Spiders of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

View	Theridiidae Members:	NC Records
Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C.L. Koch, 1841) - common house spider

Female

Male

Female

Male

Taxonomy

Order: ARANEAE	Infraorder: Araneomorphae	Family: Theridiidae
Comments: Described by Koch in 1841 as Theridion t., it has also been named Therideum t., and Achearanea t. Its placement in Parasteatoda based on its secondary genital organs (Saaristo, 2006) is considered "controversial" (Eberhard, 2020) by some, and thus may be considered fluid at this writing (Jan 2021).
Species Comment: Probably the most common species people encounter, they are often found in and on manmade structures. Their white spots of excrement are often seen on windowsills, porches, etc. Active adults in their webs in protected, but open, locations in Johnston Co., NC have been found as late as January 23.

Identification

Online Description/Photos: The prosoma is tan to dark brown. The opisthosoma is highly variable in colors and markings. Some are very pale tan, with scattered markings of white and brown. Others are almost black, with white and tan speckling. A faint white marking that resembles square brackets is sometimes on the dorsal opisthosoma. Crescent-shaped, dark brown to black marking is just over halfway down the opisthosoma. The legs are banded, to a lesser degree in the males. This species looks very similar to Parasteatoda tabulata and easily misidentified as such. To confirm a species-level identification, one would need to look at the genitalia under a microscope. (Rose, 2022)

BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIF

Technical Description: Levi, Herbert W. and Lorna R., 1962. The Genera of the Spider Family Theridiidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Vol. 127, No. 1, 100pp. Eberhard, William, 2020. Spider Webs, Behavior,Function, and Evolution. Univ. of Chicago Press,p. 565.

Comments: Colors are extremely variable, from black to white and almost everything in between. The abdominal pattern is notably mottled, sometimes appearing reticulated. Males characteristically have reddish legs, and are often found with yellow markings. Similar in size, shape and habitat to another of the Theridiidae, Tidarren sisyphoides.

Total Length: Female 5-6mm, male 3.8-4.7

Adult ID: identifiable by photo

Structural Features:

Structural photos

20210828001 voucher at NCSU Entomology Museum, Raleigh, NC; GUID 320522

Epigynum of 6509, shown below as subadult. 230323003 voucher at NCSU Entomology Museum, Raleigh, NC; GUID 320584

230323003 voucher at NCSU Entomology Museum, Raleigh, NC; GUID 321706

Distribution in North Carolina

Comments: One of the most widely distributed species worldwide, it's ubiquitous in the US and Canada. (Bradley, 2013)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Adult phenology: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: rock outcrops, buildings, windows, corners of rooms.
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Silk / Web: The seemingly disorganized tangle often shows traits such as radial gumfoot lines hearkening back to a presumed ancestral orb design (Eberhard, 2020).
Behavior: These are timid spiders that will quickly bail out of the web when disturbed, and then roll up, motionless, their camouflage helping to hide them in natural settings.

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Parasteatoda tepidariorum - common house spider		111 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-06-01 Currituck Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-05-19 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-14 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-14 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-14 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-03-04 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-02-02 Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-01-26 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-11-05 Lee Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-25 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-25 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-10-24 Pamlico Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-10-23 Johnston Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-10-09 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-07 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-07 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-07 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-07-11 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-06-16 Macon Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-06-07 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-06-07 Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-27 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-27 Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-02-11 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-26 Wilson Co. Comment:

Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C.L. Koch, 1841) - common house spider

Photo Gallery for Parasteatoda tepidariorum - common house spider

111 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.