The hobo spider is a relatively large spider that commonly resides in fields and near structures in wood piles or brick walls. These spiders build funnel shaped webs in which they hide and wait for potential prey to approach. These spiders avoid areas with competition from other similar spider species and are uncommonly encountered in homes due to competition from giant house spiders.
While there are historical anecdotes of hobo spider bites being toxic and causing necrosis, it is now believed that those were mistakenly identified and caused by other species. Hobo spiders are classified as posing no threat to humans, though the bite can be temporarily painful.
