Noble false widow
Most bites from this spider feel like a bee or wasp sting, though bacteria it carries on its body can sometimes cause a secondary skin infection.
| Where | Walls, fences, buildings and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | Male 7 to 11 mm, female 9.5 to 14 mm body length |
| When | January to December |
The abdomen is brown with a pale, roughly pentagon shaped mark that is clearer in males than in females, and the legs are an even reddish brown; it is often mistaken for a true widow spider, though it lacks the red hourglass marking of that group.
It shelters in a tangled cobweb built in wall crevices, sheds and other outdoor structures, and beyond its native Macaronesia it has spread widely across Europe on human transport, becoming established both outdoors and inside buildings.
Traits
Habitat
Towns
Colour
Brown, White, Orange
Active
Day and night
To people
Mild
Most bites from this spider feel similar to a bee or wasp sting and settle within a day or two; because bacteria on its body have occasionally been linked to skin infections, any bite that worsens rather than settles is worth having checked by a doctor.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Both are called false widow spiders, but the rabbit hutch spider has two clear pale triangles and lateral bars across a dark purplish brown abdomen with evenly dark legs, while the noble false widow has a paler, pentagon shaped mark and reddish brown legs.
Questions
Is the Noble false widow dangerous to people?
Mild. Most bites from this spider feel similar to a bee or wasp sting and settle within a day or two; because bacteria on its body have occasionally been linked to skin infections, any bite that worsens rather than settles is worth having checked by a doctor.
When can you see the Noble false widow?
The Noble false widow can be seen from January to December, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Donald Davesne, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Spiders›Cobweb spiders›Steatoda
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.