**Vagrant Spiders** most often refers to the **Hobo Spider** (*Eratigena agrestis*), a species native to Europe that has become naturalized in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The conflict is **perceived danger and occasional defensive bites**: like other funnel-web spiders (not to be confused with the highly venomous Australian Funnel-web Spiders), they are fast-moving, brown, and commonly enter homes. Historically, their bites were implicated in cases of necrotic arachnidism, although modern research largely disputes this, downgrading their medical significance to minor.
Taxonomy and Classification
Vagrant Spiders belong to the Family Agelenidae (Funnel-Web Spiders). They undergo simple metamorphosis. They are closely related to the common grass spiders.
Physical Description
Adults are 12 mm to 18 mm long.
- **Adult (Key ID):** Brown or grayish-brown color; lack the obvious markings or banding found on many house spiders; very long legs and a chevron pattern sometimes visible on the abdomen.
- **Web (Key ID):** Build a characteristic **sheet-like web** with a silk funnel at one end used as a retreat; webs are often found near the ground, under debris, or near foundations.
- **Behavior ID:** They are poor climbers of slick surfaces (e.g., bathtub porcelain) but move very rapidly; they only bite defensively when trapped against the skin (e.g., in clothes or bedding).
- **Conflict:** Nuisance, Public Health (Minor, Perceived Risk).
Distribution and Habitat
Pacific Northwest North America (invasive) and Europe (native). Habitat is outdoor lawns, rock piles, foundations, and accidental indoors in basements and ground-level rooms, especially in autumn when males search for mates.
Behavior and Conflict
The conflict is their tendency to enter homes and their speed.
- **Wandering:** Males, in particular, wander into homes, often ending up in sinks, tubs, or laundry piles.
- **Medical Significance:** Current research suggests their venom is generally mild, leading to localized pain and swelling rather than severe systemic issues.
Management and Prevention
Management is **Exclusion and Population Control**.
- Sealing foundation cracks, installing weather stripping on doors, and fitting screens to windows to prevent entry.
- Use of sticky traps at floor level and under furniture to capture wandering individuals indoors.
Conservation and Research
Research pmarily focuses on clarifying the medical risks associated with their bites and distinguishing them from other common house spiders.