Can someone identify this spider?

[Redjunior]

Hello fellow chums. I've been coming across more and more of these guys and less and less of the usual funnel weavers and hobo spiders. I know these are related to black widows, but not sure the species. Kinda worried though, these little guys are taking out beetles 8x their size. And I have a feeling this is why I see less funnel weavers which I dont mind coming across because they're cool and they keep the egg wig bugs numbers down ( i have a bad location i suppose.. find them by the hundreds every day around my house. ) and they usually keep their own population down by eating one another.. i have a kraken sized funnel weaver in my basement. About 6 or 7 inches wide. Hes huge.. but back to my point.. lol should I be worried about these guys? I have kids, dogs, and cats. I'm worried these guys will make their way into my reptile tanks and end up biting one. Any info is appreciated. Thanks guys and gals!

Also, sorry the pics are bad. Such a tiny spider is very little lighting. Nice little guy though. But I killed it with windex for the ammonia, and will be placing it strategically in my basement so if another earwig or spider grabs it I've got 2 birds with 1 stone. I know you fellas dont like spiders being killed, but I am finding these guys EVERYWHERE. I leave the funnel weavers alone entirely. Cause, they my homies.

 

[chanda]

That looks like some flavor or other of Steatoda - possibly Steatoda borealis.

Compare to this: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1422584/bgimage (dorsal) and this: https://bugguide.net/node/view/774048/bgimage (ventral)

Steatoda are generally relatively harmless. I have a bunch of "free range" S. grossa and S. triangulosa living in my house - mostly in my bug & reptile room - where they help to clean up any escaped feeder crickets or fruit flies. They have never been a problem for myself, my kids, of the larger pets (cats and dogs) and are rarely a problem with anything else. Occasionally one will manage to get into one of the enclosures - usually as a hatchling, slipping through the screen mesh or ventilation holes - and will grow up tucked away in some remote part of the enclosure, such as underneath or behind cork bark, inside one of the hides, or up in the corner of the lid. There have been a few cases where one of them took out one of the pets - a few baby geckos over the years, some baby mantises or phasmids or whip spiders - but for the most part, they're basically harmless. I just keep an eye out for webbing in cages where there shouldn't be webbing, and clean them out when I find them. (I also go through the room every few months with the vacuum cleaner and suction hose, just to knock the population back a bit - and get rid of all the unsightly webs full of dead fruit flies and cricket parts.)

 

[Redjunior]

Nice! Thanks for info. I wonder why this one has bright orange strips and the one in the picture you gave has white. Well that's a relief, not all heros wear capes. Haha. If they're harmless I'll leave em be then. I thought this was loxo genetic ( I'm terrible spelling Latin names off the top of my head )

They're tough little guys. Got blasted with windex and has since survived. Haha, I set him up outside in a crazy good spot for being a trooper.

 

[chanda]

Nice! Thanks for info. I wonder why this one has bright orange strips and the one in the picture you gave has white. Well that's a relief, not all heros wear capes. Haha. If they're harmless I'll leave em be then. I thought this was loxo genetic ( I'm terrible spelling Latin names off the top of my head )

They're tough little guys. Got blasted with windex and has since survived. Haha, I set him up outside in a crazy good spot for being a trooper.

The color can be variable, but if it makes you feel better, here's one with orange stripes: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1215832/bgimage

 

[Cororon]

Please don't kill them. Take them outside if you must. I have Steatoda bipunctatas living with me, and they are so cute and nice little roommates. Intelligent little critters, and they are eager to catch any insect that comes in, and in that way they help me and pay their rent for living here.

 

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

Hello fellow chums. I've been coming across more and more of these guys and less and less of the usual funnel weavers and hobo spiders. I know these are related to black widows, but not sure the species. Kinda worried though, these little guys are taking out beetles 8x their size. And I have a feeling this is why I see less funnel weavers which I dont mind coming across because they're cool and they keep the egg wig bugs numbers down ( i have a bad location i suppose.. find them by the hundreds every day around my house. ) and they usually keep their own population down by eating one another.. i have a kraken sized funnel weaver in my basement. About 6 or 7 inches wide. Hes huge.. but back to my point.. lol should I be worried about these guys? I have kids, dogs, and cats. I'm worried these guys will make their way into my reptile tanks and end up biting one. Any info is appreciated. Thanks guys and gals!

Also, sorry the pics are bad. Such a tiny spider is very little lighting. Nice little guy though. But I killed it with windex for the ammonia, and will be placing it strategically in my basement so if another earwig or spider grabs it I've got 2 birds with 1 stone. I know you fellas dont like spiders being killed, but I am finding these guys EVERYWHERE. I leave the funnel weavers alone entirely. Cause, they my homies.

False widow "Steatoda Sp.".

 

[Crone Returns]

Hey, they'll scarf down any other bugs and are very amusing to watch. I have Steadota sp. on the front stoop. And as a bonus I have a billion Parasteadota t(forgot how to spell the species) in my enclosed front porch.
I even have a tiny Neoscona something who rappels up and down while I'm on the couch!
I used to be scared to death of these spids, now I jump for joy.

 

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

Hey, they'll scarf down any other bugs and are very amusing to watch. I have Steadota sp. on the front stoop. And as a bonus I have a billion Parasteadota t(forgot how to spell the species) in my enclosed front porch.
I even have a tiny Neoscona something who rappels up and down while I'm on the couch!
I used to be scared to death of these spids, now I jump for joy.

I used to be nervous of widows, but now I keep them all around my house. They keep to their spaces, for the most part.