Comments & ID Thoughts
Is it a false widow?
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Mar 6, 2019
- Photographed: Mar 6, 2019
- Spider: Steatoda grossa (False Black Widow)
- Location: Waterford, Ireland
- Spotted Indoors: Other
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes: Dorsal
Is it a false widow?
Anyone know what kind of spider this is?
You’re right that it is a spider that is called a false widow. The family is Theridiidae. At the top right of your screen at the “more” symbol there is the option of Taxonomy. There you can find a simple breakdown of the types of spiders. I’ll try to find something that might match for Ireland.
Thank you for your reply. Are they dangerous? I’m totally terrified of spiders.
You’re welcome. I found an article about false widows spreading in Ireland over the last 20 years. The spiders shown with the article were Steatoda noblis. Yours looks more like Steatoda grossa, which is also possible. This website has a mission of being welcoming to people afraid of spiders. We are happy to talk with you. False widows, like most spiders, have venom for killing their prey. The venoms differ in chemistry and are targeted at certain types of living things. Most spider venom is targeted at insects and other spiders. False widows prefer dark,safe,enclosed places and avoid people. I… Read more »
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