Tegenaria domestica
A small, agile funnel-weaver spider found nearly worldwide.
Last updated
Tegenaria domestica is a spider species in the family Agelenidae, accepted as valid by GBIF.[1] Among members of the genus Tegenaria, T. domestica is considered a relatively diminutive variety.[2]
Scientific classification
- FamilyAgelenidae
- GenusTegenaria
- SpeciesTegenaria domestica
Named by (Clerck, 1757)
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Tegenaria domestica (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 994572 (CC BY 4.0)
Where the tegenaria domestica has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (9,132 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 570 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Quick Facts
- Field
- Arachnology
- Body length female
- 7.5–11.5 mm / 0.025–0.038 ft
- Body length male
- 6–9 mm / 0.02–0.03 ft
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
Vibrations from disturbed threads alert the spider, which rushes out and drags prey back to the funnel to consume it.[3] Females average 7.5–11.5 mm in body length, and males average 6–9 mm.[2] Males typically die in autumn after mating, while females may survive the winter and live over a year indoors, sometimes up to seven years.[4] Tegenaria species rarely bite, and if they do the bite is unlikely to break the skin.[5]
On flat surfaces, the spider constructs a funnel-shaped web from stressed silk threads, where a funnel portion leads into a protected area.[3]
What the specialist sources record
The Penn State Department of Entomology account notes the species is found throughout most of the United States, especially in sheds, barns, door crevices, and under rocks and boards.[6] The araneae.nmbe.ch source provides a key to the genus and notes the dorsal tibial apophysis is larger than the lateral one.[7] A 2024 review by Ponomarev, Mikhailov, and Shmatko covers spiders of the genus Tegenaria in Ciscaucasia and the Russian Caucasus.[7] GBIF holds 10,865 occurrence records for this taxon as of October 2026.[1]
References
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Tegenaria domestica (taxon key 2139961). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
- Wikipedia, "Tegenaria domestica" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "araneae - Tegenaria domestica", araneae.nmbe.ch (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tegenaria domestica" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christopher Hunt, "Species Tegenaria domestica - Barn Funnel Weaver - BugGuide.Net", Iowa State University (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tegenaria domestica" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Colorado State Insect of Interest- Barn Funnel Weaver", Colorado State University (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tegenaria domestica" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Tegenaria spp. - British Arachnological Society", British Arachnological Society, 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Steve Jacobs, "Barn Funnel Weaver spider", Penn State Department of Entomology, 2012. facts only, no text reused. ento.psu.edu
- "araneae - Tegenaria domestica", araneae.nmbe.ch. facts only, no text reused. araneae.nmbe.ch
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Tegenaria domestica (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Arachnids & Myriapods
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Tegenaria domestica (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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