The hobo spider is light brown or yellowish-tan in color. One of its most distinguishing marks is the dark brown V-shaped pattern that runs down the center of its abdomen. The brown recluse spider is dark brown or dark tan in color and has long legs, with dark, violin-shaped marking on the dorsal surface of its head.
The other characteristic that must be seen together with the fiddle to verify a recluse is the six eyes arranged in pairs. Hobo spider coloration tends to range from rust to reddish brown. They also have distinct patterning on their abdomen which a recluse will not.
If you can see dark rings around the legs of your spider (Fig. 5), THEN IT IS NOT A HOBO SPIDER. Hobo spiders have uniformly colored legs. The most common spiders that have rings around their legs are the barn funnel weaving spider and some of the other agelenid spiders like Hololena.
Look-Alikes
In Utah, there are several species of spiders, including those in the Agelenidae and Lycosidae families, that are often mistaken for hobo spiders. are commonly found in home gardens. they do not construct webs.
The brown recluse has a plain brown colored abdomen, while the hobo spider has an intricate pattern on its abdomen. Also, the brown recluse has a very clear dark brown violin shape on its cephalothorax surrounded by tan.
Marbled cellar spider often is confused with brown recluse spider despite the fact that the perceived violin-shape is on the underside of the body.
Brown recluse spiders typically become more active in the warmer months, with a peak season between March and October, according to EarthSky.org.
Hobo spiders flee danger and can run at a speed of up to 40 inches per second, are poor climbers on smooth surfaces and are unlikely to bite humans unless threatened, e.g., being trapped between clothing and skin. Although hobo spiders can be abundant, the chances of being bitten are relatively low.
Tegenaria agrestis are known as hobo spiders and aggressive house spiders. Because of its common features and color, they can easily be confused with other spiders. Females: The hobo spider female measures between 11 to 14 mm in body length. Its brown legs are solidly colored and exhibit no markings.
In North America, the hobo spider lives in the Pacific Northwest, from British Columbia east to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, and south through Oregon and northern Utah.
Here's some bad news for people with arachnophobia: It's hobo spider mating season! Hobo spiders are most noticeable and active from August through October, when spiders come indoors to mate. The name "hobo" is linked to the spider's presumed spread to distant cities via railways.
Hobo spiders move extremely fast, running upwards of 2.2 miles per hour. Despite its nickname, "the aggressive house spider," a hobo spider will only move toward a human when it has been threatened. The truth is, hobo spiders are neither aggressive nor people-attackers.
Baby brown recluse spiders are smaller and are a lighter tan, instead of the two-tone brown of mature adults. Brown recluse spiders are recognizable due to the dark violin shape on their head segment. However, baby brown recluse spiders do not have this mark, because it develops as the spider matures.
A Hobo spider is brown with darker brown markings on its thorax. It may have yellowish markings on its abdomen and small soft hairs that lay flat against its body (hard to see without magnification).
Preventing a Brown Recluse Infestation
Move your bed away from the wall and remove any skirts and items stored below to prevent a spider from crawling onto the bed. Items worn or used occasionally should be stored in plastic bins and bags, especially if they are found in garages or other dark storage areas.
Inspect carefully, especially in basements. Remove any spider webbing with a vacuum. Sticky traps are a quick way to remove hunting spiders and males that are seeking mates. Place the traps in the corners of dark areas like closets or basements, while making sure children and pets cannot get into the traps.
1 – Australian funnel-web spider
It is also one of the most aggressive and deadliest creatures on Earth. Australia is often associated with dangerous spiders, and this species is one of the main reasons why. The funnel-web is incredibly defensive, and because of this can bite several times in a single attack.
The Chile Flame is a small, slow growing species. They are very docile but just like the Chile Rose they are now very difficult to find in the pet trade. This species has become very popular of late. They are extremely 'friendly', docile, attractive and do not kick off hairs.
Their body colours are typically drab, with most having variegated patterns in brown and yellow, grey, black and white; some inland species are a bright salmon pink below. Often the patterns include radiating lines on the carapace (front of the body) and scroll-like patterns on the abdomen.
Verified cases of severe health complications resulting from hobo spider bites are uncommon. On the other hand, the venom of a brown recluse contains cytotoxins that can sometimes lead to necrosis and tissue damage.
This reddened area will become blistered between 15 to 35 hours after the bite, and about a day later the blister breaks and oozes. A necrotic lesion may form and can range from 1/2 to 1 inch or more in diameter and take several months to heal. Painful headaches also have been associated with hobo spider bites.
Native to the United States, the brown recluse is most common in the central region from Colorado to Ohio west to east and from Nebraska and Iowa to the Gulf States north to south (Figure 1). The brown recluse is medium-sized spider, with a body up to ¼-inch long, not including legs.