Große Fettspinne vs Blaue Kugeldistel

Steatoda grossa compared with Echinops ritro

Key Differences

• Große Fettspinne is Least Concern while Blaue Kugeldistel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Große Fettspinne	Blaue Kugeldistel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Arachnida (Spinnentiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Araneae (Webspinnen)	Afrosoricida (Tenrekartige)
Family	Theridiidae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Steatoda	Echinops
Species	Steatoda grossa	Echinops ritro

Evolutionary Relationship

Große Fettspinne and Blaue Kugeldistel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Große Fettspinne

LC — Least Concern

Blaue Kugeldistel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Große Fettspinne	Blaue Kugeldistel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Große Fettspinne

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).

Blaue Kugeldistel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Estonia, Russia, and United States.

Große Fettspinne

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇷🇺 Russia 🇺🇸 United States