Barn Funnel Weaver, Common House Spider
Tegenaria domestica
Agelenidae (Funnel-web weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include three pairs of spinnerets with the posterior pair significantly elongated, and a distinctly funnel-shaped retreat in their webs.
Physical Description
Elongated body shape with a distinct cephalothorax and a tapering abdomen. Appears somewhat hairy with long, thin proportions typical of funnel weavers. The silhouette shows classic agelenid architecture with forward-facing palps and long legs radiating outwards.
Size Estimate
Body length approximately 7 to 11 millimeters for females, with a leg span reaching up to 30 millimeters. This appears to be a medium-sized adult or sub-adult specimen.
Coloration & Markings
Predominantly dark brown to charcoal black silhouette in the provided lighting, though typically these spiders feature mottled patterns of brown, beige, and grey with longitudinal stripes on the carapace and chevrons on the abdomen.
Web Type
Builds a horizontal, non-sticky sheet web with a tubular retreat or funnel at one corner or edge where the spider waits in ambush for passing prey.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two slightly curved, almost parallel rows across the front of the carapace, typical of funnel-weaving spiders.
Leg Characteristics
Long, slender legs with visible spination, held in a sprawling posture typical of hunting and web-dwelling spiders that rely on vibration sensitivity rather than vision.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Contains neurotoxic venom used primarily to immobilize insect prey. Low potency regarding humans; it is not considered medically significant.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. Bites are extremely rare because they are highly timid and flee from contact. If a bite occurs due to being trapped against skin, symptoms are usually mild and comparable to a mild bee sting, causing localized redness and minor swelling.
Safety Recommendations
No special safety measures are required as they are harmless. If relocation is desired, gently place a cup over the spider, slide a piece of paper underneath, and release it outdoors.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Cosmopolitan distribution found worldwide in temperate regions. Prefers dark, undisturbed corners of human dwellings, barns, sheds, cellars, garages, and woodpiles.
Behavior & Temperament
Non-aggressive and extremely fast. Primarily nocturnal hunters that wait inside their funnel retreats, bolting out at incredible speed to capture prey that disturbs their sheet web. They generally flee when disturbed rather than bite.
Diet & Prey
Generalist predators feeding on various household insects including flies, mosquitoes, roaches, moths, and other small spiders.
Seasonal Activity
Most commonly seen in late summer and autumn when mature males wander actively in search of females to mate with.
Description
The Barn Funnel Weaver is a quintessential indoor spider, often noticed darting across baseboards or lurking quietly in the corners of garages and basements. Recognized by their characteristic flat sheet webs leading to a cozy silken tunnel, these swift arachnids act as natural pest controllers inside homes without posing any threat to humans.
Key Features
Elongated spinnerets visible at the rear, distinct funnel-shaped web retreat, long spiny legs, and a mottled brown or dark coloration.
Similar Species
Eratigena atrica (Giant House Spider), which is significantly larger; grass agelenids (Agelenopsis spp.), which typically build webs outdoors in grass rather than human structures.
Life Cycle
Females construct disc-shaped silken egg sacs in late summer or autumn, hiding them near the web retreat. Spiderlings hatch in spring, undergo multiple molts, and reach maturity within a year. Lifespan typically ranges from one to two years.
Ecological Importance
Serves as an effective natural predator of household pests, helping to regulate insect populations in human-altered environments and acting as a food source for larger predators like rodents and birds.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but populations are extremely secure, widespread, and well-adapted to human habitations globally.
Interesting Facts
Despite their intimidating speed and size, these spiders are completely harmless to humans and are actually beneficial residents that help keep household insect populations in check.
Photography Tips
Photograph from a safe distance with macro lenses or smartphone macro settings. Use soft lighting or a ring flash to capture details of the carapace patterns and leg spination without startling the spider into its retreat.
Identified: 2026-07-29T13:44:37.107915