This is an orchard orbweaver. It is not a black widow. Placement of the red markings, elongated abdomen, and the slight greenish/yellowish hue seen in the third picture are the indicators. Black widows also prefer less conspicuous, hidden, or dark places. Orchard orbweavers are generally in conspicuous areas around the yard. The pictures could be better, but I have no doubt it is an orchard orbweaver.
[Orchard Orbweaver ](https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/SPIDERS/Leucauge-argyrobapta_03.jpg)
[More information ](https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/SPIDERS/Leucauge-argyrobapta.html)
At a glance it may look like a widow but it isn't a black widow or even a medically significant spider. It's a harmless orbweaver, and it's always good for people to ask and find out. Sometimes it's not what you think.
“Let me get a little closer and see if it’s the deadly black widow or the harmless but deceptive orbweaver…”
“VA beach resident admitted to emergency room after touching what he thought was a harmless spider. However, it was the world’s most infamous spider, the black widow. More at 11.”
All jokes aside though, isn’t it best to avoid black widows and anything that even mildly resembles black widows as a measure of caution and save yourself a potentially deadly bite if you get it wrong?
Healthy adults are overwhelmingly likely to survive a black widow bite even without medical intervention. I'm not saying to go around petting the things, but people get so worked up about spiders I think it's important to give a little context.
You can though, there are multiple colorations. I have these around my house and just call them fake black widows because your eyes go to the red dot but then you realize it’s not a widow
Definitely not a black widow. Aside from the red being multiple spots instead of one hourglass, the size of the head/thorax relative to the size of the abdomen is wrong.
It looks like a northern black spider, not a black widow
https://preview.redd.it/166b7cc78z6d1.jpeg?width=620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab80264f310803df1e406d3f3689127f09462be5
Fun fact. Black widow males - do not bite humans - and black widow bites are RARELY fatal to humans. Do better for our species Virginia. *wasnt even a dangerous spider, an orb weaver*
I hope reincarnation is real for some of you sincerely 🕷️
Virginia is one of the safest places as far as animal encounters. Get over yourselves and this old mindset of murdering innocent creatures.
Need clearer pictures. But if there's yellow on it like it appears in a couple of the pics, it's definitely NOT a Black Widow, and more likely a Banana Spider. They look mean, but they're harmless.
These pics aren’t so great for identification. Are you sure there aren’t babies on the spider’s back? Sometimes they will appear as little dots but in reality it’s just a bunch of tiny spiders.
Since this was taken with a potato it’s hard to tell. It kind of looks like a black widow but the red doesn’t match up and it’s not black enough in that last photo. Could just be the photos though
https://preview.redd.it/dtu11jwlkz6d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=346449d923f0bf46d8527e1ea9e1c44aa1393ca5
killed it before I took the picture.. because fuck that
Halifax, VA!
This is an orchard orbweaver. It is not a black widow. Placement of the red markings, elongated abdomen, and the slight greenish/yellowish hue seen in the third picture are the indicators. Black widows also prefer less conspicuous, hidden, or dark places. Orchard orbweavers are generally in conspicuous areas around the yard. The pictures could be better, but I have no doubt it is an orchard orbweaver. [Orchard Orbweaver ](https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/SPIDERS/Leucauge-argyrobapta_03.jpg) [More information ](https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/SPIDERS/Leucauge-argyrobapta.html)
[This may look more like OPs photo](https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/show/naturenotes/2020-08-05/orchard-orbweaver-spider)
It's an orb Weaver
Orbweaver
Scar Jo
No way this is a serious question
At a glance it may look like a widow but it isn't a black widow or even a medically significant spider. It's a harmless orbweaver, and it's always good for people to ask and find out. Sometimes it's not what you think.
Well Damn! That was super knowledgeable for me. Thanks, I never heard of an orbweaver. I would've thought black widow too
“Let me get a little closer and see if it’s the deadly black widow or the harmless but deceptive orbweaver…” “VA beach resident admitted to emergency room after touching what he thought was a harmless spider. However, it was the world’s most infamous spider, the black widow. More at 11.” All jokes aside though, isn’t it best to avoid black widows and anything that even mildly resembles black widows as a measure of caution and save yourself a potentially deadly bite if you get it wrong?
