Hobbies And Interests
Southern House Spider
The Southern House Spider, Kukulcania (Filistata) hibernalis, is a common species found throughout the southern United States in human populated areas. The males are khaki to amber in color, 9-10 mm long and closely resemble the more poisonous brown recluse. Females are gray and run 13-19 mm long. Females are responsible for creating webs. These are distinctive in that they appear "wooly." When making these webs, Southern house spiders prefer sheltered, man-made areas like windowsill, shutters, overhangs, barns and bridges. They are not poisonous and can be beneficial to households, preying on house flies, cockroaches, horse flies and May beetles.
Common House Spider
The common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum, is native to South and Central America, but is found throughout the southeastern United States as well. The spiders are harmless to humans and prefer to make their webs between adjoining edges of a building, such as between an eave and a wall. They can be found inside and outside. They have yellow to brown legs and a gray abdomen with males being darker than females. Females range from 5-8 mm long, while males average at around 4 mm. A complex coloring pattern helps camouflage these spiders from some predators.
Cribellate Spider
The cribellate spider, Metaltella simony, originally comes from Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay, but can be found in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. Males are yellow to yellow-orange and grow 7-8.5 mm long, while females are brown and grow 8-9 mm. They make webs similar to the southern house spider that can be found under boards and boxes inside a home and in crevices and corners of a building. Outside, they are commonly found under logs or bark.
Brown Recluse
The brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a common poisonous spider often found in homes throughout the southern United States, from Texas to Florida. Adults range from 7-12 mm in length with females having a slightly larger average size. They have distinctive markings near the head that resemble a violin and are reddish-brown in color. They have six eyes arranged in three pairs, which is another distinctive marking. They are commonly found in the home, typically in dry, undisturbed areas, such as in boxes or between papers. Bites by these spiders result in red, painful welts that could become necrotic, though that's not always the case.