shiney black spider ID

[fpdave]

found this in my kitchen, in Sussex, about 20 miles from coast).

Its currently in jam jar awaiting a decision on its future.



and for sizing:


its body is about 9-10mm long. Its covered in fine hairs. Its doesnt seem to have any markings on its back or I would suspect a False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)

[Wild-Woman]

Think Steatoda sp. See link
Steatoda Bipunctata

Nice find. Hope it's going to a good little habitat, where it's safe from harm.

Welcome to WAB btw.

Jules

[fpdave]

habitat depends on whether it can bite like the false widow sometimes does. if not then my back garden, if it bites then someone elses back garden ;-)

[nightshade]

Well done WW,I agree

[goosey]

Hello FPdave , that is a strange looking spider, not the usual sort you find in the house. I'm afraid spiders are the only things that freak me out, yesteday I discovered all sorts of insects and invertabrates including 2 huge beetles when we were forced to move some railway sleepers and I was happily snapping away. If a spider had appeared I would have been off - stupid I know.
I couldn't tell you if they bite or not, but I always find the furthest point from the kitchen door is a good place to release them!

[fpdave]

I'm pretty sure it hasnt got any white markings on the abdomen as steatoda bipunctata is supposed to have, the white mark on my photo is reflection. However, it does have some less dark areas I suppose, just around the white refelection in my photo, which is somewhat like that of the photo that WW linked to.

It says the steatoda bipunctata is very common in houses, but perhaps thats the whole family, which vary enormously it seems.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome, and thanks for helping me out ID this spider. Spent most of the evening trying to get a good photo, and my mum was trying to help me with her spiders guidebook over the phone and she was starting to think it looked awfully like a real male black widow and was wondering it i'd bought anything from Oz recently ;-) I was getting a little worried also, so was "handling with care" especially as it seemed very keen to get out!

[demicav]

There are 120 recognized species in Steatoda family, some easily mistaken for widows. The Steatoda nobilis spread to south of England in bananas from the Canary islands, where it's native. It supposidly gives a painful bite but like many creatures would prefer to flee than fight.

[fpdave]

The Steatoda nobilis is supposed to have a whitish ring around the front of its abdomen, so I discounted it.

[demicav]

It looks like a female steatoda bipunctata, male is more slender.

[fpdave]

the Steatoda bipunctata female clearly has a white band (shown in pic below), which mine does not


from site Theridiidae Nesticidae

and mine has a much darker abdomen, and if anything less dark mid parts: