Sluggin' Along: Funnel Weavers: Grass Spiders

Funnel-weaving spiders comprise the family Agelenidae. In our yard, we have several specimens of the genus Agelenopsis (Grass Spiders). In terms of appearance, they have two down-curved rows of eyes, one on top of the other. The brown chelicerae are fairly large. The dorsal cephalothorax has a white longitudinal band between two dark halves. The abdomen has two longitudinal black-and-white stripes (with reddish brown hair between) and prominent spinnerets. The legs are banded as well. Males wander in search of a mate, but females remain in the web, so you will most likely encounter females.

Some build a horizontal, sheet-like web with a funnel in the middle, as well as a 3D barrier over the top. These webs litter our yard, and we can spot them easily by the water droplets clinging to the silk. The spider usually lies in wait off to the side, or perhaps inside the central funnel, until an insect becomes caught in the web (it's not sticky, just entangling). Then the spider bites it and drags it down into the hole.

Not sure where the funnel is in this web...

Another specimen built a horizontal web in the corner between our shed and a gutter pipe. The web was triangular, with the barrier rising up over it and the funnel running back into the siding (a superb retreat). During the daytime, the spider hid far back inside the funnel, out of sight, but at night she would crawl out to wait for prey. Once I watched her run up the side of the web to catch an insect and then quickly bring it back to the mouth of the funnel to munch on it. She didn't particularly care for my lantern and flash, and she definitely didn't want to share her meals (mostly green leafhoppers). Often she would stare at me inquisitively, turn her back, or retreat into her funnel--sometimes all three.

Brushing her chelicerae with a palp.

Picking up the leafhopper to eat somewhere more private.

I did notice, though, that she wouldn't eat millipedes. We've had an explosion of them in the backyard, so they were crawling around near her web. I even tempted her with one, but she scarcely acknowledged it (except for a few pokes with her leg). A millipede could crawl right by her (the web wasn't sticky), or sit next to her, unharmed.