Species guide
Common house spider
HarmlessParasteatoda tepidariorum
How to recognise it
A drab brown spider with a high, bulbous, mottled abdomen that builds tangled cobwebs in corners, eaves and basements.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless — it very rarely bites and isn't dangerous to people.
Commonly confused with
- Widow spiders — glossy black with a red hourglass — quite different
What to do
Leave it or relocate it outdoors; clear webs if unwanted.
Recorded 17,432 times in the wild worldwide.
Think you've spotted one?
Photograph it and let SpecieSense confirm the species — and show you the reasoning.
Identify a specimen