Funnel Weavers
Barn Funnel weaver (Tegenaria domestica)
Web: Typical funnel web with a funnel-shaped retreat.
Habitat: In and around buildings. Often outdoors, away from buildings, such as in hollowed out trees and caves.
How to recognize:
- typical light drawing on the abdomen and dark coloured drawing on cephalothorax
- often with a faded appearance and an vague drawing
- legs vaguely annulated and proportionally shorter compared to the Giant house and Cardinal spider.
Looks similar to:
- Cannot really be confused with other house spiders when accurately comparing the back drawing. Also a lot smaller.
Size
♀: 7,5-11,5mm
♂: 6-9mm
When?
♀: throughout the year
♂: probably the entire year, but with peak in the second half.
Cardinal spider (Tegenaria parietina)
Web: Typical funnel web with a funnel-shaped retreat, often more “layered” than the web of the Cardinal spider and Barn funnel weaver.
Habitat: In and around buildings, sometimes in drier, less sheltered and sunny locations. Almost always close to buildings.
How to recognize:
- typical light drawing on top of the abdomen (two light oval spots stand out) and a dark coloured drawing on cephalothorax (with three dark spots on the sides)
- legs darkly annulated (less obvious in older spiders and often almost completely lost in adult males.
Looks similar to:
- Charcoal spider (Tegenaria ferruginea). This species has a more delineated drawing (also on the legs), is much smaller and has proportionally shorter legs. The Charcoal spider is more often found in forests and less in houses.
Size
♀: 11-20mm
♂: 10-17mm
When?
♀: throughout the year
♂: August till October
Giant housespider (Eratigena atrica)
Web: Typical funnel web with a funnel-shaped retreat.
Habitat: In and around buildings, with a preference for sheltered, not too dry places. Often outdoors, far away from buildings, i.e. in hollow trees or on rocks.
How to recognize:
- typical light drawing on the abdomen and dark coloured drawing on cephalothorax
- often a more dark appearance compared to the other two house spider species
- legs never darkly annulated
Looks similar to:
- Blackwalls house spider, from which the Giant house spider cannot be distinguished based on general appearance. Only through examining the reproductive structures is it possible to decisively identify species but this examination is not easy.
Size
♀: 11-18mm
♂: 10-15mm
When?
♀: throughout the year
♂: August till October
