Hobo Spiders are brown and measure roughly 12 to 18 mm in length. Their legs show no distinct rings and have short hairs. Their abdomens have several chevron shaped markings.  Males are distinctively different from females in that they have two large palps that look like boxing gloves.  These “boxing gloves” are very distinct and are a dead giveaway that they are Hobo Spiders.  The females also have these palps, but the ends are not swollen as they are on the males. Females tend to have a larger abdomen when compared to males.  These spiders build funnel shaped webs.  They have poor eyesight which makes them aggressive.

Typically, when venom is injected, the victim will experience an immediate redness which develops around the bite, then begins to disappear within a few hours. Very often, for the first 24 hours, the bite appears to be no worse than that of a mosquito; then it begins to blister in the center. Within 24 to 36 hours the blister breaks open leaving an open, oozing ulceration.

This ulceration scabs over within three weeks from the initial bite, leaving a permanent scar. If the bite is delivered in fatty tissue, the lesion may be very deep and extensive and not heal for two or three years. Systematic reactions to Hobo Spider poisoning include severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, soreness, and flu-like symptoms.

If you believe you have been bitten by a hobo spider, contact a physician immediately!