Tegenaria pagana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| House funnel-web spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| from Chile | |
 | |
| from Spain | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Agelenidae |
| Genus: | Tegenaria |
| Species: | T. pagana |
| Binomial name | |
| Tegenaria pagana C. L. Koch, 1840 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Tegenaria pagana is a species of funnel-web spider in the family Agelenidae. It is known as the house funnel-web spider and has a cosmopolitan distribution, being native to Europe and North Africa to Central Asia and introduced to numerous countries worldwide including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Saint Helena, and South Africa.[1]
The specific name "pagana" is derived from Latin, meaning "of the countryside" or "rustic".
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1840 from specimens collected in Greece.[2]
Tegenaria pagana has an extensive synonymy, with numerous species later determined to be the same taxon. A major taxonomic revision by Bolzern, Burckhardt & Hänggi (2013) synonymized many previously recognized species and subspecies with T. pagana, including T. cerrutii, T. marinae, T. baronii, and the subspecies T. pagana urbana.[3]
Distribution
Tegenaria pagana has a wide natural distribution across the Palearctic, extending from Europe through North Africa to Central Asia. The species has been widely introduced to other regions through human activities and is now established on multiple continents. In North America, it is found in the United States and Mexico, while in South America it occurs in Brazil and Chile.[1]
In South Africa, where it is introduced, the species is currently known only from the Western Cape province, having been recorded from Cape Town, Oudtshoorn, Worcester, and the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.[4]
Habitat
Tegenaria pagana is a synanthropic species, commonly associated with human habitations and urban environments. The spiders typically construct their webs in and around houses, often building between rubble around buildings in built-up areas.[4]
