Steatoda
The spider genus Steatoda, in the family Theridiidae, includes about 120 recognized species, distributed around the world. One common name is cupboard spider, for many species build their webs in dark, sheltered, undisturbed places around the house or garden, in sheds and garages, in compost bins, and in cupboards and dark nooks and corners. Signs of a Steatoda spider include a messy, tangled web with small white spots of spider droppings and insect exoskeletons in the area underneath the web.
Many spiders of the genus Steatoda are often mistaken for widow spiders, and are known as false widows. The two genera are closely related – both occurring in the same family, Theridiidae – but Steatoda are significantly less harmful to humans. Not all Steatoda species resemble black widows – they come in many different colors and sizes, mostly smaller than Latrodectus species. Steatoda paykulliana can grow larger than the black widow, and Steatoda castanea looks more like a brown widow.
Description
The colour can range from sandy pale brown to reddish plum to satiny black. Like most spiders, its cephalothorax is smaller than its abdomen, which is somewhat egg-shaped, and can have white or beige to orange markings. Although sometimes not or partially visible, these markings usually consists of a frontal crescent, often with a dorsal line or triangular shapes or both. Orange to reddish-marked Steatoda paykulliana can be mistaken for the redback spider).In common with other members of the family Theridiidae, Steatoda construct a tangled web, i.e., an irregular tangle of sticky silken fibers. These spiders have very poor eyesight and depend mostly on vibrations reaching them through their webs to orient themselves to prey or to warn them of larger animals that could injure or kill them.
Confused with black widows
Those commonly mistaken for widows include:S. borealis. A common species in North America, often mistaken for the black widow.S. capensis, the black cobweb or false katipo spider. It originates in South Africa, and is found in Australia and New Zealand; in the latter location it is often confused with the katipō spider.S. grossa, often known as the cupboard spider. A dark-colored spider which resembles specimens of Latrodectus, though without the characteristic red hourglass marks found on most widow spiders. Bites by S. grossa are rare but painful. Originally from Europe, but now found worldwide.S. nobilis. This spider, a native of the Canary Islands, has since been introduced into the United Kingdom and across Europe. and sensationalized stories about the bite of Steatoda nobilis have featured in UK newspaper articles. Its bite is reported to be painful, but normally no worse than a wasp sting,S. paykulliana, another spider which is often confused with Latrodectus. This one is generally found in the range of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus and is frequently confused with it. Has a medically significant bite.Notable species
Other notable and recognizable species in the genus include:S. bipunctata. A common house spider in Europe.S. triangulosa, the triangulate cobweb spider, a common household spider noted for a pattern of triangles on the dorsal side of its abdomen. Not known to bite; found worldwide.S. hespera, the western bud spider. This species is commonly found in the western United States and Canada, where it is an effective predator of the hobo spider. It is often confused with the black widow, despite being significantly smaller and having no bright-colored markings. Not known to bite humans, but has a venom which is similar to S. paykulliana.Diet
Steatoda is known to prey on other spiders, crickets, ladybugs, cockroaches, and woodlice.Bites
Some members of this genus do have bites which are reported to have generalized symptoms in humans. However total number of cases are rare with one ever in France and England each, and 5 in Ireland. A review by Isbister noted 23 over 3 years in Australia. No bites have required medical treatment, and bites by Steatoda species generally do not have any long-lasting effects. Symptoms can include moderate to severe pain increasing for the first hour. Some people have reported mild to moderate nausea, headache, and lethargy. The duration of all symptoms and effects can range from 1 to 60 hours.The symptoms associated with the bite of several Steatoda species have been named steatodism; and have been described as a less-severe form of latrodectism. The redback spider antivenom has been thought to be effective at treating bites from S. grossa, after it was mistakenly administered to a S. grossa bite victim who was erroneously believed to have been bitten by the far more dangerous redback. Redback spider#cite note-lancet-90|
Steatoda spiders are not aggressive, and most injuries to humans are due to defensive bites delivered when a spider is squeezed or pinched. It is possible that some bites result when a spider mistakes a finger thrust into its web for another arthropod, but intrusion by any large creature will cause these spiders to flee.
