Hobo spider
| Hobo spider | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Female Hobo spider | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Agelenidae |
| Genus: | Eratigena |
| Species: | E. agrestis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802) |
|
 |
|
| Distribution in North America in green (native European distribution not shown) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis, formerly Tegenaria agrestis) is a member of the genus of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders, but not to be confused with the Australian funnel-web spider. The medical significance of its bite is still poorly understood and debated. 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 species was first described in 1802 by naturalist Charles Athanase Walckenaer as Aranea agrestis, in reference to its western European habitat in fields, woods, and under rocks. In 1841, Walckenaer transferred the species to the genus Tegenaria. In 2013, Tegenaria was split up, and the hobo spider was transferred to a new genus Eratigena, an anagram of Tegenaria.
Spiders, including the hobo spider, vary considerably in appearance, and identification can be difficult. Identification relies on an examination of the spider’s anatomy. Like many species of spider the positive identification of Eratigena agrestis requires microscopic examination of the epigynum and pedipalps (the female and male sex organs respectively) and is best done by an arachnologist. However, the following characteristics can help in identification of hobo spiders in order to prevent misidentification and eradication of beneficial species with a similar general appearance:
Eratigena agrestis is distributed from Europe to Central Asia, and is also found in the United States and Canada. It is recorded in the checklist of Danish spider species, and is present on the small island of Peberholm, probably having carried here by foreign trains.
It is a resident of fields, rarely entering human habitations due to the presence of major competitors, particularly the giant house spider (Eratigena atrica), which is a common resident of houses and other man-made structures in Europe. As a result, human contacts with the hobo spider are uncommon in Europe.
...
Wikipedia