Known in the United Kingdom as the Noble False Widow, Steatoda Nobilis is a species of spider in the genus Steatoda. Historically, this spider is native to Spain’s Canary Islands and is thought to have spread to Europe and the British Isles via banana shipments. It gets its name from a passing resemblance to the black widow spider, which can deliver a much more venomous bite.
For over a century, these species of spider have been established in the United Kingdom and have become one of UK’s most commonly seen spiders. Since the 1980’s, it has been expanding its range to other parts of the world including the United States, Chile, Colombia, and others. In the United States, they have established populations on the West Coast, especially California.
Quick Overview: Steatoda nobilis – Noble False Widow
Medically significant: No
Body size: Female : 0.5 inches (1.5 cm) Male: 0.45 inches (1.2 cm)
Main colors: black and brown with cream-colored markings
Range: Throughout the United Kingdom/ Europe (Introduced to California)
Web: cobweb, tangled web
Steatoda Nobilis Description
Steatoda nobilis has a brown or black bulbous abdomen with cream-colored markings that resemble a skull shape.
The legs of the males are reddish-orange and long, compared to their thin and oblong bodies.
Females are usually larger than males and have a more bulbous abdomen. Overall, their body appears shorter and stockier than the males’.
S. nobilis can be best distinguished from other spiders of the genus Steatoda by their cream-colored or white markings on the abdomen that appear like a skull or like a cathedral. They usually have a white or cream-colored line from the end of the marking down the abdomen towards the head. However, all of these marks can be variable, faded, or missing completely, especially in adult females.
Size
Female noble false widows reach an average body size of 0.4-0.5 inches (9.5 to 14 mm), while the smaller male reach a maximum of 0.45 inches (7 to 11 mm).
Web
Noble false widows build a tangled cobweb with sticky strands to catch prey. However, they have a bad vision and depend for the most part on vibrations coming to them through their cobweb to locate the prey that has entered their web.
Steatoda Nobilis Bite
Although False widows have a venomous bite, it is not particularly potent. The only symptoms usually pain at the bite site, which may radiate away from the bite as well as localized swelling. The symptoms of a bite usually last between one and twelve hours, and rarely more than twenty-four hours. Often, the symptoms are no more painful than a wasp sting.
Steatoda Nobilis Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Theridiidae
- Genus: Steatoda
- Species: Steatoda nobilis
Distribution of the Steatoda Nobilis spider in the USA
The species, which is thought to have originated in the Canary Islands and Madeira, is well established in Western Europe and large parts of the Mediterranean area and has recently spread into California and South America.
In California, it is especially abundant in the Los Angeles area and in Orange County.
Small spider found outside in La Mesa (San Diego), CA
Hello Brent, thanks for uploading this interesting find! This is a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis. It was originally native to the Canary Islands and Madeira but has been introduced to California via the UK, where the spider has established large populations. The spider is a close relative of the black widow but it is not considered medically significant (however, it can deliver a painful bite). You can find some more pictures and information here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/697702
Found outside our house in San Francisco
Hello T B, thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis. It has been introduced to California from England. It’s a close relative to the black widow spider but not considered medically significant.
Found this spider by my outdoor storage bin handle. Not sure what species but was wondering if dangerous since I have kids.
Location: Hercules, California Bay Area
Hello Peter, thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis. It has been introduced to California from England and its populations have increased a lot over the last years. It’s not a medically significant spider.
Belmont CA
May be a false widow? It is about the size of a quarter (including legs).
Please help ID.
Thanks,
Seth
Hello Seth, thanks for getting in touch! Yes, this is a false widow, more specifically a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis). They have been introduced to California from the UK and have become more and more common in the Western US.
This spider was not a type ive seen before near my house. usually i see lots of common spiders including black widows & brown widows (usually closer to the ground. In darker areas under patio furniture or under plywood that is on the ground). i also see orb spiders and jumping spiders garden spiders etc. but these were more similar to widow type spider but different habitat possibly the picture is the back side of a spider and i am pointing the camera straight up while i stand on a patio chair. He is 10 feet above the ground .Resting on his webs about 1 inch from the underside surface of my awning The thead of the tangled web was tough and became more dense as it got closer to the gap between the awning and awning frame rail where he hides there is another spider same or similar species five feet away but the makings on the back of abdomen are different, and the thorax is different slightly also? But both The spiders have orange then yellow then redish orange legs and a both similar size. the front two legs were longer then the spider and the back to were about equal in length to their body.
In the picture i noticed its thorax is shiny jet black like a carpenter ant and the abdomen is grayish tan with a dark gray-black silhouette and two rows of spots totalling 6 spots running parallel to each other front to back evenly spaced and all within the silouette and look like false eye spots,
Im interested in knowing the common name for spider and any other info.
Hello B allen, would you mind sharing your location to help with identification? The spider is definitely a male cobweb spider (Steatoda sp.): https://usaspiders.com/theridiidae/steatoda/
If you are located in the Western United States, this is most likely Steatoda nobilis.
I need help identifying this spider I just found in my backyard in Northern California, the Bay Area/Silicon Valley. It is brown in color, translucent when the sun hits it, and on the abdomen/thorax area(not sure of proper name) it has a light cream colored or white design that I think looks like a skull. There was a smaller spider that looked more grey in color located below it (about 2” below). I have attached pictures of both spiders. They have made their home in the “track” of my giant umbrella.
