Guess at this spider?

[Mel&Keith]

Just found this scary little spider in my shower. Anyone know what it is? We're on the Gulf Coast in Texas if that helps.

(click the pictures to make them big)
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[M_surinamensis]

How big?

From the photos, I am leaning towards Parasteatoda tepidariorum the american house spider or a relatively close relative* slightly variable colors and patterns but the banding on the legs, the proportions, the arrangement of the eyes to the degree that I can see it in the photos all matches. There's a couple other species in Texas that look similar, but don't get as large. So if it was anywhere over about a quarter of an inch, I am relatively confident it's a house spider or something very similar to it.

*Achaearanea was a pretty large genus of spiders that was broken up a few years ago. Some of the species retained that designation, others (including the house spider mentioned above) were put into new or reorganized genera. Many of them are pretty similar looking and I haven't got Texas county records for individual species to help narrow it down.

 

[Mel&Keith]

It was small, probably between a 1/4" and 1/3". I would feel better about it being a house spider than a brown widow which is what I was concerned about.

 

[M_surinamensis]

Possibly a brown widow, though the crisper edges to the mottled pattern on the back would be unusual. The ventral markings on the abdomen would have been a giveaway with the orange hourglass. Same family as house spiders, Theridiidae. Pretty huge number of genera and species in the family though.

Either way it's not really much of a concern. Spiders in North America are mostly harmless, envenomations are rare, bad reactions* even rarer. Unusually bad cases all pretty much involve additional medical complications and pre-existing conditions (immune compromised individuals, people with some clotting disorders). A proper respect for the capabilities of all animals is reasonable, but widows are a minimal danger and not something to stress yourself worrying about.

*can't actually be allergic to spider venom because a histamine response is a medical impossibility, but the effects can change depending on what kind of tissue the venom comes into contact with and the volume injected

 

[neubauer geckos]

I'm near positive it isn't an L.Geomitricus(brown widow).If it is,it is a Mature Male and nothing to worry about.However,it could mean there are females close by.Just make sure to shake out your shoes and clothes before putting them on,and to make sure you look before you put your hand under something,and you should be fine.