Unwelcome Spider

Last month this guy set up a wicked web between some bushes on our back patio. 

It's about the size of the top knuckle of your index finger, legs and body included. 

I took that picture last week. I was completely freaked out it was going to jump on me while I was trying to get my camera to macro focus. I persevered through several bad photos (see below) to get the one above. 

My dad thought it might be related to the black widow, because its web was kind of wacky looking, and the spider has that red dot on its abdomen. Yikes! 

After he said that, I had every intention of capturing the spider and putting it to death, except that I couldn't contrive a plan that didn't involve accidentally getting bit (bitten?). I put it off long enough that the spider left on its own. I don't know where it went, but its web is all droopy and abandoned now. 

Here's a post from a few years ago when my dad found a black widow on his porch. Do you think my unwelcome arachnid is a relative? I hope not, because Rufio chills on the patio all day while we're at work. 

Stay away from the spiders, Rufio! They're not all like Charlotte!