Hobo Spider: Characteristics, Habitat & Bite

These 8 legged predators with unregimented body enter through abandoned places, cracks in the doors, windows, and other openings. These arachnids crawl into our homes & attics while searching for food, mates, warmth, or moisture. The presence of insects and other tiny creatures in homes is a common reason for spiders to come inside. There are about 35,000 species of spiders known to this world. Let’s talk about one- “Hobo Spider”.

The Hobo Spiders are known as "hobos" because of their frequent presences on railroad tracks. These are formerly termed as Tegenaria Agrestis; a member of genus spiders also known as funnel-web spiders. Hey, don’t confuse it with Australian funnel-web spider. This spider is also known as an aggressive house spider. This species was first introduced in 1802 by a naturalist Charles Athanase Walckenaer.

Cracks in bricks and dark areas are ideal nesting spots for the pests.

Hobo Spider Characteristics

There are other several categories which identify hobo spiders among the other spiders which are:

• The male hobo spiders have a body length of 8-11 mm & are brownish in colour while the female ones have 11-15 mm of body length. There is no difference in the colour shades between the male & the female spiders.
• Hobo spiders don’t have the coloured bands that are found on many spiders of the Agelenidae family where the leg joints meet.
• Hobo Spiders have a herringbone type pattern on the top of their abdomens.
• The Hobo Spider has solid light-brown coloured legs. Its related species are quite similar in appearance and it requires training to identify them reliably.
• The Hobo Spiders prefer warm & dry environments and are mostly found in gardens, fields, hedges and similar places.
• They have eight eyes clustered together, but the best characteristics to identify a hobo spider are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Hobo Spiders Habitat

They seek out splits, holes and fissures that can provide a framework for their funnel webs. Hobo spiders knit their webs in the shape of funnels that also serve as a mating area. Females generally remain within the perimeter of their nests, while the males move about in search of potential mating partners. After mating, females remain in their nests while males either die soon afterwards or move on.

Hobo Spiders have to attack to eat otherwise they would die of hunger. The webs that they make are funnel-shaped and are often attached to an object in the garden, between plants, or anything that remains stationary near the ground level. The Hobo spider also makes webs under homes and attaches it to plants or weeds.

Hobo Spiders Bite

These spiders only bite when provoked or threatened. Most bites from a Hobo spider occur when the spider or its egg is accidentally crushed or squeezed by a human. Hobo spiders are extremely protective of their egg sacs & will not hesitate to bite if they sense any danger to their young ones. Often, humans do not realize and unintentionally trespass upon one when the spiders are residing in dark areas. Hobo spiders feed themselves on various insects and may also consume other arachnids. Prey that comes into contact with the web vibrates along the silken structure, alerting the spider. After attacking their prey, they will ingest it within the end of their funnel-shaped webs.

Hobo spiders are poisonous arachnids, and because of that, it is crucial to take the utmost caution when in their presence. If you or anyone you know suffers a bite from a hobo spider, urgent medical assistance is a must. An initial study of hobo spider poison reported it to be a medical danger that would produce necrotic lesions. Subsequent researches have disregarded this, and the spider is no more considered a medically threatening spider.

This spider is mostly found in: Colorado, Oregon, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Utah and Pacific Northwest United States. So if you are living in these areas, beware!

Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown is a journalist at his own start-up, born and residing in Seattle, Washington. He has a knack of reading up newspaper articles and coming up with summaries and points of view, hence taking up a profession similar to his interest. Simply covering events and activities is something he can do as good as a professional, but he seems to enjoy writing on events that need viewpoints and suggestions.