Please help identify a spider?

Question

We found a nest of spiders in a garbage can in our garage. We live in SE Wisconsin. The spiders looked exactly like black widows but had no hourglass and yellow and black on their abdomens instead of red.

I understand that spiders are very beneficial and we did not kill them rather shook them out of the can. However, I'd like to know what they are.

Answer 1

Well if it was similar in appearance to a black widow it is most likely in the same family (Theriididae) they are actually a very common family throughout the world. Many juvenile and male widows are colored in this manner, typically mottled, with red, yellow and black markings. It is possible that the spider you saw is in fact a widow (Latrodectus spp.).
When young spiders are present, there is no real danger, they are not aggressive and can actually be handled without danger, but if the species in question is new to you, just handle it like you did, that was the best way to handle the situation.
If in fact the nest belonged to that spider, then it is most likely not a true widow, becasue in that area, the adults are the typical black with red hourglass, so then there would be no need to worry.

here are some images of young widows to compare it to
http://bugguide.net/node/view/80826
http://bugguide.net/node/view/73801
http://bugguide.net/node/view/26128
http://bugguide.net/node/view/13097



hope this helps!

Answer 2

In Wisconsin, if they are black widows, they are most likely the northern black widow, Latrodectus variolus. It is the southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans) that has the distinct red hourglass shape on its underside. The northern species has less distinct markings, usually in the form of two separated blotches, more or less triangular in shape, more or less resmbling a "broken hourglass", and the markings are less bright in color, dull red to orange.

While spiders are certainly beneficial, I'd have to say that the risks in having a colony of dangerously venomous spiders in my garage would greatly outweigh the benefits, and I'd get out a can of Raid in a hurry. Snakes are beneficial too, but I wouldn't want a colony of rattlesnakes on my property.

Answer 3

In addition to BEETLE's excellent answer, the other possibility I can think of is that what you are seeing is an Argiope orb-weaver, a common spider across much of North America (and elsewhere), completely harmless, but with long, thin legs somewhat like a black widow.

Here's some pictures http://bugguide.net/node/view/2025

Answer 4

Not enough information for identification. How big
was it? Was the yellow and black on the top or
underside of the abdomen? Need a picture to
be sure.