Giant house spiders are a harmless species belonging to the genus Eratigena. Like their cousins, they don’t have a good vision and can only differentiate between light and dark. Their name comes from the fact that they are commonly found in households most of the time.
Size: Females are around 0.7 in (18 mm) while males are 0.39-0.59 in (10-15 mm). The leg span of females is around 2 inch (45-50 mm) while males have 0.9 in-3 in (25-75 mm).
Color: The entire body is beige, brown or orange with sternum having three beige, gray or brown dots on its two sides. The posterior or the opisthosoma has a line with six dots on each side.
Other Characteristic Features: The legs, abdomen, and palps are hairy. Eight eyes are settled in two rows and all are of the same size.
Giant House Spider Size
40-60 eggs are released in a single sac.
All spiderlings stays together for around a month. Each of them goes through the molting phase at least 8-10 times before becoming mature.
Giant House Spiderlings
This spider is unlikely to bite, rather it prefers to escape when threatened; its bite is similar to a bee sting. The pain of agatoxin doesn’t generally last for more than a couple of hours.
Giant House Spider Image
Quick Facts |
|
| Distribution | Northern Africa, Central Asia, and Europe |
| Habitat | Rocks or caves of dry forests |
| Web Type | Funnel-web |
| Poison Fact | Non-toxic to Human |
| Diet | Blowflies, fruit flies, moths, wasps, |
| Mode of Reproduction | Oviparous |
| Number of Eggs | Around 60 |
| Lifespan | 2-3 years, sometimes around 6 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
Giant House Spider Web
Picture of a Giant House Spider
Image Credits: Allaboutants.net, Falsewidowspider.org.uk, Swlakestrust.org.uk, Static.independent.co.uk, I.ytimg.com, D.ibtimes.co.uk
Giant house spiders are a harmless species belonging to the genus Eratigena. Like their cousins, they don’t have a good vision and can only differentiate between light and dark. Their name comes from the fact that they are commonly found in households most of the time.
Size: Females are around 0.7 in (18 mm) while males are 0.39-0.59 in (10-15 mm). The leg span of females is around 2 inch (45-50 mm) while males have 0.9 in-3 in (25-75 mm).
Color: The entire body is beige, brown or orange with sternum having three beige, gray or brown dots on its two sides. The posterior or the opisthosoma has a line with six dots on each side.
Other Characteristic Features: The legs, abdomen, and palps are hairy. Eight eyes are settled in two rows and all are of the same size.
Giant House Spider Size
40-60 eggs are released in a single sac.
All spiderlings stays together for around a month. Each of them goes through the molting phase at least 8-10 times before becoming mature.
Giant House Spiderlings
This spider is unlikely to bite, rather it prefers to escape when threatened; its bite is similar to a bee sting. The pain of agatoxin doesn’t generally last for more than a couple of hours.
Giant House Spider Image
Quick Facts |
|
| Distribution | Northern Africa, Central Asia, and Europe |
| Habitat | Rocks or caves of dry forests |
| Web Type | Funnel-web |
| Poison Fact | Non-toxic to Human |
| Diet | Blowflies, fruit flies, moths, wasps, |
| Mode of Reproduction | Oviparous |
| Number of Eggs | Around 60 |
| Lifespan | 2-3 years, sometimes around 6 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
Giant House Spider Web
Picture of a Giant House Spider
Image Credits: Allaboutants.net, Falsewidowspider.org.uk, Swlakestrust.org.uk, Static.independent.co.uk, I.ytimg.com, D.ibtimes.co.uk
James Lambrou on January 2, 2019.
Dr. Watuwa James
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