Possible Steatoda Paykulliana?

[Boomkip]

This little bean was found in a box of grapes. After some research we suspect Steatoda Paykulliana. This species is not native to our country, so not releasable. So now they can live their life in my care as the person who found it was not allowed to keep it.

 

[Ian14]

This little bean was found in a box of grapes. After some research we suspect Steatoda Paykulliana. This species is not native to our country, so not releasable. So now they can live their life in my care as the person who found it was not allowed to keep it.

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I dont think it's S paykulliana. From my understanding they are black with red markings.
It looks more like Steatoda grossa.

 

[Boomkip]

I dont think it's S paykulliana. From my understanding they are black with red markings.
It looks more like Steatoda grossa.

It's still very very tiny, from what I have read is that they get their red markings near reaching adult stage. This one is far from adult. Body the same size as a fruit fly.

 

[JaySteel]

This is definitely Steatoda paykulliana. This is a species I've been researching for a while. I too have a captive specimen that I am raising, after it was found as an accidental import amidst Spanish grapes. My research into Steatoda Paykulliana has now found 26 confirmed records of this species arriving in the UK amidst imported fruit & veg, from 2014 - 2021. If you were in the UK I'd be extremely interested in adding your record to my collection.

Here are some photos of my Steatoda paykulliana. The first images are from when it found on 6th October. The second images were taken yesterday, some 12 weeks later. The third images are of a wild mature female specimen I photographed in Cyprus.


5mm juvenile Steatoda paykulliana. At this stage it was not possible to determine the sex.


9mm sub-adult female Steatoda paykulliana.


13mm adult female Steatoda paykulliana.

 

[Boomkip]

Thanks for the reply. She was found in Enschede in The Netherlands so unfortunately not in the UK. My friend found her in her box of grapes.

She is doing great btw, has molted three times already. I will post some new photos of her one of these days

 

[JaySteel]

I'm glad she's doing well in your care. I look forward to seeing updated photos of her progress. I'm looking forward to photographing my captive specimen as she matures and develops her adult colouration.

 

[Boomkip]

Figured I could feed her a day ahead of schedule. She's terrible at sitting still during feeding time I love seeing her hunt, she's more verocious than most of my T's. I just say she, could end up being a male, name will still be Natascha

 

[JaySteel]

The swollen tips of the male pedipalps are very subtle on Steatoda paykulliana and may not be obvious until the spider reaches maturity. This species does vary in appearance with its abdominal markings. Some adult specimens completely lose their markings when viewed from above, whilst others retain some or all of their upper markings as the spider matures. Whilst the abdominal markings of most female specimens will change from cream / white to yellow, then orange, and finally red, the markings of some specimens may remain in either white, yellow or orange even once the spider reaches maturity.

 

[Boomkip]

A few months later and Natascha is coloring up nicely! Rehoused her yesterday in her permanent enclosure. I am curious on what their life expectancy is though.

 

[JaySteel]

She looks lovely. Adult females live for anywhere from 2-5 years.