grass spider

This post may contain affiliate links to our partners such as Chewy, Amazon, etc. These purchases help us further AZ Animals' mission of educating the world's species.

Grass spiders usually live primarily in grass, as you can tell by their name. But they may wander elsewhere. They're one of 1,200 species of funnel-web spiders that form black hole-like webs with large spinnerets. You'll find these webs more often than grass spiders.

Types, Types and Scientific Names of Grass Spiders

Grass spiders are known to scientists as Agelenopsis . It was first described in 1869 and originated in Greece. The term Agelenopsis is formed from " Agelena" (also known as the genus Eurasian Grass Spider) and "opsis" (meaning "to look like"). It belongs to the family Agelenidae and the order Aranea.

It is often confused with tarantulas and hobo spiders due to the patterning of its head region. You'll find two dark lines on either side of the midline, which are lighter and thinner than the black lines on tarantulas. Also, the grass spider has a series of dark chevrons on its abdomen, which is lighter than that of the tarantula. Grass spiders contain venom, but the fangs are so small that they are not dangerous to humans.

Grass spiders go by several common names around the world. They are funnel web spiders, ground spiders, sheet web spiders and funnel weavers. There are 14 known species of grass spiders.

they are:

• bracken
• asparagus
• celery
• bracken
• Resveratrol
• long fern
• Amaranth
• asparagus
• oregon fern
• Pennsylvania celery
• asparagus
• bracken
• asparagus shovel
• utah flower fern

Appearance: How to Identify Grass Spiders?

Egg

The eggs are sac-shaped and are laid by the female in spring. But the female grass spiders died from the drop in temperature shortly after hatching their eggs. The baby spiders hatch over time, eat, mate, and molt before becoming adults.

aldult

Grass spiders are about half an inch or three-quarters of an inch long. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, with females being larger than males. Females can reach a length of 0.39 to 0.78 inches, while males are about 0.31 to 0.70 inches long. They weigh as much as a jumping spider, about 3 oz.

It has a round hard shell or carapace with three distinct bands. Two of them run on either side of the middle band and are dark brown in color. However, the middle strap is slightly lighter than the other two straps.

Grass spiders are usually yellowish-brown in color with a herringbone pattern that distinguishes them from other similar spiders. But they show a mix of different colors on the body. The carapace is yellowish-brown in color, while the conspicuous parts of the abdomen and legs are relatively darker. A spinneret is a long structure in the abdomen, but physically looks like a short tail.

A grass spider can usually be identified by its web, not its appearance. You'll find its web laid horizontally and forming a sheet-like structure that ends in a funnel. You can think of it like a black hole. Sheet extends up to 3 feet, while funnel reaches up to 1 foot.

The funnel portion of the web sits inside a refuge that usually leads to the spider's safe space. This could be a rock or any crack. Prey may come to this web that sends signals to the grass spider. This trap allows grass spiders to pounce on them.

The web isn't that reliable for spiders because it's not particularly sticky. Due to the shape, the prey falls into the trap. That's why grass spiders are so agile. Instead of waiting for prey to stick to their webs, they sprint towards their prey and attack them.

Grass spiders are solitary in nature. You won't find it socially interacting with other species unless it's mating season. But sometimes a grass spider may share its habitat with other grass spiders. Their behavior is mostly nocturnal, and they avoid going out to hunt during the day to avoid predators. They hunt their prey at night.

Habitat: Where Can You Find Grass Spiders?

Grass spiders mainly inhabit North America. But they were introduced to various countries in Central Asia. Their population size is unknown, but they are abundant in the northern parts of the United States.

If you want to spot them, you can find them in dirty parts of the house. They're not attracted to dirt, but that's where their prey is. Many small insects like ants are usually near food scraps or other dirty places. So these sites are as good as anywhere grass spiders come to web.

However, this is only a rare instance in which a male grass spider might find itself at home. Otherwise, they are found in lawns, grass, gardens, ornamental plants and trees, foundations, log piles, rocks and lawn ornaments, bathtubs, window wells and under sinks. They tend to hide inside the funnel section and only come out when there is prey near their web.

Diet: What Do Grass Spiders Eat?

Grass spiders are carnivorous in nature and, more specifically, insectivorous. They move very fast, which is a great hunting technique for grass spiders.

What Do Grass Spiders Eat?

They eat insects that are smaller than them. This includes insects found in grass such as moths, crickets, grass bugs, aphids, grasshoppers, etc., or in homes such as ants.

What grass eating spider?

Their natural predators include lizards, birds, and centipedes.

Prevention: How to Get Rid of Grass Spiders?

Grass spiders are not particularly dangerous to humans. They carry venom, but this is mostly for their prey. Also, they are very shy and not at all aggressive in nature. They may bite, but only in self-defense or when provoked.

Grass spider bites have been reported to cause pain, swelling, redness, and itching. These symptoms usually accompany the victim for anywhere from one to ten days. Occasionally, a bacterial infection may develop. There have been no reports of fatal grass spider bites.

That being said, they may sometimes live at home. You'll probably only be able to find them through their webs, as they're hidden in the funnel section of the web that's located inside the shelter. But if you have small insects, you may find yourself infested with grass spiders as well. If this happens, there are a few things you can choose to do.

• Clean up leftover food, pet food, crumbs and crumbs around the house. Don't leave them lying around as they will attract ants and they will call grass spiders.
• Mow the lawn frequently, as this is where they nest.
• Trim and keep shrubs, hedges, and vegetation around your home uncluttered to prevent grass spider habitats.
• Use a broom to remove cobwebs, which can force them to nest elsewhere.

next…

Liked our spider-related articles? Check out a few others.

• Why did the plague of snakes and spiders follow the flood? – Find out why you see more after the flood.
• 10 Facts About Black Widows – You've probably heard of these spiders, but do you know how incredible they really are?
• Insects vs Spiders – You Can Finally Find the Difference Between the Two!

See all 169 animals that start with G

No, they are not dangerous. They do have venom, but that's to subdue their prey. The most they can do to humans is bite, although their fangs cannot penetrate human skin. So, if bitten by a grass spider, you'll experience itching, redness, and swelling anywhere from 1 to 14 days.

Four pairs, a total of eight pairs.

They move very fast and are among the fastest spider species in existence.

They are identified by the color of the stripes on their carapace and the herringbone pattern on their abdomen.