Barn Funnel Weaver, Common House Spider
Tegenaria domestica
Agelenidae (Funnel-web weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include long spinnerets and a typical funnel-shaped retreat leading from a flat sheet web.
Physical Description
Elongated body with a brownish, patterned cephalothorax and a mottled brown, oval abdomen. The physical build is robust and agile, typical of ground-dwelling web spinners.
Size Estimate
Body length ranges from 6 to 18 millimeters, with a leg span reaching up to 40 millimeters. This specimen appears to be an adult.
Coloration & Markings
Muted browns, beiges, and dirty grays. The cephalothorax features longitudinal dark stripes, while the abdomen shows a distinctive mottled chevron or patchy pattern.
Web Type
A dense, non-sticky horizontal sheet web that funnels back into a tubular retreat where the spider waits for prey.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two slightly curved horizontal rows across the front of the cephalothorax.
Leg Characteristics
Long, tapering legs with distinct dark banding, covered in fine hairs and spines that enhance sensitivity to vibrations.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Contains mild digestive neurotoxins primarily adapted for subduing small insect prey. Not potent or specialized for vertebrate envenomation.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. Bites are extremely rare, non-medically significant, and typically only cause mild, temporary localized irritation.
Safety Recommendations
No special safety measures needed. If relocation is desired, gently guide the spider into a container using a piece of cardstock and release it outdoors.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Cosmopolitan distribution. Found worldwide in association with human habitations, basements, sheds, garages, and agricultural barns.
Behavior & Temperament
Secretive, nocturnal, and highly timid. They retreat rapidly into their funnel when disturbed and rarely bite unless trapped against the skin.
Diet & Prey
Insects including flies, mosquitoes, roaches, and other small arthropods captured on the sheet web.
Seasonal Activity
Active year-round indoors, with mating activity typically peaking in late summer and autumn when mature males wander in search of females.
Description
The Barn Funnel Weaver is a quintessential companion of human structures, quietly tending to its sheet web in dark corners and crevices. Though easily mistaken for more dangerous spiders due to its size and speed, it is a harmless and beneficial controller of household insect populations.
Key Features
Prominent long spinnerets at the rear of the abdomen, distinctive longitudinal stripes on the carapace, and a characteristic sheet web ending in a tubular retreat.
Similar Species
Eratigena atrica (Giant House Spider) and various wolf spiders (Lycosidae). Distinguished by web structure, precise carapace markings, and spinneret length.
Life Cycle
Females construct silken egg sacs in sheltered corners near the web. Spiderlings hatch and disperse via ballooning or crawling. Adults can live for several years.
Ecological Importance
Acts as an effective natural pest control agent inside buildings and outbuildings, consuming considerable quantities of nuisance insects.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but secure, highly abundant, and widespread globally due to its strong association with human habitats.
Interesting Facts
Despite living almost exclusively in human buildings, this species originated from European stone walls and ruins, perfectly adapting its retreat-building habits to human architecture.
Photography Tips
Use macro lenses with adequate artificial lighting or flash to capture the subtle banding on the legs and pattern on the carapace, as they often dwell in dark corners.
Identified: 2026-07-30T19:40:54.938111