Steatoda capensis
Species of spider

Steatoda capensis
Female
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Steatoda
Species:
S. capensis
Binomial name
Steatoda capensis
Hann, 1990[1]
Synonyms[3]
  • Teutana lepida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904[2]
  • Steatoda lepida Benoit, 1977

Steatoda capensis is a spider originating from South Africa. Its common names include the black cobweb spider, brown house spider, cupboard spider and due to its similarities to the katipō spider it is commonly known as the false katipō in New Zealand.[4]

Common throughout Southern Africa,[5] it has been introduced into other countries and is now present in Australia and throughout New Zealand.[6]

Description

  • female
    female
  • female with egg sac
    female with egg sac

Steatoda capensis is a small spider, usually an all-over shiny black. It may have a small bright red, orange, or yellow patch near the tip of the abdomen along with a crescent shaped band near the front of the abdomen.[7]

Distribution and habitat

Steatoda capensis is native to South Africa but is also found in Australia and New Zealand (where it is especially widespread in the latter).[6] The spiders are synanthropic and frequently live on or in buildings. They also occur in a variety of other habitats such as sand dunes.[7]

Ecology

In New Zealand, Steatoda capensis occurs in sand dunes where the endemic katipō spider also occurs. The two spiders occupy similar niches to one another, but S. capensis can reproduce more quickly. Because of this, it is possible that S. capensis is slowly displacing katipō spiders from their native habitat, which may be a contributing factor in their declining population.[8]

Etymology

The species name of "capensis" refers to Cape Town, which is where the spider originates.[1]

Taxonomy

  • female
    female
  • female
    female
  • male
    male
  • male
    male

Steatoda capensis was first described in 1904 as Teutana lepida by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge from specimens collected in South Africa.[9] In 1977, T. lepida was moved to the Steatoda genus since Teutana had previously been recognized as a synonym of Steatoda.[10] However, in 1990, it was recognized that there was separate species of spider named Steatoda lepida, so the species that was formerly T. lepida was renamed as Steatoda capensis.[1]

Interactions with humans

Although not severe, S. capensis produce a painful bite when threatened. Bites are predominately inflicted by females, but males also have the potential to bite. Bites from S. capensis can cause steatodism, which can be thought of as a less severe form of latrodectism. Effects of the bite typically include localized pain and redness around the bite, but may also include nausea and headaches.[11] Antivenom typically used for Latrodectus hasselti bites may also be effective on S. capensis bites.[12]

Conservation

Steatoda capensis is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. The species is well protected in reserves and parks.[13]

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Hann, S.W. (1990). "A new combination involving Lithyphantes lepidus Cambridge 1897 and a new name for Teutana lepida Cambridge 1903 (Araneae, Theridiidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 17 (2): 283. doi:10.1080/03014223.1990.10422604.
  2. ^ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1904). "Descriptions of some new species and characters of three new genera, of Araneidea from South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 3: 143–165.
  3. ^ "Steatoda capensis Hann, 1990". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  4. ^ Sutton ME, Christensen B, Hutcheson JA (April 2006). "Field identification of katipo (DOC Research & Development Series 237)" (PDF). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  5. ^ Hann SW (1994). "Descriptions of four Steatoda species (Araneae, Theridiidae) found in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 21 (2): 225–38. doi:10.1080/03014223.1994.9517989.
  6. ^ a b "False katipo spider". Biosecurity New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  7. ^ a b Forster, Ray; Forster, Lyn (1999). Spiders Of New Zealand And Their Worldwide Kin. Dunedin: University Of Otago Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-877133-79-4.
  8. ^ Hann, S. W. (1990-07-01). "Evidence for the displacement of an endemic New Zealand spider, Latrodectus katipo Powell by the South African species Steatoda capensis Hann (Araneae: Theridiidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 17 (3): 295–307. doi:10.1080/03014223.1990.10422937. ISSN 0301-4223.
  9. ^ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1904b). Descriptions of some new species and characters of three new genera, of Araneidea from South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum 3: 143-165.
  10. ^ Benoit, P. L. G. (1977i). Fam. Theridiidae. In: La faune terrestre de l'île de Sainte-Hélène IV. Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques (Zool.-Ser. 8°) 220: 131-152.
  11. ^ Isbister, Dr Geoffrey K.; Gray, Michael R. (2003-01-01). "Effects of Envenoming by Comb‐Footed Spiders of the Genera Steatoda and Achaearanea (Family Theridiidae: Araneae) in Australia". Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology. 41 (6): 809–819. doi:10.1081/CLT-120025346. ISSN 0731-3810. PMID 14677791. S2CID 45733757.
  12. ^ Atakuziev, Bakhadir U.; Wright, Christine E.; Graudins, Andis; Nicholson, Graham M.; Winkel, Kenneth D. (2014-08-01). "Efficacy of Australian red-back spider (Latrodectus hasselti) antivenom in the treatment of clinical envenomation by the cupboard spider Steatoda capensis (Theridiidae)". Toxicon. 86: 68–78. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.04.011. ISSN 0041-0101. PMID 24853919.
  13. ^ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Theridiidae of South Africa. Part 2 [R-T]. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 14–15. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515998. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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