The araneomorph funnel-web spiders of the family Agelenidae include the common grass spiders of the genus Agelenopsis, as well as the mildly venomous European hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, which has been introduced into the Pacific Northwest of the United States. (Note: The araneomorph funnel-web spider not to be confused with the funnel-web tarantula and the venomous funnel-web tarantula, both of which are mygalomorphs. The venomous funnel-web tarantulas include the infamous Sydney funnel-web spider.)
The family contains nearly 500 species in over 40 genera worldwide. Among other genera are Hololena and Agelena. The last named genus includes some fascinating semi-social spiders that live in complex communal webs in Africa. The best known of these is probably Agelena consociata.
Sociality in these spiders has gone so far as communal web-building and sharing; cooperative prey capture and communal rearing of young. Spiders have not, however, taken the final step into the eusociality of the social Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps) because there are no workers or soldiers (no castes) and all females are reproductive.
Bibliography
- How to Know the Spiders by B. J. Kaston. Dubuque, 1953.
- Biology of Spiders, by Rainer F. Foelix, second edition, 1996
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