Although the males can live for up to 18 months, they die shortly after mating. Each sac can contain 200 or more cream-colored eggs. False Black Widow Spider Reproductionįalse Black Widow Spiders mate in the spring and the females can produce three or more egg sacs or cocoons from May through to July. False Black Widow Spiders mainly eat crawling insects, especially isopods (sowbugs and pillbugs). Some species of False Black Widow Spiders will actually prey on Black Widow Spiders, as well as other spiders which are considered hazardous to humans. It is possible that some bites may result when a spider mistakes a finger thrust into its web for its normal prey, however, ordinarily intrusion by any large creature will cause these spiders to flee.įalse Black Widow Spiders are now increasing in numbers in the United Kingdom due to global warming. As with other web-weaving spiders, False Black Widow Spiders have very poor eyesight.įalse Black Widow Spiders depend mostly on vibrations reaching them through their webs to orient themselves to prey or warn them of danger such as larger animals that could injure or kill them.įalse Black Widow Spiders are not aggressive spiders and most injuries to humans are due to defensive bites delivered when a spider gets accidentally disturbed.
Adults occur from June to November.įalse Black Widow Spiders construct a cobweb of an irregular tangle of sticky silken fibres. Originally a native of southern Europe as far east as Georgia. False Black Widow Spiders are also common around dwellings and gardens as well as under rocks and wood. False Black Widow Spider Habitat and Spider Websįalse Black Widow Spiders are usually found in walls, fences and the bark of trees. Apart from the color differences from the Black Widow spider (Latrodectus), False Black Widow Spiders have teeth on their chelicerae (mouth parts found in arachnids, Merostomata (horseshoe crabs) and Pycnogonida (sea spiders). Most False Black Widow Spiders are a brownish color with pale markings. Not all Steatoda species resemble widows – many have distinct coloring and are significantly smaller. The males body is thinner and more elongate than the females, however, the color pattern is similar. False Black Widow Spiders have round, bulbous abdomens. Females are larger than males and measure up to 15 millimetres while the males measure up to 10 millimetres. False Black Widow Spider Characteristicsįalse Black Widow Spiders have a similar shape to widow spiders. (see False Black Widow Spider Venom below). False Black Widow Spiders are less harmful to humans than Black Widows, however, their bite can still be extremely painful. They are found among human populations worldwide. Photographed in the Soberania Jungle, Panama.Many spiders in the genus ‘Steatoda’ are mistaken for Black Widow spiders and therefore known as ‘ False Black Widow Spiders‘. Spider from Tambopata River region of Peru. Cyclosa Reeves, I photographed this hard-to-find species while traveling to the Tambopata River region, Peru. This defensive strategy confused predators into attacking the fake spider. This spider, which you can see at the top of this collection of dead insects, is a tiny arachnid that designs fake spiders. Photographed on a heliconia near El Valle de Anton, Panama. I write about trying to identify this species. Possibly picadus granulatus, photographed in El Valle de Anton, Panama. Photographed in the Tambopata region, Peru. Phoneutria genus, photographed on the Tambopata River, Peru. Photographed on Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Gasteracantha genus, photographed on Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. I photographed this Spiny-backed Orbweaver and wrote about it in my Bahamian Dry Forest journal. Photographed on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. You see the little spider in the upper left of this photo? That's the male. Menemerus semilimbatus, Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece
This species walks across the surface of the water like a water bug. Photographed on the Dark Divide Trail, Washington. Photographed in Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon. Argiope appensa,Photographed on Kauai, Hawaii I used this photo of the large and beautiful Hawaiian Spider when writing about coral reef issues on the North Shore of Kauai. Unlike my other animal pages, I do not attempt to identify most spiders, and certainly appreciate identification help from anybody. Many species of arachnids require the help of experts to identify in the field. I was born with an innate fear of spiders, but slowly, I've learned to appreciate their fascinating beauty and diversity.
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