Habitat of the Hobo Spider

The hobo spider gets its name because it is commonly found along railroad tracks; and because it spreads along these transportation corridors. Scientists called the Tegenaria agrestis the "aggressive house spider" for a time, but later restored the hobo's original name, because it is not an aggressive spider. However, the hobo spider is medically important, because it can cause necrotic bites, similar to the bite of a brown recluse spider. As of July 2011, the hobo is one of three spiders on the venomous spider list of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Location

The hobo spider originated in Europe and was first reported in the United States in 1936. While the spider is occasionally seen in greenhouses in Europe, it mostly lives in fields and wooded areas. The hobo spider apparently made its way to North America on cargo ships around the beginning of the 20th century. The hobo spider is confined to the Northwest Pacific and the southern edges of Alaska in the United States; and in the western parts of Canada. This spider adapts well in cool climates where there is adequate moisture.

Outdoor Habitat

While hobo spiders like to live in wooded, outdoor areas, they also build their funnel-shaped nests in holes, cracks and recesses; they will take advantage of any man-made structure for a place to nest. Outdoors, they make their homes in cracks in concrete, near foundations, behind tall grass and in wood piles or stacks of other materials. Any object on the ground provides a potential spot for the hobo spider to live.

Indoor Habitat

Hobo spiders can run fast, but they are not good climbers. Indoors, they stay close to the ground level, and you may see them in basements. These spiders will build their nests under baseboards or heaters, behind furniture and in closets. When males wander away from their nests to look for females during mating season -- from June through September -- you may see them trapped in boxes, baskets or on the floor.

Description

The hobo spider is moderately large -- 1/2- to 3/4-inches in body length -- and brown, with a distinct pattern of yellow markings on its abdomen. Hobo spiders do not have dark bands on their legs like many other spiders. The male has two antennae-like protuberances between the two front legs, which are swollen at the ends and resemble a pair of boxing gloves; these are the male genitalia. The female has a larger abdomen and does not have swollen boxing gloves. Only an arachnologist or other specifically trained person, is able to make a positive identification of this species -- because it closely resembles other spiders.

References

• The Hobo Spide Web Site: The Hobo Spider Story
• Utah State University Extension; Hobo Spider; Alan H. Roe; November 2002
• Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: Myths about "Dangerous" Spiders
• The Hobo Spide Web Site: Hobo Spider Natural History
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Venomous Spiders