Funnel Weaver Spider (Grass Spider)
Scientific Name: Agelenopsis spp. (a common genus of funnel weavers)
Order & Family: Order: Araneae (Spiders), Family: Agelenidae (Funnel Weavers)
Size: Body length typically ranges from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch (6 mm to 19 mm), with legs extending their overall size considerably.
Natural Habitat
Funnel weavers are commonly found outdoors in grassy areas, shrubs, and leaf litter. They also frequently enter homes, particularly basements, garages, and other undisturbed areas, seeking shelter or hunting prey. Their webs are often built in corners, around windows, or in dense vegetation.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects and other small invertebrates that get ensnared in their webs. They rely on vibrations in their web to detect prey.
Behavior Patterns
Funnel weavers are known for building distinctive funnel-shaped webs, often with a flat sheet-like part that leads into a silken funnel retreat. They are typically active at night, waiting at the mouth of their funnel for prey to stumble onto their web. While they can be found indoors, especially during cooler months, they are generally not aggressive. Males will wander more in search of mates. They are quite fast runners.
Risks & Benefits
Generally considered harmless to humans. While they possess venom, their bites are rare and usually result in only mild, localized pain, redness, and swelling, similar to a bee sting. They are beneficial to the ecosystem as natural pest control, helping to reduce populations of various insects in and around homes and gardens.
Identified on: 8/24/2025