Tunnel Spider ID?

[SpiderShadowz]

Found this guy trying to chase a black widow. He/she had the widow running. I took pics of this guy and let him go because he was too fast and also he would not have an appropriate habitat. The widow has joined my other widow each with their own separate homes.

I am interested to find out what this one is called.

 

[SpiderShadowz]

here is another image.

 

[aluras]

looks like Tegenaria for sure. MM T.Agrestis

 

[SpiderShadowz]

So that is a hobo spider then? I am looking at some pics from http://hobospider.org/ and I can see the resemblance. I heard it is also hard to know for sure but I would really like to know for certain if possible. I have other photos also. These guys are all over my basement the last few years and I suspect will be again this year.

I have been reading that some people are now saying they are not as poisonous as thought previously. Could that be true?

 

[davisfam]

Tegenaria agrestis

Here is a link that will answer ALL of your questions concerning this particular species:
http://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/files/uploads/hobospid.pdf

* By the way, this document also covers the myth behind the Hobo spider's "toxic" bite.. Good Luck!

 

[Travis K]

looks like Tegenaria for sure. MM T.Agrestis

Looking at pics I ditto this.

 

[TheTyro]

Gonna have to agree, looks like T.agrestis. None of us can confirm that, but I'd say it has a lot of the characteristics you normally see in them. And spiders aren't poisonous, but rather, venomous.

 

[SpiderShadowz]

Could there be any chance it is a Tegenaria duellica?

what characteristics should I be checking to determine the differences?

 

[davisfam]

Could there be any chance it is a Tegenaria duellica?

what characteristics should I be checking to determine the differences?

First of all, keep in mind that without a microscope, you may not be able to identify T.agrestis.. Most non-arachnologists attempt using coloration as an identifying feature although this can be one of the least reliable characteristics due to the fact that Hobo spiders have a great variation among other specimens within a species and similar species tend to overlap in appearance to the Hobo spider. You will need to be more discriminating when dealing with Hobo spiders because identification is not an easy task.

-If you do have a microscope or a magnifying glass, there are a few ways of determining between the T. duellica and T. agrestis:
1. If your spider has 3 or 4 pairs of light spots on the lateral portions of the sternum, then it is NOT a Hobo spider. Hobo spiders have a light stripe running down the middle of the sternum. However, be careful because some specimens of the Giant House spider and Barn Funnel-Weaving spiders have spots that can be VERY faint which is why there is the common mix-up between the two species.
2. If your spider has two very distinct longitudinal dark stripes on the top side of the cephalothorax, then it’s NOT a Hobo spider. Hobo spiders have indistinct or diffuse patterns.
3. If your spider has dark rings around the legs, then it’s NOT a Hobo spider. Hobo spiders have uniformly colored legs. The most common spiders with rings around their legs are the Barn Funnel-Weaving spider.
4. Are your spider’s legs and cephalothorax shiny and dark-orange in color? And lacking fine hairs? If so, it’s NOT a Hobo spider. Callobius severus is very common and often submitted as a potential Hobo spider due to the abdomen pattern.
5. Is the extreme fleshy tip of the palp (if a male) long, thin, and finger-like? If so, it’s NOT a Hobo spider. The tip of the palp belonging to a Hobo spider is more blunt.

Bottom line, the only sure way to identify a spider as a Hobo spider is to compare the spider’s reproductive structures that define it as a species. For an advanced beginner, I would compare the male and female reproductive structures to other documented pictures of this species found on the internet or other readings, it’s the only way to really reliably achieve an ID.

The following species are often misidentified as Hobo spiders; T. duellica (T.gigantea/Giant House spider), T. domestica (Barn Funnel-Weaving spider/Domestic House spider), Agelenopsis potteri, Agelenopsis pennsylvanica, and Hololena nedra.

I have heard the behaviors are also quite different between the two species. For instance, the T. duellica is docile for the most part while the Hobo spider is much more defensive and can contain a fearless attitude. Also, I do have a few documents saved on my laptop containing information on the distinction between these two species if you still are having problems or want more details.

Good Luck!!