Posted by Patricia Younger on October 5, 2005

Q: I found a spider in a pool rest room where I work. It's black with an odd red marking on the belly, not an hourglass like a black widow, but a red devil like face with horns. I want to capture it and move it to a animal refuge nearby if it might pose a harm to anyone. I don't want to kill it.

State: Texas

A: It's good to see you're being so safety-minded for people yet have respect for even the little critters too. You're right in thinking this is not a Black Widow. Blaok Widows have a round abdomen and their red hourglass is quite distinct. Sounds to me that you've found one of the orb-weaving spiders that have these rather strange abdomens. These are sometimes quite impressive with various colors and designs and protrusions. I can't give you the exact species but it sounds as though it may be one of the Micrathena species - harmless. Spiders that find their way into a restroom often have especially good "hunting". When lights are on in the evening, all kinds of insects are attracted into these areas and provide more than enough food for the spiders.

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Thanks for your question.

John Wiessinger ( October 6, 2005)