Barn Funnel Weaver, Common House Spider
Tegenaria domestica
Agelenidae (Funnel Web Weavers), Order Araneae
Physical Description
The spider has a distinct elongated oval abdomen and a somewhat flattened, pear-shaped cephalothorax. The body is covered in fine, velvety hairs. The cephalothorax features faint, light brown longitudinal striping.
Size Estimate
Body length is approximately 7 to 11 millimeters for females, with a leg span reaching up to 30 to 40 millimeters.
Coloration & Markings
Base coloration ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown. The abdomen features a mottled pattern with yellowish or greyish spots and chevron markings running down the dorsal center.
Web Type
Builds a characteristic flat, sheet-like funnel web in corners, behind furniture, or in structural crevices, leading to a tubular retreat where the spider waits.
Eye Arrangement
Features eight small eyes arranged in two slightly curved horizontal rows of four, typical of the Agelenidae family.
Leg Characteristics
Legs are long, slender, and uniformly brown with faint darker banding near the joints. They are covered in fine setae and spines, adapted for rapid running.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Possesses mild neurotoxic and proteolytic venom used primarily to subdue small invertebrate prey. It is not specialized for defense against large vertebrates.
Medical Significance
Not medically significant. Bites are extremely rare, typically occurring only when trapped against human skin. Symptoms are generally limited to mild, temporary local pain and redness.
Safety Recommendations
Seal entry points around homes to prevent entry. If relocation is necessary, gently guide the spider into a container using a piece of cardstock.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Cosmopolitan distribution worldwide, frequently found indoors in basements, attics, garages, and outbuildings, as well as sheltered outdoor locations like woodpiles and walls.
Behavior & Temperament
A nocturnal, fast-running hunter that rarely leaves its sheet web unless disturbed. Generally non-aggressive and prefers to retreat rapidly when encountered.
Diet & Prey
Feeds primarily on household insects such as flies, mosquitoes, silverfish, beetles, and occasionally other spiders that blunder onto its sheet web.
Seasonal Activity
Active year-round indoors, with mature males most commonly spotted wandering in search of mates during late summer and autumn.
Description
The Barn Funnel Weaver is a familiar indoor and agricultural dweller, known for constructing intricate sheet webs that end in a cozy retreat. With its mottled brown body and rapid movements, it is an efficient predator that helps control household pest populations.
Key Features
Mottled brown and grey chevron pattern on the abdomen, long spiny legs, uniform brown coloration without distinct violin markings, and association with sheet-like funnel webs.
Similar Species
Often confused with the Hobble spider (Eratigena agrestis) or the Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). Unlike the recluse, this species has hairy legs and a patterned abdomen rather than a violin marking.
Life Cycle
Females construct tough, disc-shaped egg sacs in hidden areas, guarding them until they hatch. Spiderlings disperse via ballooning or crawling. Adults can live for several years.
Ecological Importance
Serves as an important natural predator of household and agricultural insect pests, helping to keep insect populations balanced.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, but populations are secure, widespread, and abundant globally.
Interesting Facts
Despite their intimidating speed and size, these spiders are completely harmless to humans and are valuable pest controllers in homes and barns.
Photography Tips
Use macro lenses with natural diffused lighting or ring flash. Photograph from above to capture the dorsal chevron patterns clearly.
Identified: 2026-08-06T05:59:54.151856