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Parasteatoda

Parasteatoda of the cobweb or comb-footed family is primarily a genus of the Old Word with 42 species, as per the May 2020 records. However, certain members of this genus are also distributed in parts of the New World.

Parasteatoda Spider

Scientific Classification

Spiders Belonging to this Genus

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Female spiders are around 0.31 inches (0.8 cm), while males measure approximately 0.15 inches (0.4 cm).

Color: Their color may vary from blackish-brown to grayish-brown, and even orange.

Other Characteristic Features: Some species like the common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) has a longer leg span. Both the sexes have a difference in abdominal pattern, spherical in females and elongate in males.

Eggs

Female spiders make multiple egg sacs in their lifetime, with a single sac containing about 200 eggs.

Spiderlings

They hatch in 7 – 10 days, and within a short time, they disperse to live on their own.

The Web

These spiders make messy, assymetrical webs usually found near human settlements, mostly around garages, backyards, and gardens.

Are Spiders of the Parasteatoda Genus Venomous

They do not cause any potential danger to humans.

Quick Facts

Distribution New Guinea, Asia, and Europe
Habitat Garden and grasslands
Web Type Messy
Diet Flies, mosquitoes, wasps, and other insects
Lifespan 1-2 years (depending on species)

Did You Know

  • The Japanese name for this genus is “O-himogumo zoku”, meaning silky thread spider family.
  • The genus name is also a derivation from the Greek word “para”, meaning near or beside.
  • The U.S. arachnologist, Allan Frost Archer described this genus for the first time in 1946.

Image Credits: bugguide.net

Parasteatoda of the cobweb or comb-footed family is primarily a genus of the Old Word with 42 species, as per the May 2020 records. However, certain members of this genus are also distributed in parts of the New World.

Parasteatoda Spider

Spiders Belonging to this Genus

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Female spiders are around 0.31 inches (0.8 cm), while males measure approximately 0.15 inches (0.4 cm).

Color: Their color may vary from blackish-brown to grayish-brown, and even orange.

Other Characteristic Features: Some species like the common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) has a longer leg span. Both the sexes have a difference in abdominal pattern, spherical in females and elongate in males.

Eggs

Female spiders make multiple egg sacs in their lifetime, with a single sac containing about 200 eggs.

Spiderlings

They hatch in 7 – 10 days, and within a short time, they disperse to live on their own.

The Web

These spiders make messy, assymetrical webs usually found near human settlements, mostly around garages, backyards, and gardens.

Are Spiders of the Parasteatoda Genus Venomous

They do not cause any potential danger to humans.

Quick Facts

Distribution New Guinea, Asia, and Europe
Habitat Garden and grasslands
Web Type Messy
Diet Flies, mosquitoes, wasps, and other insects
Lifespan 1-2 years (depending on species)

Did You Know

  • The Japanese name for this genus is “O-himogumo zoku”, meaning silky thread spider family.
  • The genus name is also a derivation from the Greek word “para”, meaning near or beside.
  • The U.S. arachnologist, Allan Frost Archer described this genus for the first time in 1946.

Image Credits: bugguide.net

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