Possible alien spider

[Chalk Downlanders]

Hi Folks
Heres a couple of piccys of a spider found inside a box of produce from "more than one country". I cannot see anything similar in the gallery so maybe you can help.
It is: 5mm wide, 7mm long, including legs 15mm long, chockolate in colour with a few light brown blotches and a very distinctive light brown line running around the front part of the body, legs are black, body and legs are hairless.

It looks like an animated coffee bean

Any ideas?

Thanks Chalk
The pictures are there it seems that a thumbnail is not available

[Venger]

Looks like a Steatoda grossa, a native spider - as well as Europe.

[Chalk Downlanders]

WOW this site has change since I last used it. I can't find my piccy to re-list it. A little help please.

Thanks
Chalk

[Chalk Downlanders]

Originally Posted by Venger

Looks like a Steatoda grossa, a native spider - as well as Europe.

I thank you

I have just done a search for this on the net. It does look like the Steatoda grossa in some piccys but nothing like it in others. Is this the difference between male and female?

Chalk

[wildherbalian85]

Steatoda nobilis... very common spider and its one of the dozen or so biting species.

Steatoda grossa has brighter markings.. and usualy smaller.

[Venger]

Originally Posted by wildherbalian85

Steatoda nobilis... very common spider and its one of the dozen or so biting species.

Steatoda grossa has brighter markings.. and usualy smaller.

Steatoda grossa can be completely black - their abdominal markings can be extremely variable (same with all Steatoda)
Size wise it fits right in, 6.5 - 10mm for a female (not including legs)

Though without epigyne info we are just guessing

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Venger

Steatoda grossa can be completely black - their abdominal markings can be extremely variable (same with all Steatoda)
Size wise it fits right in, 6.5 - 10mm for a female (not including legs)

Though without epigyne info we are just guessing

Im arachnaphobic so i dont like going near them but my neighbour loves them. We have several Nobilis in our conservatory and they are huge (bodies 10 - 15mm).. we also have slightly smaller grossa (6 - 10mm) which are more numerous.
I was pretty sure they were all Nobilis but next door kinda distinguished them, the nobilis tend to weave there webs up in the corners out of the way whilst the others just weave them anywere. Annother biting spider we have loads of is Segestria florentina and there is no confusing one of these. Now and then they are spotted in the house but are more common outside in the alley in the walls and vents.

The natural history museum has information on common biting spiders found in the UK, and also has descriptions of the spiders and there bites.

UK spider bites - Natural History Museum