Fun Hobo Spider Facts For Kids

Europe is the original location of hobo spiders. The spider was introduced in the Pacific Northwest of the United States in the '30s through Seattle's Port by accident. As the story goes, there were several eggs inside the shipment. That's how they found their way into North America and have spread to Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Canada.

Often referred to as the 'aggressive house spider,' hobo spiders are brown, eight-legged creatures that can be as small as 0.5 in (1.2 cm). They have tiny hairs on their legs, which act as sensors helping them to prey. The funnel-shaped hobo spider web is found in spaces close to the ground, near rocks, creeks, and basements. It is easy to confuse a hobo spider with a similar-looking brown recluse spider.

Hobo spiders are non-social and do not like to live near humans. However, their feeling of fear can make them bite humans. Unlike brown recluse spiders, the hobo spider bite has been discovered to be harmless to humans in recent times.

If you enjoyed our fun facts about the hobo spider, do read our articles on yellow sac spider and Brazilian wandering spider to quench your spider thurst!

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What type of animal is a hobo spider?

As the name suggests, the hobo spider is a type of spider.

What class of animal does a hobo spider belong to?

Hobo spiders are from the Arachnida class of the Arthropod group.

How many hobo spiders are there in the world?

The number of hobo spiders is unknown, but they are common in North America and Canada.

Where does a hobo spider live? 

Hobo spiders can be found in Europe, British Columbia, North America, and Canada.

What is a Hobo spider's habitat? 

Farmlands, gardens, grasslands, and suburbs are great places with temperate and terrestrial habitats for Hobo spiders. They are commonly found in dry and warm sneaky places close to the ground, creeks, holes, between rocks in gardens, and basements where they can spin their webs easily.

Who do hobo spiders live with?

These spiders are solitary in nature and are only seen in pairs when they are going to mate. They are aggressive towards other spiders too. Even though they've started living closer to humans now, they still avoid them.

How long does a hobo spider live?

The average lifespan of a hobo spider is one year. However, Inland hobo spiders have a longer lifespan of up to three years.

How do they reproduce?

Hobo spiders have an interesting reproduction method, and it usually takes place during August. Females wait in their funnel web for males to arrive and impress them with scents and vibrations. The males are allowed to enter the web only if the females feel safe. In case she senses danger, it is death for the male. After entering the web, fertilization takes place as males release sperm into the female's epigyne. Anywhere between one and four clutches may be laid, with 50-100 eggs.

The gestation period is about six months. Spiderlings are born the following season and reach sexual maturity between three to six months of birth.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of this spider species is listed as Not Evaluated.

What do hobo spiders look like?

Hobo spiders are brown with dark brown markings that blend in with their body color. There is a light yellowish spotted area along the sternum. They are small-sized, with a body length of 0.4-0.6 in (1-1.5 cm) but have a leg spread of 1.5 in (1.2 cm). Their legs are long and hairy, a common feature of spiders that create a funnel-web.

Males have an extra pair of pedipalps, antennae-like organs present close to the jaws, helping spinning webs, catching prey, and reproduce. Female hobo spiders have an epigynum, an external organ for reproduction. Females spiders are said to be larger than males in size.

A distinctive feature to help identify a hobo spider is the v-shaped pattern on top of the abdomen.

How cute are they?

Hobo spiders are small and cute spider species for their size, although some people are freaked out by them.

How do they communicate?

Hobo spiders use visual, tactile, vibrational, and chemical means of communication. The hairs on their legs act as excellent sensory organs, detecting changes in air pressure, and sensing their prey. Male hobo spiders use receptors called sensilla present in the legs to give out pheromones to attract females at the time of mating. Although small, hobo spiders have photoreceptors with lenses in the eyes, which help in vision.

How big is a hobo spider? 

Hobo spiders are smaller than most other spiders. Males hobo spiders are 0.16-0.33 in (0.4-0.8 cm) long, and females 0.16-0.25 in (0.4-0.6 cm) long.

How fast can Hobo Spiders move?

Hobo spiders can run at the speed of 2.2 mph (3.5 kph) when they sense danger.

How much does a hobo spider weigh?

A hobo spider weight is not known.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Hobo spiders do not have different gender names. They are referred to as male hobo spider and female hobo spider.

What would you call a baby hobo spider?

Like other spiders, a baby hobo spider is called 'Spiderling.'

What do they eat? 

Since they are poor climbers, hobo spiders make silky, funnel-shaped webs in enclosed spaces close to the ground level and eat everything entangled in their little prey trap. They mainly feed on beetles, insects, flies, and cockroaches.

Are they harmful?

Hobo spider bite has been debatable in recent times for its toxicity. Europeans seem unaffected by the bite, while some cases in the United States were recorded as severe. Since hobo spider are confused with Brown Recluse spiders, there is no surety of which of the spider's bite has caused wounds. However, after thorough studies, it is assured that hobo spiders are not harmful, and their bite does not cause ill effects to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

It is not ideal to have a hobo spider as a pet since they enjoy being solitary.

Did you know...

The former scientific name of hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, was changed to Eratigena agrestis in 2013 when most spiders under the genus Tegenaria changed to the genus Eratigena based on various factors like size, behavior, and habitat. Even today, most people refer to hobo spiders as Tegenaria agrestis.

Most spiders, including hobo spiders, are good to have around the house since they naturally get rid of pest insects and smaller spiders.

Unlike other spiders, female hobo spiders do not kill the male after mating. Male hobo spiders die on their own, in the female's web.

Contact with hobo spiders

Hobo spiders are confused with the brown recluse spider for their similarities. To identify a hobo spider, look closely for brown markings and yellow areas on the spider's body and abdomen. They have shorter legs than most spiders. Both male and female spiders have palps close to the jaws visible through magnification.

Remember that a hobo spider does not like human interaction and will not chase you and move away quickly if you come in contact with them.

To get rid of hobo spiders, you can get pest control done at your home and get rid of funnel webs around the house. Pest control teams can provide information on where spiders may be entering your homes.

Hobo Spider bites

Hobo spider bites

For the hobo spider size, its bite can quickly go unnoticed. At first, it seems like a sting, but the effects are pretty visible within an hour, with redness and numbness around the area. The pain could last for up to 12 hours.

If you think a hobo spider bite is harmful, it is time to get hobo spiderr facts and myths cleared. Recent studies have shown that hobo spider bites are non-venomous or toxic to humans and do not need medical attention. However, there is no harm in getting a regular checkup done post the bite.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including six eyed sand spider, or orb-weaver spider.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Wolf Spider coloring pages.