Steatoda paykulliana have a body-length of around 8-13mm for females and a leg-span of up to 35mm. Males are smaller at 4.5 - 7mm in body-length.
Steatoda paykulliana is a species found across the Mediterranean that sometimes find its way to the UK amidst imported grapes and other fruit. However there is no evidence available to substantiated any claimed reports of Steatoda Paykulliana being found wild and established anywhere in the UK.
With its dark black body, and often red markings, this is the species most likely to be mistaken for the far more venomous Black Widow Spiders of the Latrodectus genus. The red markings on the Mediterranean False Widow can also be yellow, orange or white instead of red. However Steatoda paykulliana do not possess the red hour-glass marking usually present on the underside of many Black Widow Spiders.
The bite of Steatoda paykulliana can be quite painful, but it is generally regarded to be of little or no medical significance to humans. Steatoda paykulliana, like other False Widows in the Steatoda genus, are not aggressive and bites to humans are rare in the Mediterranean countries where Steatoda paykulliana are native. In laboratory conditions, during the 1960's & 70's when such tests were more acceptable, Steatoda Paykulliana has been proven to have a venomous bite powerful enough to kill small mammals though, including mice and even large guinea pigs! (see page 26) LINK. The French INPN (The National Inventory of Natural Heritage) reports that in laboratory conditions Steatoda Paykulliana has been proven to kill adult rats and temporarily paralyse rabbits. LINK
Where I have found Steatoda Paykulliana in Cyprus and southern Spain the conditions were very hot and very dry, and the spiders were found hidden away in darkness beneath rocks on sandy soil at coastal sites. This xerophilic species seems to require hot, dry conditions with low humidity, where it can build its webs low to the ground. The most obvious places that would appear to meet its needs would be within human habitations, and yet Steatoda Paykulliana is more often found outside homes within its natural range.
In 2019 the Cyprus Spider Catalogue listed the following Steatoda species recorded in Cyprus: Steatoda albomaculata, Steatoda erigoniformis, Steatoda grossa, Steatoda paykulliana, Steatoda trianguloides, Steatoda triangulosa.
This female specimen has an unusually shrivelled abdomen due to having just produced several egg-sacs, which it was guarding when I found it under a large rock in Paphos, Cyprus. These spiders can have a red, yellow or white band around the abdomen. Sometimes they display a midline pattern on their abdomen which can consist of a stripe or a series of triangles or chevrons. In their native countries the Mediterranean False Widow Spider is usually found low to the ground in dry and semi-dry environments with sparse vegetation. Ideal sites include dunes, moors and heathlands, where they are usually found in cracks in walls or under rocks. Other places where Steatoda paykulliana are frequently found include log piles and disused mammal burrows. Mature females usually produce several large, white, fluffy egg-sacs that are as large as the female herself.
Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Nursery Web Spiders are a group of spiders belonging to the family Pisauridae. However this term is usually used to describe the European species Pisaura mirabilis. Males usually have a body-length of 10-13mm whilst the female is 12-15mm. These spiders are grey or brown and are similar to Wolf Spiders in that both species can be seen carrying their egg-sac. However unlike the Wolf Spiders which carry their egg-sac attached to their spinnerets at the rear of their body, the Nursery Web Spider uses its jaws and pedipalps to carry the egg-sac beneath its body. The Nursery Web Spider gets its name from its watchful guarding of its young. When the egg is due to hatch it is fixed to a plant and then covered in a silken tent. The adult spider then stands guard over the spiderlings until they have all dispersed from the tent. These spiders do not spin a web to catch their prey. Males will often present the female with a gift before attempting to mate. This practice has shown that the chances of the female eating the male is drastically reduced.