Eggsacs

Eggsac shape and color:

Hesperus: tan and pyriform. Pear-shaped, and often somewhat spread at the top. About 13 or 14 mm in height and about 10 or 12 mm in diameter. Most often creamy yellow to light tan.

Mactans: gray and spherical. Almost always show the gray tinge and often are quite decidedly gray, even when freshly made. Also, they are more nearly spherical, about 11 or 12 mm in diameter, and with a conspicuous nipple at the top.

Variolus: gray and pyriform. Pear-shaped, and often somewhat spread at the top. About 13 or 14 mm in height and about 10 or 12 mm in diameter. Light tan with most often a tinge of gray.

Geometricus: easily the most distinguishable, spikey- with little tufts extending from the sac.

Bishopi: smallest of the widow spider eggsacs, white-ish in color.

Eggsac structure of L. variolus:

Eggsac structure of L. geometricus:

Closeup picture of L. geometricus eggsac fiber:

Here are a couple of series of pictures showing how the eggsac is constructed.

First up is a female L. hasselti constructing her sac:

Next up is a female L. pallidus constructing her sac:

For care info of eggsacs and spiderlings, check out this page!