Comments & ID Thoughts
I'm not sure, but I'm afraid that it might be poisonous. Please help me identify this spider!
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Mar 22, 2024
- Photographed: Mar 22, 2024
- Spider: Steatoda borealis
- Location: Belmont, Massachusetts, United States
- Spotted Indoors: Basement or Cellar
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes:
Not dangerous at all, this is a Steatoda genus (False widow) probably bipunctata or borealis.
Species Steatoda bipunctata – BugGuide.Net
Spider – Steatoda borealis – BugGuide.Net
Thank you! “False widow” is a welcome and apt name. It gave me and my family a scare.
I went with S. borealis as the ID due to range and the light colored mark down the back. This isn’t far from where I live and I find many Northern False Widows here. @spider32432 We live in a very safe area. Don’t worry about Black Widows or Brown Recluses, we don’t have any evidence of medically significant spiders in the area. The False Widows are a great bonus! I was just giving some hydration to the ones that live in my kitchen. Near their webs I have a smooth fieldstone that I put drops of water on for them… Read more »
This photo was actually our first filed False Widow submission from Massachusetts!