False Black Widow (Steatoda grossa) lives in dark dry areas across Europe, North Africa, Western Asia. It feeds on flies and spiders.
Fascinating facts about the False Black Widow
- Female cupboard spiders tip the size scale at just 6-10.5 mm long, while males range from 4.1-10.0 mm and stay slimmer. Their dark, round abdomens echo the infamous black widow, yet they lack the bright hourglass. They can go months without food as long as water is available.
- A single female can produce three or more egg sacs each year, each packed with 40-100 eggs, turning a modest house into a hidden nursery. At typical indoor temperature and humidity, those eggs hatch in about a month, and the spiderlings are independent from the moment they emerge.
- Bites from the false widow are usually minor, causing only local blistering and pain, though a few victims report fever, nausea, sweating, or general malaise lasting several days. In a rare case, doctors successfully treated a bite with Latrodectus antivenom after mistakenly assuming the spider was a more dangerous Latrodectus species. This shows that while the spider's venom is weak compared with true widows, it can still provoke a medical response when misidentified.
- The cupboard spider builds three-dimensional cobwebs in dark corners, relying on vibrations rather than sight to detect prey or danger. Its irregular tangle of sticky silk is a hallmark of the Theridiidae family. The spider sheds its exoskeleton up to six times before reaching maturity, a process that allows rapid growth despite its tiny size. Though not aggressive, it will bite defensively if squeezed, reminding us that even the most hidden creatures can defend themselves when disturbed.
- Steatoda grossa is truly cosmopolitan: native to Europe and temperate Asia, it has been introduced across North and South America, Macaronesia, Africa, New Zealand and Hawaii.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEurope, North Africa, Western Asia
HabitatDark dry areas
DietFlies and spiders
About the False Black Widow
In the shadowy recesses of our everyday world, the False Black Widow weaves its intricate webs, a masterful architect of darkness and deception. With an unhurried elegance, it glides across its silken threads, a somber, high-gloss carapace glistening in the faint light that dares to penetrate its domain. As it moves, the subtle play of light on its dark, rounded abdomen seems to belie the potent venom that lies in wait, a reminder that even in the most mundane of settings, beauty and danger can entwine like the threads of its own ingenious snare.
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