Tangled-Web Spider
Theridion sp.
Length about 3mm. Found on a desert shrub, Hymenoclea in the Milpitas Wash near the Palo Verde Mts., Imperial Co., California. February 2013. There are many species of these mostly very small spiders. Although they have a venomous bite, their minute size and habit of inhabiting vegetation means they are not a danger to people.
Theridiidae -- Tangled Web Spider Family
Like its cousin, the Black Widow, this Theridion sp. spider builds a rather complex web structure that is best at capturing crawling insects. The specimen shown here was found on a desert shrub. The tangled web was erected at the junction of two twigs and could therefore intercept various insects that crawl up or down the plant's stems.