Steatoda species?

Fact Box Species: Steatoda species? (QM) (This spider resembles a Steatoda species but not the known Australian ones) Family: Theridiidae(?) Body length: female: about 4 mm male: 3.5 mm Habitat: This species typically makes a small tangled web and associated retreat on the underside of large pieces of eucalypt bark that are lying in forest leaf litter Toxicity: Not known to be dangerous

View from above Female from front Underneath spiders

Note: the identification of this spider as a theridiid is very tentative. It does not closely resemble the known members of any other Australian spider family but its general shape is similar to that of Steatoda grossa and the red sections on the legs is present on Steatoda photos currently available on the internet.

The presence of five short but stout spines on the underside of an outer segment of the first pair of legs on the male (only) may be a useful identifying character of this species.

Known Range: The specimen shown above was found in a bush setting in South-east Queensland.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Some other small spiders with an 'average' body shape.