Theridiidae Steatoda

Steatoda gui Zhu, 1998

Gu’s False Widow

This small Steatoda species may be identified from the body patterns shown in the pictures here. The male carapace has an elevated cephalic region, and fingerprint-like grooves (part of the "stridulatory organ" mentioned on the previous page) on both sides of a smooth, median ridge at the posterior end. The abdominal part of the stridulatory organ overhangs the carapace and covers the pedicel in dorsal view. Compared with the male, the female has more extensive white or pale-yellow streaks on the abdomen, and relatively shorter legs.