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Spider Photos - Button Spiders |
Here's some photos of Button Spiders as well as links to Black
and Brown
Widows and Redbacks. In southern Africa, the button spiders (elsewhere in the world known as widow spiders) are the most important group of medical importance. Six species occur
there, belonging to the genus Latrodectus of the family Theridiidae. The button spiders can be divided into the black button spider complex (4 species.) and the brown button spider complex (2 species.).
The button spiders have round abdomens with slender legs of which the third pair of legs is the shortest. Their colour varies from cream to pitch black between species. The markings on the abdomen also vary from stripes to spots. In adult females the markings become less distinct. The patterns on the ventral side of the abdomen vary from having none to one with a distinct red hourglass pattern. Males are much smaller than females and the markings on their abdomen consist of red or white bands.
The female button spider constructs her web, which contains a funnel-shape
retreat on one side, usually close to the ground in bushes or under
debris. The egg sacs are creamy-white and vary in shape from round and
smooth to fluffy or spiky. The female frequently kills the male after
mating, hence the common name "widow spiders". The female produces more
than one egg sac per season usually during the summer months. The egg
sacs are attached with silk to the side of the web. The spiderlings
hatch after a week or more and one egg sac can contains more than 100
spiders. They disperse by wind and construct their own webs. They
undergo between 7-9 moults before reaching adulthood and can live
between 12-18 months. They feed on a variety of insects such as beetles
and termites.
For other types of spiders please select a section below:
Here's some photos sent in by
viewers.
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The black button spider complex contains the following four species:
Latrodectus cinctus, L. indistinctus, L. karooensis and
L. renivulvatus and they are regarded as the more venomous group. Although no documented records exist of fatality due to black button spider bites, they have the potential to cause severe symptoms with small children and elderly people being at greatest risk.
The black button spiders are black with red patterns on top of the body. The markings vary between species from stripes to spots. In adult females the markings become less distinct. There are no markings on the ventral side of the abdomen in adults. The egg sacs in all four species are creamy-white, round and smooth.
The brown button spider complex contains two species and they are regarded as less venomous:
L. geometricus and L. rhodesiensis. They are very similar in appearance to the black buttons but their colour varies from cream, grey and brown to pitch black. The ventral surface of the abdomen in both species has a prominent red to orange hourglass marking, while the dorsal surface is covered with an intricate geometrical pattern in the paler specimens. A potential source of confusion with respect to the identification of these two species is that the most venomous species in Europe and America have the same red hourglass pattern as the two less venomous species found here.
· Latrodectus geometricus is an introduced species and very common in Southern Africa and is usually found in built-up areas, especially around houses and outbuildings. They construct a funnel-shape retreat in dark corners with silk threads radiating outwards. The egg sac is characteristic in having a spiky appearance.
(Info: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman) |
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Reply: This looks like a button spider, the SA version of
the black widow - glen
20 November, 2011:
Hi Glen
We realize that you may not know our spiders as well as thx Americwn ones and were wondering if you could assist in identifying this one. My son awoke to find this on his pillow in a hotel room in Bloemfontein, Free State Province, South Africa. It has a very hot and dry climate. We feel reasonably sure it may be a black widow since there appear to be many variants of them. We have contacted the Spider club here, they can't help us.
Many thanks
Liz |
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2 December, 2009:
Hey. Cool site. Here is a brown button spider that scared me almost to death. I was cleaning some stuff and suddenly she startded running towards my feet. I also realized when taking the photos that this was a big one. About the size of my thumb. note also that when she was playing dead I could take a photo of her abdomen. I live in south
Africa, Johannesburg. Cheers. Vaughn |
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Reply: It looks like the
South African verion of the black widow called a button spider - glen
10 May, 2009:
Hi
This ones been living in my kitchen in Namibia. Any ideas?
Thanks
Ben |
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