
Community identification
False Black Widow (or Cupid Spider)
Steatoda grossa
- Order & Family
- Araneae: Theridiidae
- Size
- Females 6-11 mm; Males 4-10 mm
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