Hobo Spider

The hobo spider is a member of the funnel-weaver family, native to Europe and introduced to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, where it has become established in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and neighboring areas. It has a brown, somewhat drab appearance with a pattern of chevron or arrow-shaped markings running down the top of its abdomen, though this pattern can be subtle and is often obscured by fine hairs.

This spider constructs a distinctive funnel web: a flat, non-sticky horizontal sheet of silk that narrows at one end into a tubular retreat, often tucked into a crack, window well, or dense ground vegetation. Rather than relying on sticky silk to trap prey, the hobo spider relies on speed, rushing out from its funnel retreat to grab insects that stumble onto the sheet.

Hobo spiders are ground-dwelling and are most often encountered in late summer and early autumn, when mature males wander in search of females and may end up indoors. Historically the species drew significant public attention and became widely discussed, though it is now generally regarded as a common house spider similar to other funnel weavers.

• Brown to tan body with a faint chevron or herringbone pattern down the abdomen, often hard to see under fine hairs
• Long, uniformly colored legs without obvious banding or spines
• No visible markings on the legs; eyes are small and clustered, difficult to distinguish without magnification
• Web: flat, horizontal sheet of silk leading to a funnel-shaped tunnel retreat
• Lookalikes: giant house spider and other funnel weavers (very similar appearance, best distinguished by genital structures under magnification); wolf spiders (stockier, no funnel web)

Native to Europe and now established in the Pacific Northwest of North America, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and British Columbia. It is typically found at ground level in grassy fields, along foundations, in window wells, woodpiles, and basements, favoring cool, humid, ground-level spaces over elevated ones.

The hobo spider is a sit-and-wait predator that relies on its funnel-shaped retreat, dashing out to seize insects that land on the flat sheet web and then retreating to consume them in the tunnel. It does not use sticky silk, instead depending on speed to subdue prey such as crickets, beetles, and other ground-dwelling insects. Males become notably more active and wander widely in late summer while searching for mates, which is when they are most often seen indoors.

Females lay eggs in a silken sac hidden within or near the funnel retreat, typically in autumn, with spiderlings emerging the following spring. Young spiders molt repeatedly over one to two years as they grow toward maturity. In most populations there is one generation per year, with adults most commonly observed from mid to late summer through autumn; the species overwinters primarily as eggs or immature spiders in sheltered ground-level sites.