Do Hobo Spiders Chase You?

Hobo spiders are brown with an average body size that ranges from 10 to 14 mm (females are larger than male spiders).

• Males can be distinguished from females by a small appendage that appears to be swollen.
• Female spiders have bigger abdomens than male spiders.

Sometimes, both male and female hobo spiders may be mistaken for brown recluse spiders due to the presence of a black line on their abdomens.

The main identifying characteristic features of hobo spiders include:

• A unique zigzag (herringbone) pattern is present on the top side of the abdomen.
• Females range in size from 12.7 to 16.9 mm, whereas males range in size from 6.35 to 8.4 mm.
• They have quick darting movements.
• Legs are evenly pigmented and smooth. If there are rings around the legs, it may not be a hobo spider.
• Males have two enormous palps (antenna-like protrusions) between their two front legs that look like boxing gloves. These are frequently misidentified as venom sacs, but they are male genitalia.

Hobo spiders create funnel webs, which have a funnel-like cave at the back where the spider hides and waits for victims. Unlike other spider webs, hobo spider webs are not sticky; the prey becomes entangled in the web, allowing the spider to attack it before it can flee.

Earlier, it was believed that the venom of hobo spiders is toxic to humans, but recent studies showed that they are not life-threatening. However, they may cause a few unpleasant symptoms, such as:

• Severe headache
• Extreme nausea
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Temporary memory loss
• Vision impairment

When a hobo spider bites a person, redness appears quickly surrounding the bite. This normally fades within a few hours, leaving a mark mimicking a mosquito bite.

• The bite develops into a blister and bursts open within 24 to 48 hours, leaving open, bleeding ulceration.
• If the lesion is left exposed, a scab forms, giving a lesion that looks like a target and bullseye.
• Later the scab sheds off, and the lesion usually heals leaving a scar within 45 days of the original bite.
• In extreme situations, particularly when the bite occurs in a region of fatty tissue, lesions can develop deep and widespread, taking two to three years to recover.

The hobo spider bite may be dangerous in the following populations:

• The children (especially younger than five years)
• Elderly
• Those with uncontrolled diabetes
• Those with a tendency for allergies

In rare instances, the spider bite may cause an anaphylactic reaction that may cause breathlessness, general body edema, and shutting down of airways, resulting in death.