Hello Aileen, thanks for sharing this shot! This is a female noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis). It’s not a medically significant spider: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
They have been introduced from the United Kingdom to California.
Hi there – found a spider inside my southern California house (Los Angeles). My painter couldn’t identify it and advised I figure out if it was poisonous because then I’ll have to fumigate my house.
It was about an inch long with longer legs than the body. Legs were pretty skinny.
Thanks for any help!
Abbey
Hello Abbey, thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow (Stetoda nobilis): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
It’s not a medically significant spider.
Found this one crawling up my bathroom wall and when I went to take a picture of it it tried to reach for my phone
Hello Amanda, thanks for getting in touch! This is most likely a male false widow spider (Steatoda sp.). It’s not medically significant. Assuming you are located somewhere in California, this would most likely be a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
Found in an outside electrical box, in Solano County, CA
Hello Lisa, thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis). The spider has been introduced to California from the United Kingdom: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
This spider has taken up residence in my bathroom for past few weeks, I suspect it is a steatoda nobilis – is that correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Found this beautiful thing while painting outside. Shiny and iridescent looks like a polished gem with almost three dimensional designs on it.
Hello and thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
Cambria California
Hello and thanks for getting in touch! This is a noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
I tried to identify using your site and Google, but no spider seemed to have this coloring. Quite small in size. With legs outstretched it could easily fit on a nickel.
Hello George, this is a male noble false widow, Steatoda nobilis: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
Found outside on our window about 20 ft off the ground. Seems to make a lot of webs. About 3/4 of an inch. San Luis Obispo California
Hello Rob, this is a false widow (genus Steatoda). Since the image is from the underside, I can’t say for certain what species it is. They are not medically significant but a bite can be painful.
Here is more information about Steatoda nobilis, the noble false widow, which is quite common in California: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
I live in San Luis Obispo California. This spider lives outside my window.
I live in Long beach,California and I’ve never seen this species of a spider it’s approximately the size of a quarter no eggs are around it but it does seem to come out when I’m in its prese
Hi Lorrie, this is a noble false widow: https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
Would like to know what kind of spider this is. I live in Northern California. Thank you
Hi Sandra, thanks for sharing this great photo! This is a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
It’s not a medically significant spider but a bite (though very rare) can be uncommon.
Hello – Is this a noble false widow? Just moved to Sunnyvale CA and have seen a bunch of these around my house and yard
Hi Jen, this is Metaltella simoni – a spider introduced from South America (not medically significant): https://usaspiders.com/metaltella-simoni-hacklemesh-weaver/
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
Location: Kitchen at ceiling, 2nd floor unit, Hollywood, CA
Hi Deborah, this is a noble false widow (Statoda nobilis): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
These spiders have been introduced to California from the UK.
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
Hello – I found this spider ok our door in La Jolla, CA. Thank you for the help!
Hi V, this is a noble false widow (Statoda nobilis): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
These spiders have been introduced to California from the UK.
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
Found in bay area – maybe came from a plant I purchased at local box store. About size of 50 cent piece.
Hi Wendy, this is a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
They have been introduced from the UK and are very common in the Bay Area.
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
This little guy showed up in my classroom in Chula Vista, CA. Seek app said it’s a false black widow.
I love the spider ID tool! I’ll definitely be back to try it again! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a positive ID on this little guy with it today. I am hoping to get an expert ID to make sure I wasn’t handling a juvenile brown recluse! I don’t really mind if I was, but I’d like to know if they’re in my home. For scale, this photo is the spider at my index fingertip joint. (Blurred partial fingerprint) I found him up high coming down from the ceiling. Location is San Diego, CA.
I looked at your tool again. Steatoda Nobilis was at the top of your list. With a little further research into images of the various life stages of the Nobile False Widow, I was able to make an educated match with a second instar juvenile. However, I had no size reference in that source. Let me know if I am close!
Hi Joel, this is definitely some type of Steatoda sp. spider. With S. nobilis, the abdominal pattern is usually roof-shaped at the top (ending in a shape like this: “^”). So my guess is that this is some other Steatoda sp. juvenile.
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
Location is Santa Cruz California. Just caught this (and think it bit me too)… Reading your description, I think it’s a false widow. Am I correct?
Hey, this big guy is living in my porch light. We’ve had a sudden surge of spiders, and I’d appreciate a second opinion. We get all sorts here, from various orb weavers or jumping spiders to black widows, so I do worry.
Hello Nicole, I assume you are located somewhere in California. This is a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis). It’s not medically significant like the real black widow but a bite can be painful. https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-nobilis-noble-false-widow/
We live in Silicon Valley and found several of these around our pagoda by our pool.
Was bit by this sucker earlier and believe it’s a False Noble after seeing this page. I’m in Los Feliz part of Los Angeles. Hadn’t even noticed until my hand was painfully numb and tingling and I was having an intense cramping sensation in my armpit. 5 hours later and my arm is still on fire/shooting pain. Stopped by the urgent care and they gave me antibiotics and a painkiller and told me to keep my eye on it. Interesting, it seems like some people don’t have any symptoms and others it’s bad!
Never saw a spider like this one, maybe it came with the high winds last week. Bigger than a quarter w legs, on the bottom of a gutter (upside down). Maybe it sensed the IR camera light, as I focused it quickly left. Likely steatoda nobilis, from what I see here. Highly invasive, just what I need. Not.