Barn Funnel Weaver, Common House Spider
Tegenaria domestica
Agelenidae (Funnel-web weavers), Order Araneae
Physical Description
The spider features a distinct oval abdomen and a somewhat elongated, brownish cephalothorax with characteristic dark longitudinal stripes. The body is relatively robust and covered in fine hairs, typical of funnel weavers.
Size Estimate
Body length ranges from 6 to 12 millimeters for males and up to 15 millimeters for females, with a leg span reaching up to 30 to 40 millimeters. This appears to be an adult specimen.
Coloration & Markings
Predominantly brown with a mottled or patterned abdomen showing yellowish-brown or greyish markings, often with chevron patterns. The cephalothorax features characteristic dark longitudinal stripes running lengthwise.
Web Type
Builds a characteristic horizontal sheet web that funnels into a tubular retreat where the spider hides, typically located in dark corners, crevices, or cellar spaces.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two slightly curved, compact rows across the front of the cephalothorax, typical of the Agelenidae family.
Leg Characteristics
Long, slender legs with distinct dark banding or rings, covered in numerous fine hairs and spines to enhance vibration sensitivity on the web sheet.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Contains mild neurotoxic venom used primarily to immobilize small insect prey. It is not considered dangerous to humans or pets.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. Bites are extremely rare because they are highly docile and flee when disturbed; if a bite does occur, it generally causes only minor localized redness or irritation.
Safety Recommendations
No special safety precautions are necessary. If one is found inside a jar or living area, it can easily be safely relocated outside using a cup and a piece of paper.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Cosmopolitan distribution, frequently found indoors in human habitations, cellars, barns, garages, and sheltered outdoor locations around woodpiles or walls.
Behavior & Temperament
Timid and fast-moving. They spend most of their time hidden inside their funnel retreat, darting out rapidly across the sheet web only when prey triggers vibrations.
Diet & Prey
Generalist predator feeding on various household insects including flies, silverfish, beetles, and cockroaches, caught by rushing out from the funnel retreat.
Seasonal Activity
Active year-round indoors, with mature males frequently wandering out of their webs in late summer and autumn in search of mates.
Description
The Barn Funnel Weaver is a familiar and harmless indoor companion, often spotted scurrying across walls or lurking in the corners of basements inside its signature funnel-shaped web. Highly adept at managing household insect populations, this spider is more afraid of humans than humans need to be of it.
Key Features
Distinctive dark longitudinal stripes on the cephalothorax, mottled chevron patterns on the abdomen, and the construction of a sheet web with a tubular funnel retreat.
Similar Species
Eratigena atrica (Giant House Spider) and grass spiders of the genus Agelenopsis, distinguished by subtle differences in size, spinneret length, and cephalothorax stripe patterns.
Life Cycle
Females produce silk egg sacs in autumn, hiding them near the web retreat. Spiderlings emerge in spring, undergoing multiple molts before reaching maturity, with a typical lifespan of 1 to 2 years.
Ecological Importance
Serves as an effective natural pest controller in residential buildings and outbuildings, significantly reducing populations of crawling and flying insects.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but populations are exceptionally stable, widespread, and thriving globally alongside human habitations.
Interesting Facts
Despite their intimidating, fast-moving sprint when startled, common house spiders are completely beneficial roommates that help keep pests out of living spaces.
Photography Tips
Use natural lighting or diffused flash to highlight the cephalothorax stripes and leg banding. Maintain a safe distance and shoot from above for clear structural identification.
Identified: 2026-09-06T05:59:05.417710