Bug FAQBlack Cobweb Spider
Steatoda capensis · Order: Araneae · Family: Theridiidae
Also called: Brown House Spider, Common false button spider, Cupboard Spider
Source: Wikipedia
The Black Cobweb Spider is a small, uniformly glossy black spider, sometimes showing a tiny bright patch near the abdomen tip and a crescent band toward the front. It lives close to humans in buildings and can also be found in habitats such as sand dunes. Native to South Africa, it can bite when threatened, with females doing so more often than males.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its body is uniformly glossy black. Some individuals have a tiny bright red, orange, or yellow spot near the tip of the abdomen and a crescent-shaped band toward the front.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It is a small spider.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
When threatened they can deliver a painful bite, though it is not serious. Females bite most often, but males are also capable.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
These spiders often live on or inside buildings, living close to humans. They are also found in other environments such as sand dunes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species originates from South Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Because it resembles the katipō spider, in New Zealand it is called the false katipō.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Hawaii.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does a Black Cobweb Spider look like?
It is a small spider with a uniformly glossy black body, and some have a tiny bright red, orange, or yellow spot near the abdomen tip plus a crescent band toward the front.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I find a Black Cobweb Spider in my home?
They commonly live on or inside buildings, often close to humans.
Source: Wikipedia
Do Black Cobweb Spiders bite?
Yes, they can bite when threatened, causing a painful but not severe wound; females bite more often, though males can also bite.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Theridiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steatoda_capensis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.