Hobo spiders, scientifically known as “Tegenaria Agrestis,” are the spiders that are often confused with the brown recluse spiders. They’re thought to be initiated from Europe in the 1930s and are now dispersed worldwide. These spiders are slandered as being dangerous. However, they’re not so dangerous as compared to other spiders. Many people think that a hobo spider’s bite yields necrotic lesions like brown recluse spiders, but that’s not true. The Hobo spider’s bite only causes gentle pain and redness.
These spiders have the weakness of good jumping and vision due to which they sometimes face difficulty while chasing their prey. They’re also capable of framing funnel-shaped webs that are not sticky, like other spider webs. These webs help the tiny creature catch insects like house flies, cockroaches, ants, etc. Hobo spiders immediately attack their prey when it comes to its web because the web cannot hold the insect for a long time.
We’ve packed all the relevant details regarding the facts, identification, comparison, and habitats of Hobo spiders during this article that will assist you all. Therefore, proceed reading for further clarity.
Are Hobo Spiders Poisonous?
Well, this question leads to misconception as Hobo spiders are slandered to be poisonous. However, they’re not so poisonous. The Hobo spider’s bite only causes gentle pain and redness. Only in rare cases, its bite may cause headache, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. Furthermore, it’s seen that male Hobo spiders bite more than female hobo spiders. They keep on roaming to seek a mate and interact more with the humans.
Hobo Spiders Identification
Hobo spiders are brownish and are identified with the assistance of a few features which incorporate patterns on the body, lack of color bands, dull stripes on the sternum, and short hair. However, the distinction between male hobo spider and female hobo spider is that males have two huge swollen palps similar to boxing gloves, whereas females palps are not swollen. Further, females have a slightly big abdomen as compared to males.
The size for hobo spiders varies from 10 to 14 millimeters. Usually, female hobo spiders are larger than male hobo spiders. Despite these features, hobo spiders share the same features as other spiders, which contain eight legs, jaws for eating, compounded eyes on head, and fangs.
Where do Hobo Spiders Live?
As mentioned earlier, Hobo spiders have the weakness of good jumping and vision; therefore, these spiders are commonly found on grounds, basements, holes, cracks, and moist areas.
According to the research, it’s concluded that Hobo spiders love to remain in isolation. They only move when they want to mate. These creatures usually migrate in winters in search of warmer temperatures. So, they’re mostly seen in houses during winters.
Hobo Spiders Vs. Wolf Spiders
Below you’ll find some interesting facts that throw light upon the distinguishment of Hobo Spiders and Wolf Spiders.
Identification:
Hobo spiders are mostly brown and have different body patterns, light stripes on the sternum, short hair, eight legs, jaws for chewing, fangs, and compounded eyes. They slightly resemble brown recluse spiders. Whereas, wolf spiders have a face similar to a wolf. They’re packed sharp features. They’ve eight eyes distributed in three rows, which vary in size according to the row. They have a sharp sensing touch that assists them to hunt the prey. They vary in color depending on their habitat.
Size:
Hobo spiders vary in size from 10 millimeters to 14 millimeters; they’re not so big. Usually, female hobo spiders are larger than the male ones. Whereas, wolf spiders are much larger than the hobo spiders. Wolf spiders are found to be 2 inches long.
Biting and Hunting Capability:
Hobo spiders are not so dangerous as compared to wolf spiders. Their bite does not cause severe damage, and they bite less, whereas wolf spiders are poisonous, and they bite more. Wolf spiders have good hunting skills, and they don’t rely on their web while hunting the prey, whereas hobo spiders have poor hunting skills as they rely on their web. Wolf spiders can run fast, which assists them in approaching the prey easily. In contrast, hobo spiders have low running capability then wolf spiders, also they’ve got the weakness of jumping.
Food They Eat:
Hobo spiders do not have good jumping and sensing capability due to which they find difficulty while chasing their prey. They rely upon their web for hunting. These spiders usually eat insects that crawl on the ground like cockroaches, ants, carpet beetles, etc. Wolf spiders have good sensing and running capability, which assist them in chasing their prey. These spiders are found to chase their prey for short distances. Wolf spiders love to eat flies, crickets, ants, beetles, and many others.
