Fun Tangle Web Spiders Facts For Kids

Oluwatosin Michael
Nov 27, 2022 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Fact-checked by Tehil David
Read these tangle web spider facts to learn more about this spider.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 5.0 Min

Tangle web spiders, also known as Theridiidae, comb-footed spiders and cobweb spiders. These spiders are a large family of Araneomorph spiders which was first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall.

There are around 3,000 species spread throughout the world. They are the most common arthropod found in human dwellings around the world.

Tangle web spiders' diet includes ants and other ground-dwelling insects. Tangle web spiders' habitats include bushes and buildings and there exist no other specific habitats as this spider is distributed globally.

The webs of this spider consist of elastic and silk lines or strands that capture the prey.

While the venom of most of the spiders of this family is not dangerous, the venom or bite of black widows could be dangerous to humans. This family also includes a common house spider or sometimes called the American house spider which is commonly found in North America.

Tangle web spiders' lifespan is known to be between two and three years. Many species of this family are important medically and various researches are being done about these species.

The behavior of this arachnid is quiet and efficient on the webs, and they soon become helpless when removed from their web. It is quite interesting to know about this spider and if you are interested, read about the wolf spider and the Brazilian wandering spider too.

Tangle Web Spider Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Tangle Web Spider?

The tangle web spider is a spider.

What class of animal does a Tangle Web Spider belong to?

The tangle web spider belongs to the class of Arachnida.

How many Tangle Web Spiders are there in the world?

There has been no specific number of these spiders recorded in the world.

Where does a Tangle Web Spider live?

These spiders live in their webs commonly found in bushes and buildings.

What is a Tangle Web Spider's habitat?

There exists no specific habitat of this spider and are found in messy and non-sticky webs found in bushes and buildings.

Who do Tangle Web Spiders live with?

Spiders tend to be solitary animals.

How long does a Tangle Web Spider live?

Spiders are known to live for two or three years.

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction takes place sexually and female spiders produce egg sacs with around 400 eggs. Most of the baby spiders are eaten before they mature and the females do not usually protect the eggs or the young ones and thus, the young ones are on their own after hatching.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of these spiders is Not Extinct.

Tangle Web Spider Fun Facts

What do Tangle Web Spiders look like?

The brown pattern is one recognizable feature of this spider.

This insect has a dull appearance with patterns of brown color. The females have a gentile plate and ecribellate, which means that they spin sticky capture silk instead of woolly silk. They also have a comb of serrated bristles on the tarsus of the fourth leg.

How cute are they?

Spiders are not considered to be cute animals.

How do they communicate?

Most spiders communicate through acoustics and chemical channels, while some species also use visual channels too.

How big is a Tangle Web Spider?

The comb-footed spider is a tiny spider and is almost a quarter-inch long.

How fast can Tangle Web Spiders move?

While the exact speed of the comb- footed spiders is unknown, spiders are known to move fast in general.

How much does a Tangle Web Spider weigh?

The weight of these comb-footed spiders is unknown.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There exist no specific names for the males and females of the species.

What would you call a baby Tangle Web Spider?

A baby spider is called a spiderling.

What do they eat?

While most spiders are insectivores, some are also known to be carnivores. The comb-footed spiders use their sticky silk to prey on ants and other ground-dwelling insects.  

Are they harmful?

The tangle web spiders are not known to bite humans frequently and are not aggressive. The venom of these spiders is not dangerous to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

While not much information is available about these species as pets, it is believed that spiders do make good pets if they are not poisonous or venomous. Spiders are quiet and clean creatures, they can live in small spaces.

Keeping spiders as pets is inexpensive. You must keep in mind that certain species require ideal conditions, some species are not allowed to be kept as pets, and there must be thorough research done to check if the species you would like is poisonous or venomous.

Did you know...

As the name suggests, many spiders of this Theridiidae family create tangle space webs. This is done to trap ants and other insects using elastic, sticky, silky trap lines or strands leading to the soil surface.

Webs of these spiders remain in their place for an extended period and are enlarged or repaired.

These kinds of webs are made by the family members like the common house spider and the black widow. This a category of spiders based on the pattern of webs.

Spiral webs are the most common pattern of webs and this design is associated with the family Araneidae. Some spiders that make this web include boras spiders, orb-weaving spiders, and silk spiders.

The black widow spider is a cobweb spider and has a dangerous bite.

Funnel-web spiders are one of the deadliest spiders in the world, if not the most deadly and dangerous. It is able to kill a human in 15 minutes.

How do their webs work?

Webs of these spiders are made to trap ants and other insects using elastic, sticky, silky trap lines or strands leading to the soil surface.

Webs of these spiders remain in their place for an extended period and are enlarged or repaired.

How to get rid of Tangle Web Spiders?

Spider webs are easy to remove. You can remove the webs with a vacuum cleaner or brooms.

Some non-dangerous spiders can be removed from the house or office or any such space by covering it with any jar or glass and then slide a paper or cardboard under the mouth of the jar or class and then pick it up and set the spider free far away from the place.

To avoid spiders and webs in the future, keep cleaning the place regularly, seal the cracks and windows and turn off the lights when not in use, as light tends to attract many insects including spiders.

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 the six-eyed sand spider and the orb-weaver spider.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Tangle web spider coloring pages.

Tangle Web Spiders Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Ground dwelling insects like ants

What Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

N/A

How Much Did They Weigh?

N/A

What habitat Do they Live In?

bushes and buildings

Where Do They Live?

no specific location

How Long Were They?

Quarter-inch

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Class

Arachnida

Genus

N/A

Family

Theridiidae

Scientific Name

Theridiidae

What Do They Look Like?

Brownish

Skin Type

N/A

What Are Their Main Threats?

habitat destruction

What is their Conservation Status?

Not Extinct
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Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

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Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

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Fact-checked by Tehil David

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature, Master of Arts specializing in Philosophy and Religious Studies

Tehil David picture

Tehil DavidBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature, Master of Arts specializing in Philosophy and Religious Studies

Tehil David Singh is a fact checker with a Bachelor's degree in English literature from St.Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, and a Master's degree in Philosophy, and Religion from Madurai Kamaraj University. He has a passion for writing and hopes to become a story writer in the future. Tehil has previously interned in content writing and has been a content creator for the last three years. In his personal life, he enjoys singing, songwriting, performing, and writing stories.

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