Common South African House Spiders

They may be formidable in size but mature adults can reach lengths up to 4 inches.
Common south african house spiders. It is important to remember that spiders seen in south africa are not bound by the territorial lines decided on by humans therefore their distribution is subject to change. Here are the 5 most dangerous spiders found in south africa. Spiders found in south africa include 19 unique species from confirmed sightings by contributing members of spider id. Spiders can be a particular nuisance in the home.
They re an integral part of our natural ecosystems and play an invaluable role in controlling pests. Huntsman spiders from the sparassidae family are some of the largest spiders in south africa. Southern africa has well over 2 200 known species of spiders with very few that are of medical importance. Most spider bites are not spider bites but wounds caused by infections and other invertebrates.
But in the case of house spiders it is very hard for a person to figure out which spiders are harmless and which they need to be worried about. They are attracted to warm dark small spaces like wall cracks corners air vents and in the eaves of your home. Some of these spiders are very tiny and can even puncture the skin of a fully grown human. Other species prefer to stay closer to the outdoors weaving their webs in your garden or near your outside lighting.
The larger female button spiders sometimes kill their male counterparts after mating. I will continue to be involved in the south african national survey of arachnida the running of the online virtual museum and the african arachnida database and hope to continue with research on the crab spiders. Knowing these spiders. There are more than 35 000 species of spiders worldwide a few thousand of which are found in south africa alone.
South africa is home to six species of button spiders four species of black buttons spiders and two species of brown buttons spiders. South africa is home to over 3 000 known species of spiders many of which are found in our homes gardens and natural surroundings. Mature adults can reach lengths up to 4 inches.