
Community identification
False widow spider (likely noble false widow)
Steatoda nobilis
- Order & Family
- Araneae; Theridiidae
- Size
- Females typically 9–14 mm in body length; males are smaller, about 7–10 mm. Legs make the overall span substantially larger.
Natural Habitat
Buildings, gardens, walls, sheds, and other sheltered, warm locations, especially in temperate regions where introduced.
Diet & Feeding
A web-based predator that captures flies, beetles, woodlice, and other small arthropods, immobilizing them with venom and silk.
Behavior Patterns
Mostly nocturnal and sedentary, living in tangled cobwebs; it retreats when disturbed and may bite defensively if trapped against skin. Females produce silk egg sacs and can live for several years.
Risks & Benefits
Its bite is uncommon and usually causes localized pain, redness, and swelling, though stronger reactions are possible. It is beneficial as a predator of household and garden insects; this identification is provisional because the image lacks fine diagnostic detail.