Common Housespider Eratigena atrica
To this family belongs one of the biggest Western European spiders that can often be found in the house: Common House Spider. There are four species, that resemble one another very much. They can be found indoors regularly and this is the most common one of them. Especially during the night the males often activily search for the females. Females are hardly bigger than males and actually look smaller: the males have a leaner body, but much longer legs. The infamous American Hobo Spider, also known as Biting House Spider (Tegenaria agrestis) is a close relative of the Common Housespider below and it does look similar. The animal is not known to bite people in Europe, but somehow it does bite in the USA. The venom causes open wounds which heal very slowly. Most of the members of the Tegenaria genus however are either unable to penetrate the human skin, or their venom is very weak indeed.
This species is also known as Tegenaria atrica.
