False widow spider

Common indoors and around buildings, especially in sheltered corners, window frames, sheds, and garages; native to warmer regions but widely introduced.

Predatory, capturing flies, mosquitoes, ants, and other small arthropods in a tangled cobweb.

Mostly nocturnal and sedentary; it retreats when disturbed and can remain in the same web for long periods. Females produce several silk egg sacs and may live for multiple years.

Its bite is uncommon and usually causes localized pain, redness, or swelling; medically serious effects are rare. It is beneficial as a household pest predator.