Hobo spider

The hobo spider is a 0.4 in. (1 cm) to 0.6 in. (1.5 cm), light-brown spider with a yellowish green tint on its abdomen. Also called the Northwestern brown spider, the hobo spider (Tegenaria agrestis) is common and widespread in Europe and western central Asia.

This spider was probably introduced in a seaport near Seattle in the early 1900s. Since then, it has spread to British Columbia, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. These spiders build funnel webs in wood, rock, or debris piles.

See a photograph of a hobo spider .

At the site of the bite, symptoms may include:

• Reddened skin within minutes of the bite followed by a blister that forms within 36 hours.
• Numbness and tingling around the bite.
• An open sore with a breakdown of tissue (necrosis), which develops in 50% of people who have been bitten.

Other symptoms may develop after a bite and include:

• Headache.
• Weakness.
• Drowsiness (very sleepy, hard to wake up, or less alert).
• Visual disturbances.
• Hallucinations.

Your health professional can treat your bite to help prevent serious problems.

Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated February 13, 2006
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
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