Boreal combfoot (Steatoda borealis)

The boreal combfoot is a spider in the family Theridiidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 456 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 28 states, most of all Virginia (74), Minnesota (60) and Alaska (58). Its observation records peak in May.

28states on record

456licensed U.S. records

Maypeak month, observations

Novenomous to people

Bitten? Call 911 for a venomous snakebite or any bite with trouble breathing. For advice on any bite or sting, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7, U.S.-wide). Do not cut the wound, suck out venom or use a tourniquet. General information, not medical advice. Do not handle or try to identify a snake or spider by this page; if unsure, treat it as venomous.

Is the boreal combfoot poisonous or venomous?

Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the boreal combfoot (family Theridiidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.

Often mistaken for

The boreal combfoot is not dangerous to people, but people often take it for widow spiders (both are recorded in 23 of its 28 states).

Which states have the boreal combfoot?

Records are spread over 28 states; the top three, Virginia, Minnesota and Alaska, hold 42% of them.

Source: GBIF, read 2026-09-29. A state is listed once GBIF holds at least 10 records of the species there under any license; Records counts only CC0 and CC BY records, so a listed state can show fewer.
#	State	Records	Share of state spiders	Rank in state
1	Virginia	74	0.6%	38th of 176
2	Minnesota	60	2.0%	11th of 145
3	Alaska	58	0.2%	86th of 280
4	Ohio	42	0.6%	41st of 332
5	Massachusetts	34	0.7%	32nd of 189
6	Maryland	33	0.6%	45th of 153
7	Illinois	25	0.1%	106th of 243
8	Nebraska	20	1.6%	13th of 71
9	New York	20	0.3%	59th of 149
10	Indiana	13	0.3%	72nd of 133
11	Michigan	11	0.5%	39th of 122
12	Pennsylvania	11	0.1%	83rd of 164
13	Connecticut	9	0.9%	24th of 86
14	New Jersey	9	0.4%	54th of 127
15	North Carolina	7	0.1%	100th of 184
16	Wisconsin	7	0.2%	87th of 149
17	Kansas	5	0.3%	55th of 94
18	Iowa	2	0.3%	38th of 57
19	Kentucky	2	0.1%	84th of 103
20	New Hampshire	2	0.1%	61st of 72
21	Vermont	2	0.1%	57th of 74
22	Colorado	1	0.0%	149th of 378
23	Maine	1	0.1%	61st of 297
24	Missouri	1	0.0%	101st of 117
25	North Dakota	1	1.2%	11th of 115
26	Tennessee	1	0.0%	123rd of 138
27	Rhode Island	0	—	—
28	West Virginia	0	—	—

When is the boreal combfoot seen?

Across the U.S., observation records of the boreal combfoot run through most of the year, peaking in May with 14% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 15% of them.

Season by state

Observation records run through most of the year in Ohio. The main season starts in the same month, April, in all 2 states whose main season falls within one calendar year. Each of these states peaks in a different month: February in Virginia, March in Ohio, May in Minnesota and October in Massachusetts.

Source: GBIF observation records (CC0, CC BY) by state and month, read 2026-09-29. States with fewer than 30 observation records with a month are left out.
State	Main season	Peak month	Observation records
Virginia	July through March	February	74
Minnesota	April through September	May	60
Ohio	most of the year	March	42
Massachusetts	April through November	October	32

Where the boreal combfoot is recorded in each state

Virginia

Virginia holds 74 licensed records, the 38th most recorded of 176 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Virginia run mostly July through March, peaking in February; most licensed records come from Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Powhatan County. Next come Prince William County (2) and Fairfax City County (2).

Minnesota

Minnesota holds 60 licensed records, the 11th most recorded of 145 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Minnesota run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Stevens County, Hennepin County and Cass County. Next come Cook County (3) and Pope County (2).

Alaska

Alaska holds 58 licensed records, the joint 86th most recorded of 280 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Alaska come from Fairbanks North Star Borough, Anchorage Municipality and Kenai Peninsula Borough. Next come Matanuska-Susitna Borough (3) and Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (1).

Ohio

Ohio holds 42 licensed records, the 41st most recorded of 332 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Ohio run through most of the year, peaking in March; most licensed records come from Franklin County, Summit County and Richland County. Next come Medina County (5) and Cuyahoga County (2).

Massachusetts

Massachusetts holds 34 licensed records, the 32nd most recorded of 189 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Massachusetts run mostly April through November, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County. Next come Barnstable County (2) and Dukes County (2).

Maryland

Maryland holds 33 licensed records, the joint 45th most recorded of 153 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Maryland come from Montgomery County, Howard County and Baltimore County. Next come Frederick County (4) and Anne Arundel County (2).

Top counties in the U.S.

Source: GBIF licensed records by county (GADM level 2), read 2026-09-29.
#	County	State	Records	Share of U.S.
1	Fairfax County	Virginia	50	11.0%
2	Stevens County	Minnesota	35	7.7%
3	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Alaska	31	6.8%
4	Anchorage Municipality	Alaska	18	3.9%
5	Middlesex County	Massachusetts	13	2.9%
6	Montgomery County	Maryland	11	2.4%
7	Franklin County	Ohio	9	2.0%
8	Summit County	Ohio	9	2.0%
9	Loudoun County	Virginia	9	2.0%
10	Howard County	Maryland	8	1.8%
11	Suffolk County	Massachusetts	7	1.5%
12	Richland County	Ohio	7	1.5%
13	Baltimore County	Maryland	6	1.3%
14	Norfolk County	Massachusetts	6	1.3%
15	Hennepin County	Minnesota	6	1.3%

How recent are the boreal combfoot records?

Most of what is known about the boreal combfoot is recent: 78% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2022 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1936; the busiest year was 2025, with 67 records.

Source: GBIF licensed U.S. records with a year, read 2026-09-29.
Decade	Records	Share
1930s	4	0.8%
1940s	5	1.1%
1950s	2	0.4%
1960s	4	0.8%
1970s	15	3.2%
1980s	11	2.3%
1990s	15	3.2%
2000s	13	2.8%
2010s	76	16.1%
2020s	326	69.2%

Species recorded in the same counties

Of the 59 counties where the boreal combfoot is most recorded, 43 are also top counties for the bronze jumper, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.

Source: GBIF licensed records, top counties per species and state, read 2026-09-29.
Species	Shared counties
Bronze jumper	43
Marbled orbweaver	39
Bold jumper	37
Nursery web spider	37
Sixspotted orbweaver	37
Parson spider	36
Dark fishing spider	35
Flea jumping spider	33

Other species of the genus Steatoda with profiles here: Triangulate bud spider and False black widow.

Western black widowLatrodectus hesperusvenomous

Triangulate bud spiderSteatoda triangulosa

False black widowSteatoda grossa

Brown widowLatrodectus geometricusvenomous

Common house spiderParasteatoda tepidariorum

Southern black widowLatrodectus mactansvenomous

Northern black widowLatrodectus variolusvenomous

Common six-spotted cobweaverRugathodes sexpunctatus

GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.

About these numbers

A species is listed for a state once GBIF holds at least 10 records of it located inside the state by coordinates, under any license. Every count, share, month and county shown is computed only from records published under CC0 or CC BY, so a listed species can show few or no counted records. Monthly patterns show when people record spiders, which also reflects when people are outdoors. Venomous status follows taxonomy: pit vipers and coral snakes; widow and recluse spiders; the Arizona bark scorpion. Records filed under older names count for the species they belong to today. Full methodology.