cobweb spiders vs Long-tailed Sylph

Steatoda grossa compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	cobweb spiders	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Theridiidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Steatoda	Aglaiocercus
Species	Steatoda grossa	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

cobweb spiders and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

cobweb spiders

LC — Least Concern

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	cobweb spiders	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

cobweb spiders

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (29 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Ecuador).

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

cobweb spiders

The false black widow (Steatoda grossa) is a cosmopolitan cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, often mistaken for the true black widow due to its similarly dark, globose abdomen, though it lacks the red hourglass marking. Females reach 6–10 millimeters in body length and display a deep purplish-brown to nearly black coloration with faint pale markings on the dorsal abdomen. Originally native to western Europe, Steatoda grossa has spread globally through human commerce, establishing populations in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and other regions where it thrives in human structures including homes, sheds, and outbuildings. The spider constructs a persistent, tangled cobweb in sheltered corners and recesses, where it captures woodlice, ants, beetles, and other arthropods—notably targeting invertebrates that many other spiders avoid. The venom of S. grossa causes steatodism, a syndrome of localized pain, sweating, and systemic discomfort that is rarely serious but can cause significant distress. Interestingly, the antivenin produced for Latrodectus (true widow) spider bites has been shown to effectively treat Steatoda envenomations, underscoring the phylogenetic relatedness of these genera. Females produce several egg sacs during a season, each containing dozens of eggs wrapped in distinctive silken cocoons. The species is classified as Least Concern given its expanding global distribution facilitated by human activity.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇪🇨 Ecuador