False Black Widow (Cupboard Spider)

Natural Habitat

Typically found in sheltered, dark environments such as cupboards, basements, wall voids, and under rocks or logs. They frequently inhabit human dwellings.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous; they primarily feed on insects (including flies and ants) and other spiders, using a messy scaffold-style cobweb to snare prey.

Behavior Patterns

Mainly nocturnal; they are relatively sedentary spiders that stay near their webs. They go through multiple molts and can live for several years. They are known to play dead or retreat when threatened.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits the ecosystem by controlling pest populations. While their bite can occasionally cause localized pain, blistering, or mild illness in humans (steatodism), they are not considered medically significant and are generally non-aggressive unless squeezed or handled.

Identified on: 4/11/2026