Parasteatoda tepidariorum
| Parasteatoda tepidariorum | |
|---|---|
| Common house spider and egg sac | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Parasteatoda |
| Species: | P. tepidariorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C. L. Koch, 1841) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Theridion tepidariorum | |
Parasteatoda tepidariorum, the common house spider or American house spider, is a spider species of the genus Parasteatoda with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common house spiders are synanthropic and live in and near human dwellings. Their prey mechanism is similar to that of the other cobweb spiders: the spider follows disturbances transmitted along the web to entangle and then paralyze its prey, which usually consists of household insects and other invertebrates (often considered as pests).