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Identity
Hobo
Spiders are brown and
measure roughly 12 to
18 mm in length. Their
legs show no distinct
rings and have short hairs.
Their abdomens have several
chevron shaped markings.
Males are distinctively
different from females
in that they have two
large palps that look
like boxing gloves. These
palps are often mistaken
for fangs or venom sacs,
but they are in fact the
male genitalia. The females
also have these palps,
but the ends are not 'swollen'
as they are on the males.
Females tend to have a
larger abdomen when compared
to males.
Characteristics
The
hobo spider creates a
non-sticky (in spider
standards) trip web that
doesn't permanently stick
insects to the web. Instead,
once the prey trips on
the web the hobo spider
attacks the prey before
it can get away. This
along with its poor eye
site explains why they
are noticeably more aggressive
to humans then other spiders.
They have to attack to
eat otherwise it would
die of starvation.
The
hobo spider is known to
be a fairly aggressive
spider in its nature.
When a hobo spider is
tending to their eggsacs
they tend to become even
more aggressive and at
that point they will attack.
A hobo spider will usually
bite a human due to getting
trapped in clothing, in
bed sheets, and being
trapped next to the skin.
The initial bite by the
hobo spider usually is
not painful, but in about
thirty minutes a hard
area will appear. Within
15 to 35 hours the sore
will blister. The blister
will break in around 24
hours, and the wound left
behind generally will
heal very slowly.
The
Hobo spiders are not good
climbers, and are usually
found at ground or basement
level. They sometimes
climb up to a level of
about four feet if the
surface of the wall, etc.
is sufficiently porous
however they are not able
to climb smoothe surfaces.
Hobo spiders found in
wash basins and bathtubs
arrived there by falling
down the slick porcelain
surface; they did not
come up through the drain.
A
hobo spider usually prefers
dry and warm climates
and will sometimes live
within houses; except
for in Europe, in which
they are found primarily
outside. It is most commonly
found in gardens, fields
and hedges.
Danger
Zones
The
webs they make are funnel
shaped and are often attached
to an object in the yard,
by the foundation, between
planters, or anything
that remains stationary
near the ground level.
It also makes webs under
the siding of homes and
attaching to plants or
weeds.You may also find
Hobo spiders in the following
areas:
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Trash Piles