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Male Black Widow Spider: Harmless, No Hourglass

Male black widows have yellow/red dorsal markings, no ventral hourglass, and no venom. Females are venomous but rarely bite unless threatened. Wear gloves when reaching into hidden spaces. Brown recluse bites are worse.

black widow spider — male

About Gardening: Spider on Apartment Wall: Brown Recluse? Use Sticky Traps; Black Widow on Door Handle: No Nest, Just a Wanderer; Identifying the Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope); Identifying the Nursery Web Spider; Spider Lily (Lycoris radiata): The Surprise Hurricane Lily; Identifying Black Cherry Trees in the Landscape; Black Widow and Brown Recluse Spiders: Identification, Habits, and Safety; Brown Recluse Spider in Georgia: Rare and Overdiagnosed; Chuck-will's-widow: The Night Bird That Says Its Name; Orb-Weaving Spider Identification: Web Shape Is Key

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