I need one for my spider collection not a phd i got a black house spider and a hobo spider atm
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Black Widows are in the family of Cobweb Spiders mainly because their webs aren't symmetrical, like the Orb Weavers. Their genus/species names: Latrodectus mactans literally means "murderous biting robber" in a mix of Latin and Greek.
The name could explain it's habitat....They are gonna be pretty much anywhere other spiders aren't: basements, cellars, dark holes, and anywhere else damp, quiet, and dark. If there are cobwebs, they could be there.
That being said, don't rush around sticking your hands in dark holes, or go moving old clothes in your storage/basement. Do this and you will end up finger food.
Unless you plan to go searching all the likely hideouts, your best bet might be to instead contact the local college's wildlife dept....ask an entomologist for help...they might have a specimen you could buy.
Happy Hunting :D
Additional Black Widow Hangouts
by www.bugguide.net:
"Outdoors, black widow spider webs are usually built in woodpiles, rubble piles, under stones, in hollow stumps, and in rodent burrows. These spiders commonly occur in outbuildings such as privies, sheds, and garages. Indoors, they prefer undisturbed, cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces. It is also associated with littered areas, with dumps of large cities, with garages, and storage sheds."
The name could explain it's habitat....They are gonna be pretty much anywhere other spiders aren't: basements, cellars, dark holes, and anywhere else damp, quiet, and dark. If there are cobwebs, they could be there.
That being said, don't rush around sticking your hands in dark holes, or go moving old clothes in your storage/basement. Do this and you will end up finger food.
Unless you plan to go searching all the likely hideouts, your best bet might be to instead contact the local college's wildlife dept....ask an entomologist for help...they might have a specimen you could buy.
Happy Hunting :D
Additional Black Widow Hangouts
by www.bugguide.net:
"Outdoors, black widow spider webs are usually built in woodpiles, rubble piles, under stones, in hollow stumps, and in rodent burrows. These spiders commonly occur in outbuildings such as privies, sheds, and garages. Indoors, they prefer undisturbed, cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces. It is also associated with littered areas, with dumps of large cities, with garages, and storage sheds."
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I don't think black widows are native to Washington State. You may have to make a trip southward. I live in Alabama and I know we have them here. I used to find mothers with egg sacs under rocks all the time right in my back yard. I've found males too, though they're harder to spot because they're closer to the color of your garden variety spider. What you really want, though, is a brown recluse. The black widow is lovelier, yes, but the brown recluse has a nastier bite. I don't know if you've seen pictures of this or not, but the brown recluse's bite causes extensive tissue necrosis, which ends in ghastly open sores that can be fatal if they aren't contained. It would be a great addition to your collection. I collect killer plants myself. I'm trying to find water hemlock (the plant that killed Socrates), but it's been difficult. It's so poisonous that no one cultivates it. I imagine you've run into the same problem with your arachnid friends.
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they are commonly found in dark damn places, like old parked vehicles, holes, and the cob webs are highly easy to spot being irregular and messy looking. if you have a house spider then you have a spider in the same family as the widow.