House-spider
Guides
Eratigena atrica
Giant House Spider
Eratigena atrica is a large funnel-weaving spider native to continental Europe and introduced to North America. It is among the largest spiders of Central and Northern Europe, with mature females reaching 11–16 mm body length and males 10–14 mm. The species is closely related to E. duellica and E. saeva, forming a morphologically similar species group distinguishable only by palp and epigyne features. E. atrica shows no evidence of hybridization with these relatives.
Eratigena duellica
Giant House Spider
Eratigena duellica, commonly known as the giant house spider, is a funnel weaver spider in the family Agelenidae. Originally described from Europe, it has been introduced to western North America, where it is established in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. The species was transferred from the genus Tegenaria to Eratigena in 2013, and was restored as a distinct species separate from E. atrica in 2018 after being considered conspecific. It is one of the largest house-dwelling spiders in its range and constructs characteristic funnel-shaped webs.
Herpyllus
Parson spider
Herpyllus is a genus of ground spiders in the family Gnaphosidae, first described by Nicholas Marcellus Hentz in 1832. The genus contains 33 species distributed across North America, Central America, and parts of Asia. Members are commonly known as 'parson spiders' due to their distinctive black-and-white coloration resembling clerical vestments. The most well-known species, Herpyllus ecclesiasticus (Eastern Parson Spider), is widespread in eastern North America and frequently enters human dwellings.
Kukulcania hibernalis
Southern House Spider
Kukulcania hibernalis, commonly known as the Southern House Spider, is a large cribellate spider native to coastal eastern Mexico and the eastern United States. The species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: mature females are velvety black or dark gray with a tarantula-like body shape and lumpy eye arrangement, while males are pale beige or brown with small bodies and extremely long legs. Females construct sprawling, lacy, non-sticky webs around tubular retreats on buildings, using specialized cribellar silk with extreme extensibility achieved through a hierarchical loops-on-loops structure. The species is synanthropic and has been introduced widely across the Americas, the Caribbean, Liberia, and the Canary Islands.
Kukulcania utahana
crevice weaver
Kukulcania utahana is a species of crevice weaver spider in the family Filistatidae. It was described by Chamberlin and Ivie in 1935. Like other members of its genus, it constructs distinctive lacy, cribellate webs in sheltered locations. The species is found in the United States, with records from the southwestern region.
Parasteatoda tabulata
Wandering House Cobweaver
Parasteatoda tabulata is a cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, first described by H. W. Levi in 1980. It is native to tropical Asia but has been introduced to North America, Europe, and temperate Asia including China, Korea, and Japan. The species belongs to a genus closely related to the Common House Spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) and shares similar web-building habits.
Parasteatoda tepidariorum
Common House Spider, American House Spider, Domestic Spider, Common Gray House Spider
Parasteatoda tepidariorum, the common house spider, is a small cobweb-weaving spider native to the Americas that has achieved cosmopolitan distribution through human commerce. It is strongly synanthropic, rarely found outside human-built structures. Females measure 5–8 mm in body length, males 3.8–4.7 mm, with variable coloration from tan to nearly black. The species constructs irregular three-dimensional webs in dark corners of buildings and has become a model organism for developmental biology research due to its short lifecycle, ease of laboratory culture, and accessible embryology.
Steatoda triangulosa
Triangulate Cobweb Spider, Triangulate Combfoot, Triangulate Bud Spider
Steatoda triangulosa is a small cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, frequently encountered in human-made structures across North America and Europe. Adults measure 3.5–5.9 mm in body length, with females larger than males. The species is recognized by the distinctive triangular pattern on its abdomen. It is synanthropic, thriving in basements, garages, and cellars, and has been introduced to North America from the Palearctic region. The species is not considered dangerously venomous to humans.