Common House Spider
Scientific Name: Parasteatoda tepidariorum
Order & Family: Order: Araneae; Family: Theridiidae
Size: Females typically 5 to 6 mm, males 3 to 5 mm (body length).
Natural Habitat
In and around human dwellings, barns, sheds, and bridges, usually in corners of ceilings or windows.
Diet & Feeding
Mainly small household insects and other spiders caught in their webs.
Behavior Patterns
They are known for building messy, tangled cobwebs. They often sit upside down in the center of the web or hide in a nearby crevice.
Risks & Benefits
They provide a benefit to the ecosystem by eating pests like flies and mosquitoes; they are generally harmless to humans and rarely bite unless provoked.
Identified on: 1/14/2026