Stats

Lifespan: 1-6 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Insectivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Venom
Status: Common

About

False black widows are the largest spiders in the United States, with some individuals reaching up to 12 inches in length. They are known for their distinctive black markings on their backs, which are actually the remains of their exoskeletons.

Life cycle

1.
egg sac
A silk-wrapped egg sac shelters a clutch of eggs until the young are ready to emerge.
2.
juvenile
A spiderling emerges from the egg sac already in miniature adult form and starts catching prey almost immediately.
3.
subadult
A near-adult arachnid molts through several instars, growing larger and developing mature markings.
4.
adult
Fully grown after its final molt.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Steatoda
Species: Steatoda grossa