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The southern house spider, Kukulcania (Filistata) hibernalis Hentz, is a conspicuous arachnid in Florida due to its relatively large size and distinctive flat, tangled web. It is common throughout Florida and much of the southern United States in human populated areas. Males of this species are often mistaken for the notorious brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik, because of their color and general shape. Southern house spiders are not known to have a dangerous bite. However, two bite cases reportedly caused the victims pain and swelling for a few days. This document is EENY-144, one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: July 2000. Revised: June 2003.
References
Hentz NM. 1842. Descriptions and figures of the Araneides of the United States. Boston Journal of Natural History 4:223-231. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.16996
Kaston BJ. 1972. How to know the spiders, 3rd edition. Wm. C. Brown, Co., Dubuque, Iowa. 272p.
Lehtinen PT. 1967. Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with noted on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha. Ann. Zool. Fenn. 4:199-468.
Levi HW. 1982. Araneae. Pp. 77-95 in S.P. Parker, ed. Synopsis and Classification of living organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York.
Schreiber ET, Edwards GB. Florida Spiders: biology and control. EntGuide. http://pherec.org/entguides/EntGuide7-Spiders.html (11 June 2000)
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