brown Black Widow, and Grey Widow, this spider is cosmopolitan in tropical areas, preferring safe habitats such as homes, woody vegetation, and idle equipment. The Brown Widow also spots an hourglass-shaped marking on their abdomen. They are thought to have origins in Africa and can unleash a nonvenomous bite if threatened.
Male and female Brown Widows vary in size. The female Brown Widow has an overall legspan length between 2.05”-2.72” (52-69 mm), body length of .47”-.63” (12-16 mm), body width of .22”-.3” (5.5-7.5 mm), and body height of .28”-.37” (7-9.5 mm). The male Brown Widow has an overall legspan length between .98”-1.38” (25-35 mm), body length of .24”-.31” (6-8 mm), body width of .12”-.16” (3-4 mm), and body height of .12”-.18” (3-4.5 mm). The common lifespan of the Brown Widow is between 1-3 years.
