Fauna
Arachnid

Black House Spider

Badumna insignis

Also known as Common Black Spider, Window Spider

Black house spiders spin intricate, zigzagged tangles of woolly cribellate silk that funnel into a deep, protected retreat. Emerging primarily after dark, females rarely abandon their silken tunnels and instead wait near the entrance to ambush insects that trip the surrounding perimeter threads. Highly adapted to human structures, these sedentary arachnids are familiar fixtures across exterior window frames, wall crevices, and rough tree bark.

NocturnalWeb-weaverUrban Wildlife
Black House Spider reference1 / 7
(c) James K. Douch, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyFlies, Moths, Beetles
Predators
  • White-tailed spider
  • Spider-hunting wasps
  • Insectivorous birds
ThreatsPesticide application, direct human persecution, and predation by specialist spider-hunting arachnids
HabitatsUrban infrastructure, exterior walls, window crevices, tree trunks, and rock crevices
Life spanUp to 2 years
Classification
  1. OrderAraneae
  2. FamilyDesidae
  3. GenusBadumna
  4. SpeciesBadumna insignis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskVery high
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is very high
Timid and rarely bites unless handled directly; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Locating retreats: Inspect exterior window corners and rough tree bark where messy silk forms a distinct central tube.
  • Nighttime viewing: Use a red or dim flashlight after dusk to spot the spider waiting at its entrance.
  • Web maintenance: Avoid destroying the webs in garden sheds, as they capture numerous household pest insects.
Related species
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