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Cupboard Spider (False Widow)
Photo: Ryan Kaldari, CC0
Spider
Beginner
Steatoda grossa
Lifespan
F up to 6 years, M 1-1.5 years
Adult size
Body F 6-10.5 mm, M 4-10 mm
Temperament
Shy and non-aggressive
Temperature
15–26°C
Humidity
40–70%
Vivarium
15 x 15 x 20 cm (with web anchor points)
Wikipedia →
Native to Europe and temperate Asia and now found worldwide, it is established in houses across England, Wales and Ireland, usually low down in dark corners, cupboards and under furniture. A glossy purplish-brown to black comb-footed spider that builds an untidy three-dimensional tangle web and looks a little like a widow but lacks the red hourglass. It is easy and cheap to keep and long-lived for a small spider. Bites are uncommon and usually minor, though they can cause pain and blistering.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
No heating needed; normal room temperature suits this house-dwelling species. Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators.
💡 Lighting
No special lighting or UVB; it is nocturnal and prefers a dim spot.
🪨 Substrate
Optional: a thin 1-2 cm layer of dry coco fibre, or none. Damp substrate in a poorly ventilated tub quickly goes mouldy.
🍽 Feeding
Spiderlings: fruit flies or pinhead crickets weekly. Adults: one small cricket, fly or waxworm every 1-2 weeks, as it has a slow metabolism and can go months without food if it has water.
💧 Water
Lightly mist one corner of the web every week or so to give drinking droplets, without spraying the spider directly.
🏠 Enrichment
Twigs, cork or a small hide in the upper corners to anchor its tangle web, with a dark retreat.
🩺 Health Considerations
Generally hardy; most problems come from mould in damp enclosures, dehydration in very dry rooms or overfeeding. Remove old prey remains from the web.
🤲 Handling
Hands-off recommended: it is fragile and lives in its web, so handling is impractical. Bites are rare and defensive and usually minor (pain, blistering), but a few cases have caused fever, nausea, sweating or malaise for several days.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No licence needed in the UK. False widows (Steatoda) are not on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 schedule, which covers true widows (Latrodectus) and three other spider genera, and this species is already established in Britain. Check that any spider sold as a 'widow' is not a Latrodectus, which does need a licence.
📋 Additional Notes
Sexing: males are slimmer with reddish legs and large pedipalps and often die soon after mating; females can live for several years. The noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis), common in southern England, and the red false widow (Steatoda paykulliana) need similar care. Called the false black widow in the USA.