Interactions
Latrodectus hesperus do not have many predators to look out for but the main one is the mud-dauber wasp, as seen below (Animal Diversity Web 2001).
Photo by Johnny N. Dell
Though not a common predator to Latrodectus hesperus nor a common prey for it, sometimes different organisms come up against L. hesperus that normally wouldn't. For example, here's a video of nature playing out between a female L. hesperus and a scorpion.
Another interesting example of nature defeating the odds is when a female Latrodectus hesperus comes up against a young eastern black-necked garter snake (Cates and W. 2012).
Photos by Bridget W.
In this example, the predator becomes the prey! Eastern black-necked garter snakes are known to eat frogs, insects and spiders among other things but it didn't know what it was getting in to. There were multiple bites on the garter snake and with the powerful venom of the black widow, it is no surprise the spider won. Here is the snake three days later, a great representation of how Latrodectus hesperus consumes its prey, by consuming the preys entrails while leaving the outside layer intact.
Photo by Bridget W.