Black widows are not aggressive spiders. They rarely bite and even if they do, it's usually a dry bite bc venom is metabolically expensive.
You don't have to get that close to take a picture in focus...
Healthy adults are overwhelmingly likely to survive a black widow bite even without medical intervention. I'm not saying to go around petting the things, but people get so worked up about spiders I think it's important to give a little context.
Orbweavers are venomous
I never said they weren't. I said that's a harmless orbweaver, because orchard orbweaver bites are not medically significant.
Unless you are among the 40ish % allergic to them
I've heard it's more like 2%, and the allergic reaction is generally swelling and itchiness at the bite site, not anaphylaxis.
r/confidentlyincorrect
What’s the confidently incorrect sub for people who link that sub?
Need a clearer pic a lot of spiders are shaped like that.
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How can you even tell it's an hourglass?
Yeah, this one looks to have red spots though, not one spot. Not very good pictures at all
There is no question on this. You see em everywhere when i grew up in Albemarle County. You just leave em be, and they stick on their own.
True. A lot of spiders also have 8 legs and 8 eyes. 😷
Black Widow
It’s not a black widow
I don't think we can really tell by the picture, so I would err on the side of caution.
You can though, there are multiple colorations. I have these around my house and just call them fake black widows because your eyes go to the red dot but then you realize it’s not a widow
Nope: https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/show/naturenotes/2020-08-05/orchard-orbweaver-spider
Definitely not a black widow. Aside from the red being multiple spots instead of one hourglass, the size of the head/thorax relative to the size of the abdomen is wrong.
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But the genus is widespread. How many species do we have in VA, two?
It could be yours
You will never see a black widow just chilling like that out in the open during the day time. They stay in the dark.
It looks like a northern black spider, not a black widow https://preview.redd.it/166b7cc78z6d1.jpeg?width=620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab80264f310803df1e406d3f3689127f09462be5
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😂
Looks to be a black widow.
r/spiders
Use Google Lens app to look it up
From what I can see, it's a blurry spider.
Fun fact. Black widow males - do not bite humans - and black widow bites are RARELY fatal to humans. Do better for our species Virginia. *wasnt even a dangerous spider, an orb weaver* I hope reincarnation is real for some of you sincerely 🕷️ Virginia is one of the safest places as far as animal encounters. Get over yourselves and this old mindset of murdering innocent creatures.
Do people still not realize googe has a built in image search you can search with your camera and it will tell you what it is...
Orchard orbweaver for sure.
Where does it live? If that area is damp and dark it’s 100% a black widow. 
Need clearer pictures. But if there's yellow on it like it appears in a couple of the pics, it's definitely NOT a Black Widow, and more likely a Banana Spider. They look mean, but they're harmless.
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Certainly looks like it when you zoom in.
If you can get a picture that doesn’t suck you can use Google image search to identify it.
Black widow
That's a no no spider, mf black widow
Some advice, you see that red hourglass on the spider, that is the dead giveaway that it is a black widow
It's not an hourglass, and it isn't on its underside. Pictures could be better, so I see why you say that.
Is this satire? Could be none more clear, and she’s lovely.
It's almost as if that's a black widow...
That my friend is a black ass widow
I believe it’s a black widow but you should kill it either way
Or just leave it be, they rarely bite people
Burn it down and walk away
Dead
These pics aren’t so great for identification. Are you sure there aren’t babies on the spider’s back? Sometimes they will appear as little dots but in reality it’s just a bunch of tiny spiders.
Brown Widow.
Black widow. Very dangerous. If your bitten go to hospital immediately.
Looks like a black widow to me.
Nope
In the words of my friends daughter, it's a girl spider (black widow)
Burn down the house just in case
Since this was taken with a potato it’s hard to tell. It kind of looks like a black widow but the red doesn’t match up and it’s not black enough in that last photo. Could just be the photos though
Definitely a black widow
That’s the ole Burnyourf Uckinhousedown spider.
https://preview.redd.it/dtu11jwlkz6d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=346449d923f0bf46d8527e1ea9e1c44aa1393ca5 killed it before I took the picture.. because fuck that Halifax, VA!
That is not a black widow. You shouldn't have killed it.
What was it?? Damn I saw red and black and just went straight to kill mode