Wrapping up Dinner Plans with the American House Spider

Although the American House Spider looks insidious with its bulbous body and spindly legs, it's really rather harmless and perhaps even a welcome guest, with its reputation for ridding its immediate vicinity of pesky insects. The American House Spider is known for keeping an untidy web, which will often intentionally be found to have leaves or other bits of debris that will provide protection from the elements.

That being said, this is the last photo I was able to take of this marble-bodied lady before sending her packing. She kept a web in a corner of our patio for a month or more, but within a couple of days of taking this photograph, I spied an egg sac or two in that web. I can deal with one spider outside my door, but certainly not a couple hundred of them.

The Common House Spider Feasting on a Dinner Guest

Parasteatoda tepidariorum Having a Visitor for Dinner

Parasteatoda tepidariorum, the American Common House Spider

Parasteatoda tepidariorum is the scientific name for the Common House Spider, internationally known as the American House Spider. This spider is thought to live for about a year and grows no larger than a half-inch in size. 

  The Common House Spider is not aggressive toward people. It will abandon its nest if its space is disrupted, returning only after some time has passed and the threat is no longer apparent.

  The Common House Spider can hatch between 100-400 babies from its egg sacs, which is the reason this one no longer resides on our patio.