The False Black Widow is a medium-sized dark brown spider with a round abdomen that resembles the black widow but lacks the hourglass marking. Its bite is mildly venomous — producing localized pain but rarely serious symptoms — and it is often misidentified as a black widow. It builds tangled webs in dark corners, basements, and garages and can coexist with humans.
Best time to see a False Black Widow
The best time to see a False Black Widow is March–September, when about 60% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 9,382 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a False Black Widow? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent False Black Widow sightings near you
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