# Grey House Spider (*badumna longinqua*)

The Grey House Spider is a friendly little spider often found in our homes! It helps keep bugs away and loves to spin cozy webs.

- **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grey House Spiders live in homes, gardens, and other sheltered areas.
- **Also known as:** Australian House Spider, Grey Spider

![Grey House Spider](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Badumna_longinqua.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Thérèse Oliver, MAF, CC BY 3.0 au · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Badumna_longinqua.jpg)

## Appearance

The Grey House Spider has a dark grey to brown body, covered in fine, dense hairs giving it a velvety look. Its legs are often faintly banded, and it lacks the distinct markings found on many other common house spiders, appearing more uniformly colored.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Arachnida
- **Order:** Araneae
- **Family:** Desidae
- **Genus:** Badumna

## Interesting facts

- Female Grey House Spiders often stay in the same web their entire life!
- Their untidy, 'lace-like' webs are surprisingly strong and incredibly sticky for insects!
- These spiders can survive for weeks without food, patiently waiting for a meal!
- They are not native to North America but have spread widely across the continent!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Silk Weaver:** Grey House Spider can spin tangled, 'lace-like' webs using strong, non-sticky silk, which helps them create an effective trap for prey.
- **Quick Attacker:** Grey House Spider can quickly rush from its web retreat because of its keen senses and fast reflexes, helping it surprise prey.
- **Venomous Bite:** Grey House Spider has venom that helps them paralyze insect prey, allowing the spider to safely subdue and eat its meals.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 6-11
- **Lifespan:** 1-3
- **Leg Count:** 8
- **Wings Count:** 0

## Diet & Feeding

These insect-eating spiders expertly trap small flying insects and crawling bugs in their messy webs.

- **Primary Foods:** flies, mosquitoes, moths, beetles, ants
- **Foraging Method:** Ambush

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — traps in its messy web
- **Hunts:** Common Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — captures flying into its sticky threads
- **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — spiders are an occasional protein source
- **Parasitizes:** Mud Dauber Wasp (*Sceliphron caementarium*) — paralyzes for its larvae to consume

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always observe spiders from a distance and do not touch them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Grey House Spider?

Compare body proportions, leg shape, abdomen markings and the web, if there is one. Eye arrangement can be decisive but rarely shows up in a casual phone photo. A web is a supporting clue, not proof of who built it. Spider Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Grey House Spider?

6-11

### How long does Grey House Spider live?

1-3

### What does Grey House Spider eat?

These insect-eating spiders expertly trap small flying insects and crawling bugs in their messy webs.

### Where is Grey House Spider usually found?

Grey House Spiders live in homes, gardens, and other sheltered areas.

### How does Grey House Spider hunt?

Ambush

### How many legs does Grey House Spider have?

8

### What is the wings Count of Grey House Spider?

0

## Where to spot

- [Fairview Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairview-park) — California, US · Park

## More Invertebrate

- [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral)
- [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*)
- [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*)
- [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*)

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Source: [Grey House Spider: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grey-house-spider)