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 This is the largest spider of the
genus Steatoda in California
and may be confused with Steatoda grossa. It is common in western Europe and its
appearance in California was first made in San Diego. It is now widespread in coastal southern
California. Steatoda
nobilis is native to Madeira and the Canary Islands from where
it is believed to have spread to Europe, and continued to spread to other
parts of the world including the United States, Chile, Colombia and other
countries.
This spider is one of the world's
most invasive spider species. It differs in
appearance from the false black widow spider, S. grossa, which is brown or dark purple in color with a
light band on the front of the abdomen, and it is about the size of a mature
black widow spider, Latroductus mactans
(Fab). Steatoda
nobilis spiders are observed year round, both indoors and
outdoors in a variety of habitats including cacti, roadside cuttings, and
abandoned buildings. They prey on
both vertebrates and invertebrates using a technique where silk is wrapped
around the prey.
There are no harmful effects associated
with the bite of this spider and its venom is not especially toxic.
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The neglected cousins: What do we know about the smaller Arachnid
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The smaller arachnid orders: diversity, descriptions and distributions
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The neglected cousins: what do we know about the smaller arachnid
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Medical Entomology. Comstock
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