The hobo spider is a member of the family of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders, but not to be confused with the Australian funnel-web spider. Individuals construct a funnel-shaped structure of silk sheeting and lie in wait at the small end of the funnel for prey insects to blunder onto their webs. Hobo spiders sometimes build their webs in or around human habitations. The hobo spider lays its eggs in September and they hatch during late spring. After the male hobo spider mates it dies.
The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus Agelenopsis. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider may be medically significant, and some evidence suggests it might cause necrotic lesions, but the matter remains subject to debate. The most widely accepted common name for members of the family is funnel weaver.
Agelenopsis aperta, also known as the desert grass spider or funnel-web spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Agelenidae and the genus Agelenopsis. It is found in dry and arid regions across the southern United States and into northwestern Mexico. Their body is about 13–18 mm long and they have relatively long legs in order to run after their prey. Desert grass spiders can withstand very low temperatures even though they do not cold harden. It constructs the characteristic funnel-shaped webs in crevices where the funnel will fit, where they wait in the tube for prey which they can run after using their long legs. They often hunt for their prey at night.
Psilochorus is a genus of spiders in the family Pholcidae.
Mimetus is a genus of pirate spiders in the family Mimetidae. They are found worldwide.
Agelena labyrinthica is a species of spider in the family Agelenidae. It is a widespread species in Europe and its range extends to Central and East Asia.
Erigone is a genus of dwarf spiders that was first described by Jean Victoire Audouin in 1826. They are carnivorous, preying on small insects such as psylla and flies. One of the distinctive characters for this genus is the presence of teeth bordering the carapace.
Hyptiotes is a genus of spiders in the family Uloboridae.
Agelenopsis actuosa is a species of grass spider found in southwest Canada and the northwest United States.
Cicurina, also called the cave meshweaver, is a genus of dwarf sheet spiders that was first described by Anton Menge in 1871. Originally placed with the funnel weavers, it was moved to the Dictynidae in 1967, then to the Hahniidae in 2017. The name is from the Latin root "cucur-", meaning "to tame".
Eucteniza is a genus of trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae containing at least 14 species occurring in Mexico and the southern United States. Species are distinguished by a softened rear portion of the carapace, and males possess large spines on the first two pairs of walking legs that are used to hold females during mating. Like other trapdoor spiders they create burrows with a hinged lid, from which they await passing insects and other arthropods to prey upon. Many species are known from only one or two localities, or from only male specimens. More species are expected to be discovered. Eucteniza is closely related to spiders of the genera Entychides and Neoapachella.
Barronopsis is a genus of funnel weavers first described by R. V. Chamberlin & Ivie in 1941.
Calilena is a genus of North American funnel weavers first described by R. V. Chamberlin & Wilton Ivie in 1941.
Hololena is a genus of North American funnel weavers first described by R. V. Chamberlin & Willis J. Gertsch in 1929.
Emblyna is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, and was first described by R. V. Chamberlin in 1948.
Tricholathys is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, and was first described by R. V. Chamberlin & Wilton Ivie in 1935.
Floricomus is a genus of North American dwarf spiders that was first described by C. R. Crosby & S. C. Bishop in 1925.
Phrurotimpus is a genus of araneomorph spiders first described by R. V. Chamberlin and Wilton Ivie in 1935. The name is a compound adjective meaning "guarding the stone". Originally added to the Liocranidae, it was moved to the Corinnidae in 2002, then to the Phrurolithidae in 2014. They have red egg sacs that look like flattened discs, often found on the underside of stones.
Agelenopsis pennsylvanica, commonly known as the Pennsylvania funnel-web spider or the Pennsylvania grass spider, is a species of spider in the family Agelenidae. The common name comes from the place that it was described, Pennsylvania, and the funnel shape of its web. Its closest relative is Agelenopsis potteri.
