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Agelenidae—Funnel Weavers Amaurobiidae—Hackledmesh Weavers Araneidae—Orbweavers Clubionidae—Sac Spiders Dysderidae—Dysderid Spiders Lycosidae—Wolf Spiders Miturgidae—Prowling Spiders Pisauridae—Nursery Web Spiders Pholcidae—Cellar or Daddylonglegs Spiders Salticidae—Jumping Spiders Sicariidae—Sixeyed Sicariid Spiders Theridiidae—Cobweb Weavers Photographs courtesy of Steven Jacobs. Prepared by Steven Jacobs, |
Achaearanea tepidariorum is a cosmopolitan spider that is widely distributed throughout most of the world. It is extremely common in barns and houses, where it constructs webs in the corners of walls, floor joists, and windows. The common house spider may also be found outside under objects such as rocks and boards, as well as beneath bridges and similar structures. In homes, it is most often encountered in damp areas such as basements and crawl spaces. Because this spider frequently abandons its web to build a new one nearby, it can produce many webs in a short period of time. This behavior causes homeowners much grief. Description The common house spider female is 5 to 6 millimeters in length with a yellowish-brown carapace and a dirty white to brown abdomen with gray chevrons. The legs are yellow, with darker rings at the end of each segment. Some individuals have a triangular, black spot on the top of the abdomen. The male is 3.8 to 4.7 millimeters in length with orange legs.
Males and females can be found at anytime of year, and there are reports of the spiders living for a year or more after maturing. Themale and female will coexist in the web and mate repeatedly. The egg sacs are brown and ovoid with tough, papery covers and can be 6 to 9 millimeters in diameter. A female may deposit 12 or more egg sacs over her lifetime, each containing 140 to 380 eggs. Medical Importance Achaearanea tepidariorum is not known as a medically important species. In fact, given this spider’s tendency to populate houses, plus the absence of reported bites in the literature, it is apparent that the house spider does not often bite people.
Authored by: Steve Jacobs, Sr. Extension Associate March
2002 This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. Return to Entomological Notes Listing Home | Research | Extension
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Common House Spider 
Life History