Sputnik Spider

Paidiscura pallens · Order: Araneae · Family: Theridiidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Sputnik Spider
Photo: AJC1, CC BY-SA

Females build distinctive white egg sacs that look like a Sputnik shape, often on oak leaves, and they usually stay nearby. This spider occurs around the Mediterranean, in the Middle East, the Caucasus, and also in Great Britain.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It lives in Mediterranean regions, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Great Britain.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its native range includes the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Great Britain.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Sputnik Spider photo 3
Photo: portioid, CC BY
Sputnik Spider photo 4
Photo: Susan Marley, CC BY
Sputnik Spider photo 5
Photo: Benedikt, CC BY-SA

Same family (Theridiidae)

Triangulate CombfootTriangulate CombfootSteatoda triangulosaCan biteFalse Black WidowFalse Black WidowSteatoda grossaCan biteCommon House SpiderCommon House SpiderParasteatoda tepidariorumCan biteWestern Black WidowWestern Black WidowLatrodectus hesperusVenomousBrown WidowBrown WidowLatrodectus geometricusCan biteSouthern Black WidowSouthern Black WidowLatrodectus mactansVenomous

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paidiscura_pallens

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.