Black Cobweb Spider

Habitat and feeding

Steatoda capensis is one of the cupboard spiders documented around houses outside its native range. Steatoda webs are tangled structures with sticky capture lines, often placed in sheltered spaces. The web is a prey trap rather than a sign of an insect-feeding colony.

Identification and uncertainty

The shared common name 'false widow' covers several species. A dark rounded abdomen or a household web is therefore insufficient to separate this spider from Steatoda grossa and related taxa. Species-level identification should accompany local records; the reviewed source does not establish Kauaʻi-specific prey preferences or reproductive timing.

Kauaʻi occurrence and evidence

Atlas occurrence category: Present. The Kauaʻi record is classified as “Present”. Its cited evidence source is iNaturalist Kauaʻi checklist.

Account coverage

Published species details have been added. A complete Kauaʻi-specific account of identification, habitat, feeding, reproduction, and population trend is not yet established by the sources linked here.

Names and classification

Scientific name

Steatoda capensis

Common names

Black Cobweb Spider

Family

Theridiidae

Order

Araneae

Record type

species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Present

Origin

Unknown

Conservation status

Not assessed

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal description

Black Cobweb Spider (Steatoda capensis) belongs to Theridiidae in the order Araneae.

Sources and further reading

• iNaturalist Kauaʻi checklist
• Habitat and feeding — species source