FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Steatoda grossa is a member of the Steatoda genus, belonging to the family Theridiidae. There are 120 Steatoda species that exist. Steatoda grossa is also known as a false widow, cupboard spider, or dark comb-footed spider.
Steatoda grossa has a pale pattern on its abdomen. Their bite is not really considered harmful. Their habitat consists of buildings, trees, rocks, and so on. Usually, these spiders are mistaken for the true black widow, which belongs to another genus, but the same family. The lifespan of the female false widow is longer than the lifespan of the male. The Steatoda grossa (false black widow) builds webs in their natural habitat. Steatoda borealis, which belongs to the same family as Steatoda grossa, can be differentiated from the Steatoda grossa due to its smaller body.
If you like this article, check out the wolf spider and the yellow sac spider!
Steatoda grossa is a kind of spider. These creatures are also known as cupboard spiders or false black widow spiders.
These false widow spiders belong to the class Arachnida. They are part of the Theridiidae family and the Steatoda genus.
Though the exact number of false widow spiders is not known, these insects are spread out throughout the world in several places. Hence, it can be assumed they have a stable population. The several species under the genus Steatoda to which this spider belongs are also very commonly found around the world.
The cupboard spider (Steatoda grossa) has a cosmopolitan distribution. Hence, this spider is found in several places across the globe. Their locations include North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
These false widow spiders are most commonly seen on walls of houses, trees, and fence-like structures. They can also live under rocks and woods. In southern Europe, these spiders have been seen living in caves. This species makes webs where they reside, that are irregular in shape and made out of silk fibers. The females invest a lot of time to build their web.
This spider species are known to be solitary in nature. However, the male and female false black widow spiders do come together for mating. Since false widows live in urban areas, they also live near humans.
The female false widow spider has a longer life than the male. While female spiders of this species are known to live up to six years, the male spiders only live between one to one and a half years. The males usually die soon after mating with the females.
The males in this species belonging to Europe have been observed to make sounds with the use of their body parts while courting the females. This behavior is yet to be studied in the population of this species residing in North America. Once fertilization is carried out, the females lay three or more egg sacs. Each egg sac has 40-100 eggs, which are watched over by the female until the spiderlings hatch.
The conservation status of this species, steatoda grossa, has not been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN. However, since these spiders have a very wide distribution throughout the world, just like the other species under the genus Steatoda, it can be inferred that they are under no threat of endangerment. Their status, thus, is Not Evaluated.
This member of the Steatoda genus is usually dark in color with a round abdomen. Some of their typical colors are purplish brown, dark brown, black, white, or tan. They also have a pale pattern on their abdomen. The legs in the males are brighter than the legs in the females. However, both the sexes have a similar pattern of color.
Even though these spiders are mistaken for true black widows belonging to a different genus, the Steatoda grossa does not have any bright pattern on their bodies.
The false black widow spider may not appear cute to everyone, but just like any other organism, they are fun and interesting to learn about.
This species Steatoda grossa is known to communicate using chemical means and also vibrations and sounds. The male spiders are known to make vibrations along the web fibers during courtship. Some male populations of this species have also been documented producing sounds while courting the female. Since these spiders have poor eyesight, they mainly rely on web vibrations to assess their surroundings.
The females are usually larger than the males in this species. The length range of a female false widow is 0.2-0.4 in (6-10.5 mm), while that of the male false widow is 0.1-0.3 in (4.1-10 mm). The false black widows have a length similar to the real black widows.
Not much is known about how fast these spiders move. However, like other spiders, they alternately make use of their four pairs of legs to crawl around.
The precise weight of this species of spider is not known. However, in general, spiders do not weigh more than a few ounces. The Steatoda genus usually weighs about 0.03 oz (8.5 g).
The male and female spiders of this species are known as male Steatoda grossa and female Steatoda grossa, respectively.
A baby Steatoda grossa, or false widow, is known as a spiderling.
This steatoda species mainly feeds on other insects. They are also known to eat true black widows.
The false black widow is known to be quite docile and not aggressive towards humans. They only resort to biting if their web is disturbed in any way. Even though they do have some amount of venom or poison, it is not enough to cause long-term ill effects in humans.
The false widow is not commonly seen as a pet. However, some pet shops might sell this species.
These spiders can live for several months without eating as long as they have access to water.
Steatoda grossa and Steatoda borealis almost look the same, except the latter is smaller in size and is found in colder climates.
Steatoda grossa (false black widow) is not considered to be dangerous. Even though these spiders are capable of biting, the Steatoda grossa's bite is not dangerous. Steatoda grossa bite symptoms may include pain, fever, blisters at the site of the bite, and muscle spasms. However, these are not long-lasting.
Getting rid of the steatoda grossa can be done by vacuuming the house and clearing out their web. You may also capture the spider in a glass jar and release them somewhere away from your home.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the six-eyed sand spider and the orb-weaver spider.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our scary spider coloring pages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steatoda_grossa
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/identify-nature/spiders-in-your-home/false-widow-spiders.html
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.