Species
, this genus includes 118 species and two subspecies:Steatoda adumbrata – Australia Steatoda aethiopica – Central AfricaSteatoda alamosa Gertsch, 1960 – United States, MexicoSteatoda albocincta – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, LibyaSteatoda alboclathrata – IndiaSteatoda albomaculata – North America, Europe, North Africa, Russia, Caucasus, Middle East, Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, India, China, Korea, JapanSteatoda anchorata – Mexico to ChileSteatoda ancora – Russia Steatoda andina – Venezuela to ChileSteatoda apacheana Gertsch, 1960 – United StatesSteatoda atascadera Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 – United StatesSteatoda atrocyanea – New Caledonia, Loyalty Is.Steatoda autumnalis – MexicoSteatoda badia – SenegalSteatoda bertkaui – Indonesia, New GuineaSteatoda bipunctata – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China. Introduced to Canada, South AmericaSteatoda borealis – Alaska, Canada, United StatesSteatoda capensis Hann, 1990 – Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho. Introduced to St. Helena, Australia, New Zealand, HawaiiSteatoda carbonaria – DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea- * S. c. minor – CongoSteatoda caspia Ponomarev, 2007 – KazakhstanSteatoda castanea – Europe, Turkey, Russia, Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, China. Introduced to Canada Steatoda chinchipe Levi, 1962 – Ecuador, PeruSteatoda cingulata – India, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia Steatoda concolor – Algeria, Tunisia, LibyaSteatoda connexa – South AfricaSteatoda craniformis Zhu & Song, 1992 – ChinaSteatoda dahli – Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia,, IranSteatoda diamantina Levi, 1962 – BrazilSteatoda dickjonesi Bosselaers & Van Keer, 2024 – Pyrenees Steatoda distincta – MadeiraSteatoda ephippiata – Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, IranSteatoda erigoniformis – North Africa, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Middle East, India, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to United States, Caribbean, Venezuela, Cape Verde, South AfricaSteatoda fagei – South AfricaSteatoda fallax – Cape VerdeSteatoda felina – CongoSteatoda foravae Dippenaar-Schoeman & Müller, 1992 – South AfricaSteatoda grandis Banks, 1901 – United StatesSteatoda grossa – Europe, Turkey, Russia, Caucasus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North and South America, Macaronesia, St. Helena, Africa, New Zealand, HawaiiSteatoda gui Zhu, 1998 – ChinaSteatoda hespera Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933 – Canada, United StatesSteatoda hui Zhu, 1998 – ChinaSteatoda ifricola Lecigne, Lips, Moutaouakil & Oger, 2020 – MoroccoSteatoda iheringi – Brazil, Paraguay, ArgentinaSteatoda ingeae Van Keer, 2024 – MoroccoSteatoda kiwuensis – Central AfricaSteatoda koeni Van Keer, 2024 – MoroccoSteatoda kuytunensis Zhu, 1998 – ChinaSteatoda latifasciata – Canary Islands, Italy, North Africa, Israel, JordanSteatoda lawrencei Brignoli, 1983 – South AfricaSteatoda leonardi – MyanmarSteatoda lepida – New ZealandSteatoda linzhiensis Hu, 2001 – ChinaSteatoda livens – Australia Steatoda longurio – Central AfricaSteatoda mainlingensis – Kyrgystan, ChinaSteatoda mainlingoides Yin, Griswold, Bao & Xu, 2003 – ChinaSteatoda marta Levi, 1962 – ColombiaSteatoda maura – Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Israel, IranSteatoda mexicana Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoSteatoda micans – VietnamSteatoda minima – NigerSteatoda moesta – Mexico to BrazilSteatoda mormorata – South AfricaSteatoda morsitans – South AfricaSteatoda nahuana Gertsch, 1960 – MexicoSteatoda nasata – Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, AustraliaSteatoda ngipina Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesSteatoda nigrimaculata Zhang, Chen & Zhu, 2001 – ChinaSteatoda nigrocincta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – Pakistan, and China, Steatoda niveosignata – Australia Steatoda nobilis – Macaronesia. Introduced to United States, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, St. Helena, Europe, TurkeySteatoda octonotata – Australia Steatoda pallens Zamani & Marusik, 2025 – IranSteatoda palomara Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 – United StatesSteatoda pardalia Yin, Griswold, Bao & Xu, 2003 – ChinaSteatoda paykulliana – Europe, Mediterranean to Central Asia, IndiaSteatoda pengyangensis Hu & Zhang, 2012 – ChinaSteatoda perakensis Simon, 1901 – MalaysiaSteatoda perspicillata – MyanmarSteatoda picea – CameroonSteatoda porteri – ChileSteatoda punctulata – United States, MexicoSteatoda quadrimaculata – USA to Venezuela, CaribbeanSteatoda quaesita – MexicoSteatoda quinquenotata – Cape VerdeSteatoda retorta González, 1987 – ArgentinaSteatoda rhombifera – Russia Steatoda rubrocalceolata – Equatorial Guinea Steatoda rufoannulata – India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, JavaSteatoda sabulosa – Bolivia, Argentina, ChileSteatoda saltensis Levi, 1957 – MexicoSteatoda seriata – Indonesia Steatoda singoides – TanzaniaSteatoda sordidata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – China Steatoda speciosa – MyanmarSteatoda spina Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaSteatoda subannulata – New Guinea Steatoda terastiosa Zhu, 1998 – ChinaSteatoda terebrui Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaSteatoda tigrina – TanzaniaSteatoda tortoisea Yin, Griswold, Bao & Xu, 2003 – ChinaSteatoda transversa – United States, MexicoSteatoda trianguloides Levy, 1991 – Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, IranSteatoda triangulosa – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, India, China, Korea. Introduced to Canada, United States, Argentina, Canary Islands, South AfricaSteatoda tristis – TanzaniaSteatoda truncata – New ZealandSteatoda ulleungensis Paik, 1995 – KoreaSteatoda uncata Zhang, Chen & Zhu, 2001 – ChinaSteatoda variabilis – East AfricaSteatoda variata Gertsch, 1960 – United States, Mexico
- * S. v. china Gertsch, 1960 – United States, MexicoSteatoda variipes – PeruSteatoda vaulogeri – VietnamSteatoda verae Van Keer, 2024 – SpainSteatoda wangi Zhu, 1998 – ChinaSteatoda wanshou Yin, 2012 – ChinaSteatoda washona Gertsch, 1960 – United States, MexicoSteatoda xerophila Levy & Amitai, 1982 – IsraelSteatoda xishuiensis Zhang, Chen & Zhu, 2001 – China