Species Steatoda bipunctata

Classification · Other Common Names · Size · Range · Habitat · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

'Puffy' Spider ID? - Steatoda bipunctata

Unknown December spider - Steatoda bipunctata

Steatoda bipunctata (?) - Steatoda bipunctata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynae)

Family Theridiidae (Cobweb Spiders)

Genus Steatoda

Species bipunctata (Steatoda bipunctata)

Other Common Names

Rabbit Hutch Spider

Size

Body length of adult females 4.8 - 7.3mm, of adult males 4.4 - 6.0mm.(1)

Range

Imported (from Europe) and has been officially collected in these localities so far, according to published literature:

Canada: British Columbia(2), Newfoundland(1)(2), Nova Scotia(1)(2), New Brunswick(1)(2), Quebec(1)(2), Ontario(1)(2)

USA: Maine(1), New Hampshire(1), Washington (first record for the state from Orcas Island in 2002, see here)

Habitat

Usually found on man-made structures, like barns and garages.

Remarks

Evidence indicates that S. bipunctata, which closely resembles the native S. borealis in size, colour, microhabitat, diet activity, prey selection and utilization, life history, and sexual behaviour, can displace S. borealis.(3)

See Also

Steatoda borealis

Internet References

~ www.eurospiders.com - Images.

~ http://www.araneae.unibe.ch/Steatoda_bipunctata-data-73.html - Diagrams.

~ www.conservation.unibas.ch - (PDF) Evidence for displacement of a North American spider, Steatoda borealis (Hentz), by the European species S. bipunctata.

Works Cited

1.	The spider genera Crustulina and Steatoda in North America, Central America, and the West Indies (Araneae, Theridiidae) Herbert W. Levi. 1957. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard 117: 367-424.

2.	Checklist of the spiders (Araneae) of Canada and Alaska Paquin, Buckle, Duperre, & Dondale. 2010. Zootaxa 2461: 1–170.

3.	Evidence for displacement of a North American spider, Steatoda borealis by the European species S. bipunctata Martin Nyffeler, C. D. Dondale, J. H. Redner . 1986. Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Contributed by Jeff Hollenbeck on 25 May, 2006 - 8:22pm
Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott, Mandy Howe
Last updated 24 February, 2014 - 7:19am

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