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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Steatoda

Genus Steatoda

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Steatoda borealis - male Lyniphiidae wrapping a crane fly - Steatoda Steatoda borealis - female Steatoda grossa (False Black Widow)? - Steatoda triangulosa UK Spider - Steatoda spider - Steatoda triangulosa Steatoda borealis? - Steatoda borealis spider on porch 2022 April 11 - Steatoda nobilis
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
Numbers
20 species in our region. (1)
20 species and one subspecies according to the World Spider Catalog.
Several species historically placed in this genus (such as S. americana and pulchra) have been moved to Asagena.
Size
Females: 2.5-11.0 mm; Males: 2.0-7.5 mm. (1)
Identification
Coloration purple-brown, often with white line around anterior of abdomen and other markings. Large colulus.
Several groups of species in this genus and Asagena have very similar external appearances, making species ID tricky. Many species can also have very faint to nearly-invisible patterning, making habitus-based IDs even more difficult.
Range
More specific range information will be added when time/resources allow.

S. alamosa - southwest TX into Mexico(2)
S. albomaculata - Southern Canada to central Mexico. Widespread across the western US and also found in states bordering Lake Michigan & in New England(3)
S. apacheana - southern CO, AZ, NM(2)
S. atascadera - western CA from Riverside to Santa Cruz counties(3)
S. bipunctata - eastern Canada and New England(3). More recent populations found in BC, WA around Vancouver and Seattle.
S. borealis US/Canada east of the Rockies, AK(3) (only species in AK)
S. castanea (one specimen found in Canada, described as being probably a stowaway in a greenhouse and not reflective of an established population)(3)
S. erigoniformis FL (tropical)
S. grandis - SD, WY, OR, UT, CO, AZ, NM(3)
S. grossa - widespread
S. hespera - US/southern Canada west of the Rockies(3)
S. mexicana - ID, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX into Mexico (3)
S. nobilis - CA, often found elsewhere as as stowaway in produce
S. palomara - San Diego County, CA(3)
S. punctulata - Southern Texas and southern Arizona into Mexico(2)
S. quadrimaculata - Gulf coast states (FL, MS, LA, coastal TX) into Mexico(3)
S. transversa - southern CA, southern AZ, southern TX into Mexico(3)
S. triangulosa - Widespread in the United States.
S. variata - UT, AZ, CO, NM, southern WY, western TX, Mexico(2)
- variata china - very southern tip of TX
S. washona - OR, ID, CA, NV, UT, AZ(2)
Remarks
Steatoda & Asagena Article
See Also
Asagena
Print References
"The Spider Genera Steatoda and Enoplognatha in America", Levi, Psyche, 1962. (not that helpful)
Internet References
digitallibrary.amnh.org - PDF Article, The fulva group of the spider genus Steatoda (Araneae, Theridiidae). Gertsch, 1960. (good reference)

biodiversitylibrary.org - PDF Article, Spider Genera Crustulina and Steatoda. Levi, 1957. (good reference)
Works Cited
1.Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual
D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing and V. Roth (eds). 2005. American Arachnological Society.
2.The fulva Group of the Spider Genus Steatoda
W.J. Gertsch. 1960. American Museum novitates ; no. 1982.
3.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.
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 10 September, 2004 - 4:16pm
Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott, Jay Barnes, dragonfly12, kschnei, Laura P., chuuuuung
Last updated 20 June, 2024 - 11:57pm

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