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Brow Widow Spider Identification
Brown Widows Latrodectus geometricus have been seen and identified within San Diego, California. While they can be dangerous or injurious to humans, they rarely bite and do not defend their webs as their cousins, the Black Widows Latrodectus hesperus. Some have stated that the venom of the Brown Widow L. geometricus is twice as potent as the Black Widow L. hesperus. Identification is very easy because the only real difference is the color, one is brown and the other black as the name implies. The Brown Widow L. geometricus is probably often mistaken for a Brown Recluse Loxosceles reclusa. All spiders are venomous to some extent. If you are envenomated by either the Black or Brown Widow, seek medical attention as soon as possible but do not expect much more to happen than flu-like symptoms, which are common to most spider envenomations. In severe allergic reactions, there are other symptoms that are serious but these are rare.