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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Steatoda » False Black Widow (Steatoda grossa)
Photo#344412
Young Steatoda grossa Couple - Steatoda grossa - male - female
Copyright © 2009 Mandy Howe

Young Steatoda grossa Couple - Steatoda grossa - Male Female
Enumclaw, Forested Unincorporated King County, Washington, USA
September 1, 2009
Size: female 4mm; male 6mm
I noticed this couple for the first time outside around midnite back on September 1st. The female appears significantly younger than the male, who is mature, but they have remained paired together and have yet to mate (obviously, since she's not mature yet). I've checked on them every night since 9/1/09. I think the male has put 'dibs' on her and decided to co-habitate and fight off other males until she is ready? Neato. Also, the female is the one in the upper portion of the photo and that is the male's ventral side showing.
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Contributed by Mandy Howe on 19 October, 2009 - 2:23am
Last updated 1 September, 2011 - 4:47am

Reversed?
It appears to me the male is in the upper part of the image and the female below. Hard to say, though....
… Eric R. Eaton, 19 October, 2009 - 12:01pm login or register to post comments

 
Nope :)
I just submitted two images of the ventral aspect of the males. It can be easy to confuse them for females if you're not close enough to see for sure. In this particular case, I was close enough to see that it was a male in the lower portion of the photo. The white glare that is directly where an epigynum would be (in a female) is just that, only a glare from my flash. :) Check out these photos of one of my males:
… Mandy Howe, 19 October, 2009 - 9:21pm login or register to post comments

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