Steatoda paykulliana

As is evident from one of the common names associated with Steatoda species, false widow, S. paykulliana resembles black widow spiders in shape and color markings. The female S. paykulliana body length is from 8 mm, to 12 mm when pregnant. The abdomen is globular, colored a shiny black, with two non-overlapping stripes, one dorsal and one lateral. This differentiates it from true black widow spiders that have dorsal and ventral markings. The stripes are ivory-yellow on young females and orange-red on mature ones. The male is only about half the size of the female, with less prominent markings. ''S. paykulliana's'' venom is much less potent than the true black widows', and its effect on humans is minor, similar to a wasp sting. == Behavior ==

S. paykulliana spins typical tangled three-dimensional webs, usually on sloping ground covered with vegetation. A cocoon is spun around the eggs. In countries of former Yugoslavia, the spiderlings hatch at the end of summer, hibernate in the winter, and reach adulthood at the beginning of the next summer. >> the translation of the unsourced text from the Hebrew article: ==Distribution==

S. paykulliana is widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It has been reported in Portugal, Spain, France including Corsica, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Turkey, Syria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Great Britain. Cyprus. ==References==