Cellar spider, Steatoda grossa
Cellar spider, Steatoda grossa (submitted by NaturePlus user jimbo1531)
Out of the 6 species of false widow spider found in the UK, this is the one which most resembles black widow spiders.
It is black or purplish brown, But, unlike a true black widow, its bulbous abdomen has pale rather than red markings. Adult females are around 10mm.
Black widow spiders, Latrodectus species, and false widows, Steatoda species, both belong to the comb-footed spider family, the Theridiidae. They both bite humans, but false widow spider bites are considerably less harmful to humans. False widow spider bite reports include symptoms such as chest pains, swelling and tingling of fingers.
Favouring dark corners, outbuildings, hollow trees and caves, in the UK the cellar spider is most common in the southern half of Britain.
