Steatoda

Steatode ( lat. Steatoda ) - a genus of spiders from the family of spider- web -snare (Theridiidae). Includes over 120 species, distributed worldwide. Steatodes of many kinds build their networks in dark, sheltered, calm places, around a house or in a garden, in barns and garages, under garden furniture, and the like. Signs of the presence of steatodes include small white spots of droppings of spiders, like small splashes of paint, on the floor under a cobweb.

Steatode
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryotes Kingdom: Animals Kingdom : Eumetazoi No rank : Bilateral symmetrical No rank : Primary No rank : Molting No rank : Panarthropoda Type of: Arthropods Subtype : Chelicerae Grade: Arachnids Squad: Spiders Suborder : Opisthothelae Infrastructure : Araneomorphic Spiders Treasure : Neocribellatae Series : Entelegynae Superfamily : Araneoidea Family: Creepy Spiders Subfamily : Latrodectinae Gender: Steatoda
International scientific name
Steatoda
Kinds
S. bipunktata S. borealis S. capensis S. grossa S. iheringi S. hespera S. nobilis S. paykulliana S. triangulosa

Large steatode female

They have a small cephalothorax and large abdomen, several ovoid in shape. Color can vary from brown or reddish plum to satin black. The abdomen is often with white or beige spots, a frontal crescent, and sometimes, small red spots or a thin red line (rather than a stripe like a red-backed spider ).

Female Steatoda paykulliana

Often, spiders from the genus Steatoda are often mistaken for black widows, steatodes are known as false widows . They are closely related (in the Theridiidae family ), but Steatoda is much less dangerous to humans. Not all types of steatodes resemble black widows - many have different colors, and are much smaller in size than black widows. Some species of steatodes actually prey on widows, as well as other spiders that are considered dangerous to humans.

Some members of this genus have bites that are clinically significant for humans (for example, a large steatode and a noble steatode); however, steatode bites , as a rule, do not have a lasting effect. There may be blisters at the site of the bite, malaise for several days. Symptoms: moderate to severe pain increases during the first hour (without excessive sweating). Some people have reported nausea, headache, and lethargy. The duration of all symptoms and consequences can vary from 1 to 60 hours. Symptoms associated with the bites of several types of steatodes are known in medicine as steatodism ; and have been described as a less severe form of latrodectism (symptoms associated with black widow bites).

Like other spider- web spiders , steatodes weave a web in the form of a shapeless ball of sticky silk fibers. Like other spider- web spiders , these spiders have very poor eyesight and are mainly dependent on the fluctuations of their web in order to focus on prey or to find larger animals that could injure or kill them. They are not aggressive, and most injuries people get due to defensive bites if the spider is pressed or pinched. It is possible that some bites occur when a spider confuses a finger on the web with its normal prey, but usually the invasion of any large creature will cause these spiders to flee.

Steatodes are known to prey on other spiders (including black widows) of crickets , cockroaches , and wood lice .