Black house spider

Indlela yokusibona

• A dark, robust spider. Females have a body up to 18 mm long and a leg span of 30 mm.1
• Males are smaller, about 10 mm long, with longer legs in proportion to their body.1
• The body and legs are dark brown to black. The abdomen (rear part) is charcoal grey, with light markings that are sometimes faint, and it is covered in fine, velvety hair.1
• The web looks messy, with irregular sail-like sheets of silk and a funnel-shaped retreat, usually in the middle or corner of the web.1

Ivamise ukudidaniswa ne: The grey house spider (Badumna longinqua) is similar and has a similar range. It is slightly smaller, at about 14 mm, has a greyish top section (carapace) and black-brown legs. It is more often found outdoors.1