About Argyrodes argyrodes (Walckenaer, 1841)
Argyrodes argyrodes (Walckenaer, 1841) is a species of spider belonging to the family Theridiidae. This species is native to the entire Mediterranean region and West Africa. It has been introduced to St. Helena, the Seychelles, and Hawaii. In South Africa, this introduced species has been recorded in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Specific locations it has been found in within South Africa include Seekoeivlei, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, Pretoria/Tshwane, Tswaing Nature Reserve, and Hluhluwe Nature Reserve. In terms of habitat and ecology, these spiders are kleptoparasites that typically live on the webs of other spiders, and steal prey from these host webs. Only a small number of species in the Argyrodes genus catch prey using their own webs. In South Africa, samples of this species have been collected at altitudes between 1247 and 1303 meters.
