Summary
A large crevice-weaving spider common in the U.S. South. Males are large, leggy, and frequently mistaken for brown recluses; females are darker, robust, and stay hidden in crevices on the outsides of buildings.
Quick answers
- Is Southern House Spider dangerous to humans?
- No. Current evidence does not link southern house spider bites to serious medical outcomes in healthy adults.
- How big is an adult southern house spider?
- Adult female body length is 13–19 mm; males are 9–13 mm. Leg span reaches 40–50 mm.
- Where does Southern House Spider live?
- Outdoor walls, eaves, electrical meter boxes, cracks in masonry. Indoors in garages and basements. Established U.S. populations occur in 11 states.
- What does Southern House Spider eat and when is it active?
- Crawling insects that contact the spreading sheet web. Female sedentary year-round. Male wanders for mates, especially at night.
Identification
- Female dark gray to charcoal, 13–19 mm
- Male lighter brown with long legs - the form most commonly mistaken for a brown recluse
- Eight eyes in a tight cluster (vs. recluse's six eyes in three pairs)
- Distinctive bluish radial sheet web in a wall crevice
Morphometrics
| Measurement | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Body length | 13–19 mm | 9–13 mm |
| Leg span | 40–50 mm | - |
| Lifespan | 3–8 years | - |
| Trait | Value |
|---|---|
| Web type | Radiating sheet of fuzzy bluish silk emerging from a crevice retreat. |
| Eye arrangement | Eight eyes clustered tightly in the center of the cephalothorax - distinct from the brown recluse's six eyes in three pairs. |
| Eggs per sac | 100–200 |
| Egg sacs per year | 1–2 |
Geographic range
Native range: Southeastern United States, Texas, and the Caribbean.
U.S. states with established populations: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas.
State pages covering Southern House Spider
AlabamaArkansasCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaKansasLouisianaMississippiNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexas
Habitat & behavior
Habitat: Outdoor walls, eaves, electrical meter boxes, cracks in masonry. Indoors in garages and basements.
Activity: Female sedentary year-round. Male wanders for mates, especially at night.
Diet: Crawling insects that contact the spreading sheet web.
Venom & medical significance
| Venom property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Not medically significant |
| LD₅₀ | Not established |
| Note | - |
Bite symptoms & first aid
Symptoms
- Bites are rare and produce only mild local irritation
Commonly confused with
- Brown recluse (especially males)
- Wolf spider
Key facts
- Male K. hibernalis is the species most often submitted to southern U.S. extension offices as a 'brown recluse' - confirming the recluse misidentification problem extends well beyond the recluse's actual range. [1]
Sources
- [1]Southern House Spider - University of Florida IFAS Featured Creatures. Accessed 2026-06-14.