The week’s question is what is a False Widow? A False Widow is a spider, abundant locally, and much maligned because of its resemblance to the Black Widow. The False Widow actually preys upon Black Widows as well as sow bugs. It lacks the red hourglass mark that characterizes the Black Widow and has a marbled purplish-brown abdomen. They are found in and around houses, under the loose bark of trees, and in rock and wood piles.The question (& answer) were taken from p. 372 of Insects of the Los Angeles Basin by Charles L. Hogue. This edition of the book was published by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 1993.
