Brown Widow Spider

The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) is one of the widow spiders in the genus Latrodectus, family Theridiidae, and a close relative of the black widow. Its origin is uncertain, with researchers proposing Africa or South America, and it now has a cosmopolitan distribution spanning the Americas, parts of Europe, the Middle East, South and East Asia, Australia, and Hawaii. It is slightly smaller and generally lighter than the black widow, ranging from tan to dark brown or black, and is distinguished by an orange yellow hourglass marking on its underside, a black and white geometric pattern on its back, and striped legs, while its egg sacs are further distinctive, described as tufted and spiky like a sandspur. Its bite is painful but considered less dangerous than a black widow bite because it delivers less venom.