Bug Identifier
False Black Widow (or Cupid Spider)
Community identification

False Black Widow (or Cupid Spider)

Steatoda grossa

Order & Family
Araneae: Theridiidae
Size
Females 6-11 mm; Males 4-10 mm
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Indoors in corners, under furniture, in basements and garages; also found outdoors in protected crevices

Diet & Feeding

Small insects and other spiders, capturing them in sticky cobwebs and using venom to immobilize them

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal hunters that build messy, three-dimensional cobwebs; they are generally shy and will retreat to a corner or play dead if disturbed

Risks & Benefits

Generally beneficial as they control household pests; while not aggressive, their bite can cause local pain and malaise similar to a widow spider, but without significant medical risk to humans