i've found these two critters in the past 2 days. any idea what they are?







Thanks peeps

Top one looks like a male Nursery-web spider and the next one a Brown button spider

Bottom one seem more like a Comb-footed spider, one of the Theridion sp.
They are easily mistaken for button spiders. Although in both species the third pair of legs is shorter than the rest, and both have globular abdomens, the button spiders legs are smooth. The one in this picture has fine hairs on the legs. That shows me it is a Comb footed.

If the member can maybe take a photo of the bottom of the abdomen it would be great, as the brown button spider will show a distinct red mark.

Phantom wrote: Bottom one seem more like a Comb-footed spider, one of the Theridion sp.
They are easily mistaken for button spiders. Although in both species the third pair of legs is shorter than the rest, and both have globular abdomens, the button spiders legs are smooth. The one in this picture has fine hairs on the legs. That shows me it is a Comb footed.

If the member can maybe take a photo of the bottom of the abdomen it would be great, as the brown button spider will show a distinct red mark.

When I found a brown button spider on my kids play equipment, it had a defensive move which made is easier to take photos of the underside of the abdomen. It just fell down into a ball on the floor, fained death or something.
Here is a picture of the one I found for reference.

Just be careful as it is dangerous if it bites you and can easily kill a child.

Phantom wrote: Bottom one seem more like a Comb-footed spider, one of the Theridion sp.
They are easily mistaken for button spiders. Although in both species the third pair of legs is shorter than the rest, and both have globular abdomens, the button spiders legs are smooth. The one in this picture has fine hairs on the legs. That shows me it is a Comb footed.

If the member can maybe take a photo of the bottom of the abdomen it would be great, as the brown button spider will show a distinct red mark.

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You're probably right, they're the same family and a pic from below would help....

@Synergy: The brown button spider won't easily kill a child as far as I know, it's venom is less significant than the true Black widow's.

Thanks Taki
That is good to know.
Did some quick research. Found the following:
"Brown button spiders: the symptoms occurring after a bite from one of the brown buttons are milder and tend to be restricted to the bite site, characterized by a local burning sensation, which may spread to the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. The bite site is more evident and often seen as a red macular spot or blanched area surrounded by a localised rash. The condition usually clears up within a day or two."

"The brown button spider complex contains two species and they are regarded as less venomous: L. geometricus and L. rhodesiensis. They are very similar in appearance to the black buttons but their colour varies from cream, grey and brown to pitch black. The ventral surface of the abdomen in both species has a prominent red to orange hourglass marking, while the dorsal surface is covered with an intricate geometrical pattern in the paler specimens. A potential source of confusion with respect to the identification of these two species is that the most venomous species in Europe and America have the same red hourglass pattern as the two less venomous species found here."

Source: www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2005/april/buttonspider.htm

And also this:
"Like all Latrodectus species, L. geometricus has a neurotoxic venom that, drop by drop, is as toxic as the black widow's. Dr. G.B. Edwards, a University of Florida arachnologist, claims brown widow venom is twice as potent as black widow venom, but is usually confined to the bite area and surrounding tissue, as opposed to the black widow's. A UC Riverside professor stated toxicity isn't the only factor. After viewing spider bites, he claimed the majority of spider bites were similar to those of other house spiders, possibly because they cannot deliver the same amount of venom as the black widow."

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_geometricus

Thanks. I feel better about them now as I am always diligent in removing them from the area where my kids play.

With regards to the specimen in question from Spinnerhead. I don't see the black knees of the button spider I found, so most probably not the same, but could still be a different species, perhaps even: Latrodectus rhodesiensis.
Which area do you reside in? If you look at the wiki article, the distribution could also narrow it down to a likely candidate.