cobweb spiders vs コウテイペンギン

Steatoda grossa compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

• cobweb spiders is Least Concern while コウテイペンギン is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	cobweb spiders	コウテイペンギン
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Arthropoda (節足動物)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Arachnida (クモガタ類)	Aves (鳥類)
Order	Araneae (クモ目)	Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family	Theridiidae	Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus	Steatoda	Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species	Steatoda grossa	Aptenodytes forsteri

Evolutionary Relationship

cobweb spiders and コウテイペンギン share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (動物)

Conservation Status

cobweb spiders

LC — Least Concern

コウテイペンギン

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	cobweb spiders	コウテイペンギン
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.1 m
Average Weight	—	40.0 kg

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).

コウテイペンギン

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

コウテイペンギン

世界最大のペンギンであるコウテイペンギン（Aptenodytes forsteri）は体高最大1.2m、体重45kgで、地球上で最も過酷な環境の一つである南極大陸に生息しています。零下60°C以下の真冬の暗闇の中で繁殖し、雌が海上にいる間、雄が65日間足の上で育雛嚢の下に一つの卵を温め続けます。数千羽からなる群れで個体が暖かい中心部を循環するいわゆるハドリング行動は、協調的な生存戦略の傑作です。