Funnel Weaver Spiders

Category:

Actual Size: ⅓ to ⅔”  when fully grown.

Characteristics: Mottled brownish or greyish with longitudinal stripes.

Legs: 8

Habitat: Constructs funnel-shaped webs in dark areas, such as flower beds, woodpiles, and secluded corners inside structures.

Habits:

  • Also referred to as “grass spiders” and often mistaken for wolf spiders.
  • Webs are shaped more like a megaphone, or the bell of a trumpet.
  • When present in homes, they are sometimes misidentified as brown recluse spiders.


Funnel Weaver Spider Identification

 

What Do Funnel Weaver Spiders Look Like?

Funnel weaver spiders are a common spider species found in North Carolina and are often confused with wolf spiders or called ‘grass spiders’ because they construct their webs in tall grass, heavy ground cover, and the branches of thick shrubs. They are medium-sized, usually brown or gray, with striped patterns on their legs and a characteristic, elongated abdomen. They are known for the funnel-shaped webs they create.

Signs of a Funnel Weaver Spider Infestation

Indicators of a funnel weaver spider infestation include spotting their distinctive funnel-shaped webs, often found in grass, bushes, flower beds, woodpiles and secluded corners of buildings. Frequent sightings of the spiders near these webs, especially in dark undisturbed areas, can also signify an infestation.

 

Habitat, Diet, Life Cycle & Bites

 

Where Do Funnel Weaver Spiders Live?

Funnel weaver spiders typically inhabit areas with ample vegetation, such as gardens and fields. They are also commonly found around homes, in window wells, basements, and walls where their funnel webs can be anchored.

Diet of a Funnel Weaver Spider

Their diet primarily consists of insects that wander into their webs, including flies, mosquitoes, ants, and small moths. They are sit-and-wait predators, capturing prey that enters their funnel-like webs.

Life Cycle of a Funnel Weaver Spider

The life cycle of funnel weaver spiders involves the female laying eggs in a silk sac, often hidden within her web. The spiderlings emerge and grow through several molts to reach maturity. These spiders can live for several years.

Funnel Weaver Spider Bites

Funnel weaver spiders, or ‘grass spiders’ are not poisonous, but are venomous. They contain venom, as all spiders do, but because of the small size of their fangs, they have difficulty penetrating human skin.

 

Are Funnel Weaver Spiders Dangerous?

Funnel weaver spiders are not dangerous to humans. While they can bite when threatened, their venom is not harmful to humans, and they are generally considered beneficial due to their insect control.

However they are more of a nuisance pest as they molt several times before becoming adults, leaving cast-off skins around the house.

How to Get Rid of Funnel Weaver Spiders?

To control funnel weaver spiders, reduce their habitat by keeping gardens, lawns, and the perimeters of buildings clean and free of debris. Regularly clearing out webs and inspecting corners and crevices can also help. Need assistance, contact our professional spider exterminators today.

Funnel Weaver Spider Prevention Tips

Prevent funnel weaver spiders by maintaining a tidy outdoor environment, reducing clutter where they might build webs. Ensure that windows, doors, and walls are sealed to prevent indoor intrusion.

FAQs

 

Are Funnel Weaver Spider Bites Harmful to Humans?

Funnel weaver spider bites are not harmful to humans. They might cause minor irritation but are not medically significant.

Is a Funnel Weaver Spider Poisonous?

Funnel weaver spiders, part of the Agelenidae family, are not considered highly poisonous to humans. While they have venom for prey, their bites typically cause mild, localized reactions, rarely severe.

Are Funnel Weaver Spiders Aggressive? 

No, they are not typically aggressive towards humans.

Does the USA Have Funnel Web Spiders?

Yes, the United States has funnel weaver spiders, which are members of the family Agelenidae. However, it’s important to note that the term “funnel web spider” can be confusing, as it is often associated with the more venomous Australian funnel-web spiders (family Hexathelidae), which are not found in the United States. 

The Agelenidae family of spiders in the U.S. includes various species known as funnel weavers, but they are generally not considered dangerous to humans.

Are Brown Recluse Spiders Funnel Weavers? 

No, brown recluse spiders belong to a different family and have different web structures. 

Unsure about which spider you have found, see our common spider species list to assist in identifying the species.