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Southern Black Widow
Southern species usually have more striking colors than those of other varieties, and southern black widows are glossy black with a red spot on their underbellies shaped like an hourglass. This hourglass is wider than other species of black widow. Some southern widows have been found with a series of red spots in place of one. Younglings have orange and white markings, then gradually shift to their mature black and red colors. Egg sacs for this variety are spherical with a grayish tinge. Southern black widows are found in the southern New England states, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.
Northern Black Widow
The red hourglass shape on the northern black widow is distinguishable from the ones on other widows, because it is separated in the middle or incomplete. The northern species also has a small set of red spots on its dorsal side; and it can have white markings on its sides. Egg sacs come as yellow or tan and are more pear-shaped than spherical. This kind of widow is found throughout the eastern half of the United States, from southern Canada to Florida and going as far west as Texas and Kansas.
Western Black Widow
The western black widow typically has a complete red hourglass marking with the anterior part of the spot being longer and broader than the posterior part. Egg sacs for this species are creamy yellow to tan in color, and are more pear-shaped. They are never gray. This spider is found in the western half of the United States going into the Pacific states. This includes northern and western portions of Canada.
Males
Male black widow spiders do not have the same coloring as their female counterparts. Instead they are generally smaller than females, of a more tubular shape and consist of duller colors. The only red is a tiny, almost invisible spot on its underbelly. It is a popular belief that female black widows consume males after they have mated with them, because this has been seen among black widows in captivity. This does not happen in most natural situations however.
More Information
Other types of spiders may also appear to have red underbellies at a glance, but closer inspection reveals only colors similar to red. The brown widow for example, is brown and has an orange spot shaped like an hourglass on its belly. All species of widows are venomous and their venom is 15 times more poisonous than rattlesnakes. Black widow bites on humans usually only result in minor reactions -- rather than death, however -- due to the very small amount of venom being released.