# False widow

*Steatoda spp.*

**Identification confidence:** Identifiable with care

## How to recognise it

- Glossy dark brown to purplish-black with a globular abdomen, closely resembling a black widow at a glance.
- There is no red hourglass on the underside. A pale crescent or band often marks the front of the abdomen instead — this is the separator.
- Body 6 to 11 mm, slightly smaller and less glossy black than a mature female widow.

## What it leaves behind

- Irregular tangle webs in sheds, garages, cupboards, and around window frames.
- Round cream egg sacs in the web, similar to a widow's.

## Why an infestation persists

Steatoda species are commonly killed in mistake for black widows. Bites are uncommon and not medically significant, and these spiders prey on widows where their ranges overlap.


## Where it occurs

Widespread across the United States.

## What prevents it

- Remove webbing mechanically and reduce clutter in sheds and garages.
- Wear gloves when moving long-undisturbed stored material.

## Commonly confused with

- **Black widow** (*Latrodectus mactans and related species*) — Mature females are glossy jet black with a red or orange hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen — visible only from below, so the spider must be seen from underneath or in its web.

**Verdict:** prevention-first. Not medically significant; identification against black widow usually ends the question.

Source: https://againstpest.shop/identify/spiders/false-widow/