Steatoda
(False Widows)

Picture ID 55917

Comments & ID Thoughts

Found this in my kitchen. It looks black with a grey or white line down its back. Please help me identify this. Hoping it’s not poisonous. Thank you.

Submitted by:
jelatin
Submitted: Apr 4, 2019
Photographed: Apr 4, 2019
Spider: Steatoda (False Widows)
Location: Monteview, Idaho, United States
Spotted Indoors: Other
Found in web?: Yes
Attributes: Dorsal

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BugmanDan

April 4, 2019 7:22 pm

Hi, looks to be a false black widow, Steatoda grossa. Not dangerous at all.
If she is out of the way, you could just leave her to eat pest bugs.
Had one by my front door in Mountain home.
She will live her life in her web unless driven or starved out.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/6932

-1

Jelatin

Photo Owner

Reply to BugmanDan

April 4, 2019 7:33 pm

Thank you, flies out here in the country, so it will be a buffet every day. By the way, I named him Henry.

BugmanDan

Reply to Jelatin

April 4, 2019 7:51 pm

Maybe consider Henrietta,,this is a female.
Mine I named Cassi (Cassiopeia) the seated queen.

Jelatin

Photo Owner

Reply to BugmanDan

April 4, 2019 7:57 pm

Oh my goodness lol! It was so big, thought it was a boy. Name change for sure. New name is Sally.

BugmanDan

Reply to Jelatin

April 4, 2019 8:17 pm

In the spider kindom,often the males are smaller. Leggier perhaps.

Jelatin

Photo Owner

Reply to BugmanDan

April 4, 2019 7:56 pm

Oh my goodness lol! It was so big, thought it was a boy. Name change for sure. New name is Sally.

ItsyBitsy

Moderator

April 13, 2019 4:43 pm

Looks suspiciously like Steatods castanea, I haven’t heard of that species in Idaho before but it’s range is expanding. There are also other less well documented Steatoda it may be. This doesn’t look like S. grossa.