Some spiders are best known for the unique webs they construct, which take the shape of a flat sheet leading into a narrow tunnel. This design is both a home and a trap, giving them a safe retreat while still functioning as a hunting tool. The layout allows them to stay hidden while monitoring the world outside.
The funnel shape is not accidental; it serves a purpose. The flat portion of the web acts like a stage, where unsuspecting insects wander across, while the tunnel provides cover for the predator. From inside, the resident can feel the vibrations of prey and dash out with incredible speed to seize it.
These webs are made of dense, non-sticky silk. Instead of capturing insects by glue-like threads, they rely on strength and quick reflexes. When a creature steps on the sheet, the builder senses it immediately, rushes out from the tunnel, and drags it back into the retreat for feeding.
Different species make their funnels in different environments. Some prefer tall grass and shrubs, weaving their sheets close to the ground, while others build them in cracks, tree bark, or corners of human dwellings. Each choice of location provides shelter and an advantage in hunting.
What makes these webs particularly striking is how visible they can become at dawn or after rain, when droplets cling to the silk. In open meadows or gardens, entire patches of ground can glisten with silvery sheets, each concealing a hidden hunter in its retreat.
Spiders That Make Funnel Webs
Sydney Funnel-Web Spider (Atrax robustus)
One of the most infamous funnel-web spiders, it builds silk-lined burrows with funnel-shaped entrances. Native to Australia, it is highly venomous and prefers moist, sheltered environments such as logs and leaf litter.
Northern Tree Funnel-Web Spider (Hadronyche formidabilis)
This large and dangerous Australian species constructs funnel-shaped webs in tree hollows. It is an excellent climber and often waits inside the silk tunnel to ambush prey that lands nearby.
Blue Mountains Funnel-Web Spider (Hadronyche versuta)
Found in New South Wales, this species builds its funnel webs under rocks and logs. Like others in its genus, it produces strong silk and relies on vibrations along the web to detect prey.
Victorian Funnel-Web Spider (Hadronyche modesta)
Native to southeastern Australia, this spider creates its webs in moist soil and under forest debris. It prefers concealed sites where its funnel entrance can remain hidden from predators.
Funnel-Web Grass Spider (Agelenopsis spp.)
Common across North America, these spiders weave large sheet webs with a central funnel retreat. They are fast runners, rushing out to grab insects that land on their web’s surface before dragging them back inside.
Barn Funnel Weavers (Tegenaria domestica)
Also known as the domestic house spider, this species creates funnel-shaped webs in buildings, barns, and sheds. They are often found in corners and crevices, waiting inside their funnel for prey.
Giant House Spider (Eratigena atrica)
This European spider spins expansive funnel webs in attics, basements, and outdoor structures. It is closely related to the domestic house spider and is known for its size and speed.
Hobo Spider (Eratigena agrestis)
Native to Europe and introduced into North America, this spider builds funnel webs in soil, cracks, and low vegetation. It sits inside its funnel retreat, quickly darting out when vibrations signal the arrival of prey.
Grass Funnel Weaver (Agelena labyrinthica)
Widespread in Europe and Asia, this spider weaves sheet-like webs with complex funnels in grassy fields and low vegetation. Its webs are especially noticeable on dewy mornings.
Labyrinth Spider (Agelena labyrinthica)
This European spider creates large, tangled funnel webs that resemble a maze, hence its name. It builds these structures in hedges and tall grass, using the funnel as both a hiding place and a hunting post.
Calymmaria Spiders
These small funnel-weaving spiders are found in North America, often in shaded forest habitats. They create sheet webs with funnel retreats under rocks, logs, or in leaf litter.
Hololena Spiders
Found in North America, particularly in drier habitats, these spiders build funnel webs in shrubs and low vegetation. Their silk is strong, and they rely heavily on vibrations to locate prey.
Coastal Funnel-Web Spider (Hadronyche cerberea)
This Australian species makes funnel webs under logs, bark, and forest debris. Like its relatives, it is venomous and spends most of its time hidden in its silk-lined funnel.
Texas Funnel-Web Spider (Metepeira spp.)
Some species in this genus create irregular webs with funnel-like retreats. In Texas and parts of the southern U.S., they are commonly spotted in shrubs, grasses, and corners of buildings.