(Tegenaria domestica)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Barn funnel weaver is an exotic, medium sized, house funnel-web spider. It is native to Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. In was introduced into North America, probably with some of the first European settlers. It now occurs throughout the United States and southern Canada, but it is most common between the 40th and 50th parallels. In its native region, barn funnel weaver is found in caves and in hollow trees. In North America it is usually found in the basement of human houses, in neglected buildings, and in gardens adjacent to those houses and buildings. Its widespread expansion has been made possible through the movement of humans. Females are ¼″ to 7⁄16″ (7 to 11 mm) in length. The legspan is ¾″ to 1 3⁄16″ (20 to 30 mm). Males are smaller, ¼″ to 5⁄16″ (6.5 to 8.5 mm) in length. The body is hairy and yellowish brown, orangish brown, reddish brown, or beige (pale) with dark markings. The front part of the body (cephalothorax) is longer than wide and much narrower in front than behind. The rear portion (thoracic region) is large, broadly rounded when viewed from above, and relatively flat when viewed from the side. The front portion (head region) is small, higher, straight sided, and narrow, about half as wide as the thoracic region. The upper part of the cephalothorax (carapace) is pale. There is a thin dark line on each lateral margin, and a pair of broad dark stripes in the middle extending from the eye region to the rear margin. The stripes are solid and unbroken. They have clean, straight edges, and they do not merge at the rear. There are eight eyes arranged in two rows of four eyes each. The front row is almost straight, and the eyes in the front row are equally spaced. The anterior median eyes (AME) are smaller than the anterior lateral eyes (ALE). In the rear row, the eyes are almost equally spaced, and they are all about the same size. The jaw-like mouthparts (chelicerae) are slightly convex. Each chelicera has a very prominent, distinctly raised mound (condyle) on the outer side near the base, and a fang at the end. The fang rests in a groove (furrow). The lower margin of the furrow has 3 to 6 teeth. The abdomen is pale with a dark cardiac mark on the front half and three longitudinal rows of dark spots on the rear half. The spots in the median row are chevron shaped. The spinnerets are not as long as on other funnel weavers (Family Agelenidae), and they are often not visible from above. The legs are very long. They are ringed, but the rings are often indistinct. The fifth segment (tibia) of each leg has two pairs of spines. |
Size |
Female Body Length: ¼″ to 7⁄16″ (7 to 11 mm) Male Body Length: ¼″ to 5⁄16″ (6.5 to 8.5 mm) Legspan: ¾″ to 1 3⁄16″ (20 to 30 mm) |
Web |
The web is flat sheet with a funnel in a corner or on a side that leads to a retreat. There is a concave pattern of snare lines above the sheet. |
Similar Species |
Habitat |
The basement of human houses, other buildings, and gardens |
Biology |
Season |
Year round indoors, but it will not survive a Minnesota winter in an unheated space. |
Behavior |
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Life Cycle |
Eggs overwinter in the web and hatch in the spring. |
Food |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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10/28/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Common |
Taxonomy |
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Class | Arachnida (arachnids) |
Order |
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Suborder |
Araneomorphae (typical spiders) |
Infraorder |
Entelegynae |
Zoosection |
RTA clade |
Zoosubsection |
Marronoid (meshweavers and allies) |
Family |
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Subfamily |
Ageleninae (typical funnel weavers) |
Genus |
Tegenaria (house funnel-web spiders) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Agelena civilis Agelena familiaris Arachne familiaris Aranea annulata Aranea civilis Aranea derhamii Aranea domestica Aranea flava Aranea longipes Aranea tomentosa Araneus domesticus Chalinura longipes Coelotes amygdaliformis Coelotes plumarius Draconarius amygdaliformis Drassina ochracea Hersilia longipes Mevianops fragilis Nyssa familiaris Philoica civilis Tegenaria amygdaliformis Tegenaria civilis Tegenaria cretica Tegenaria derhami Tegenaria detestabilis Tegenaria domestica Tegenaria domesticoides Tegenaria dubia Tegenaria fontium Tegenaria fragilis Tegenaria longipes Tegenaria modesta Tegenaria ochracea Tegenaria scalaris |
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Common Names |
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barn funnel weaver (North America) barn funnel weaving spider common house spider domestic house spider (Europe) drain spider European house spider lesser European house spider ubiquitous house spider |
Glossary
Carapace
The hard, upper (dorsal), shell-like covering (exoskeleton) of the body or at least the thorax of many arthropods and of turtles and tortoises. On crustaceans, it covers the cephalothorax. On spiders, the top of the cephalothorax made from a series of fused sclerites.
Cardiac mark
An oval dark mark on the front half of the abdomen of some spiders, beneath which lies the heart.
Cephalothorax
The front part of the body of various arthropods, composed of the head region and the thoracic area fused together. Eyes, legs, and antennae are attached to this part.
Chelicerae
The pair of stout mouthparts, corresponding to jaws, in arachnids and other arthropods in the subphylum Chelicerata.
Tibia
The fourth segment of an insect leg, after the femur and before the tarsus (foot). The fifth segment of a spider leg or palp.
Visitor Photos |
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Joy |
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Identify a spider please this spider has been in an outside window area and lines up flies in a special area - they also shed their exoskeleton - I am wondering where it should be to survive the winter? |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
Hobo Spider, Giant House Spider, and Barn Funnel Weaver Part 2 - The Spiders in Your House |
About
Dec 6, 2023 Part 2 of an in-depth look at three closely-related spiders: the Giant House spider (Eratigena atrica), the Barn Funnel Weaver (Tegenaria domestica), and the controversial Hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis). In this video, I explore the story of the Hobo spider's reputation, and look into the evidence regarding whether a hobo spider bite really causes necrotic lesions. I also talk to Rick Vetter and Dr. Greta Binford (a couple of the actual scientists who were involved), and cheese-test all three species. All un-credited photos and video herein are my own; all others are credited in video. |
Basement Spiders - Tegenaria domestica |
About
Jul 2, 2016 Two Tegenaria domestica which have built webs next to one another. One of the two individuals have caught a fly which was attracted to the light of the outside world and hit the web of the spider. This species was introduced to the new world and has established itself in many parts of the planet. |
Harmless Barn Funnel Weaver (Tegenaria Domestica) in Colorado |
About
Apr 9, 2024 I apologize for the shaky cam, I have tremors like an elderly person, though I am only 30. Haha! Also I jump scare easily, you may see me jump back when the t's move occasionally! I believe this is a Barn Funnel Weaver (Tegenaria Domestica) found last year in Bear Creek Lake Park in Colorado on a bridge. They are harmless, please leave them alone... They're just catching bugs! This species is very skittish, they will retreat before they ever bite. Their bite is not even likely to break the skin but if it does it is said to be equivalent discomfort to a bee sting. |
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Joy |
Location: Mound, Mn |
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John Valo |
This spider is a funnel weaver spider, most likely – almost certainly - barn funnel weaver. These spiders usually live just one year. Adults do not survive the winter, but the eggs do survive. They overwinter in the web and hatch in the spring. Adults may live up to two years if they are indoors. |
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Joy |
Thanks for the info! Should I put the screen with everything on it in the basement or an Un-heated garage or just the ground for the eggs to get loose next spring? |
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John Valo |
If you bring it indoors, it will be active – and hunting – all winter. Also, the eggs may hatch in the warm environment. The answer to your question depends on whether you want to bring spiders into your house. If you want the eggs to survive the winter, they should be in a sheltered but unheated location, off the ground and protected from snow, wind, and maybe sun. Good luck! |
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Created: 10/28/2024 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |