How do you identify a brown widow spider?

Although it is considered difficult to identify, the brown widow (Latrodectus geometricus) is a tan spider with a series of white stripes. The appearance of these spiders as they grow from babies to adults changes frequently, making identification tricky.

Brown widows are also similar to black widows in appearance when the black widows are immature, as immature black widows are also tan and have white stripes. A brown widow can also be identified by its egg sacs. The egg sacs are round and yellow with a number of small silk spikes protruding from its surface. Baby brown Widows are also more brown in color than adults.