Steatoda nobilis
(Noble False Widow)

Picture ID 193968

Comments & ID Thoughts

I think this is a false black widow.
Found inside door recess in glasshouse, living in door keyhole

Submitted by:
dragonflytim
Submitted: Mar 5, 2024
Photographed: Mar 5, 2024
Spider: Steatoda nobilis (Noble False Widow)
Location: Writtle, Chelmsford Essex, United Kingdom
Spotted Indoors: Other
Found in web?: No
Attributes:

9 Comments

oldest

newest most voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

0959kedi

March 5, 2024 7:05 am

Steatoda paykulliana or Steatoda bipunctata.

TangledWeb

Moderator

Reply to 0959kedi

March 5, 2024 6:38 pm

You know Steatoda well. Could this be S. parkulliana because there are faint lines on the sides?

0959kedi

Reply to TangledWeb

March 5, 2024 11:28 pm

Most likely S. paykulliana but I don’t have much knowledge about S. bipunctata so I’m not sure.

Looks like S. bipunctata has more light brown abdomen and has a marking on abdomen.
S. bipunctata pics:
https://araneae.nmbe.ch/gallery/photos/73
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/146685-Steatoda-bipunctata/browse_photos

Nod

March 6, 2024 1:58 am

I am pretty sure this is Steatoda nobilis. It looks to me to have a washed out version of this pattern..https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/Registration-Department/Registration-Blog/The-Widows-Arrival. They loose their pattern with each successive molt.

0959kedi

Reply to Nod

March 6, 2024 11:21 am

I commented but it says “Awaiting for approval” so I’m commenting again:

Picture you sent shows an adult S. nobilis. Yes, some specimens can be found with less white patterns(For example: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130526388) but most of their abdomen is still white and abdomen’s sides are white.

S. paykulliana females with white patterns looks a lot more matching.

Last edited 1 year ago by 0959kedi

TangledWeb

Moderator

Reply to 0959kedi

March 11, 2024 1:25 am

Steatoda have their markings as indentations in their chitin. I see the shape of the markings of S. nobilis indented into this spider. That is why I chose that as the identification.