The Oreo spider, scientifically known as Parasteatoda tepidariorum, is a common spider species found around the world. It is known by several other common names such as the cupboard spider, the warehouse spider, and the grey spider. The name “Oreo spider” refers to its distinct black and white coloring that resembles an Oreo cookie.
What does the Oreo spider look like?
The Oreo spider has a round, pear-shaped abdomen that is grayish-white in color with black mottling or streaks on the top. The legs are also banded black and white. Adult female Oreo spiders reach 6-9 mm in body length while males are slightly smaller at 5-6 mm. They have eight eyes arranged in two rectangular rows of four.
Some key identifying features of the Oreo spider include:
- Grayish-white pear-shaped abdomen with black mottling on top
- Black and white banded legs
- Body length of 5-9 mm
- Eight eyes arranged in two rows of four
Where are Oreo spiders found?
Oreo spiders have a cosmopolitan distribution, meaning they are found worldwide. They are considered native to the Mediterranean region but have spread to other areas through human transportation and structures. Some places where they have established populations include:
- North America
- South America
- Europe
- Africa
- Asia
- Australia
Within their range, Oreo spiders closely associate with human habitats. They build messy-looking webs in dark, dry places inside homes, garages, sheds, and warehouses. Common web sites include corners of rooms, behind furniture, in storage areas, and inside crevices. They avoid wet areas.
What is the Oreo spider’s web like?
The web of the Oreo spider is an irregular, three-dimensional cobweb structure made of non-sticky silk. It lacks any defined shape or pattern. The spider constructs its web by crawling to anchor points and dropping and looping silk haphazardly between them. The end result is a tangled, messy web in the corners or gaps of indoor sites. The web lacks adhesive properties and is meant to trap prey by its disorganized strands.
What does the Oreo spider eat?
Oreo spiders are generalist predators that consume a variety of small prey. Their main food sources include:
- Insects – flies, moths, crickets, beetles
- Other spiders
- Occasional small vertebrates
They do not spin proper capture webs. Instead, the Oreo spider waits in its disorganized web and senses vibrations from trapped prey. It then quickly rushes out and wraps the prey in silk before biting with its fangs and injecting venom. The spider then carries its food back to the web to consume.
Is the Oreo spider dangerous to humans?
The Oreo spider is not considered dangerous to humans. It is unlikely to bite, and its venom poses little medical significance. Some key points about Oreo spiders and humans include:
- Rarely bite humans
- Have small fangs that cannot easily penetrate human skin
- Venom is not medically significant
- Bites may cause mild pain and redness like a bee sting
- Not aggressive or defensive; prefer to flee danger
Serious symptoms or complications from an Oreo spider bite are very uncommon. People with allergies may potentially have stronger reactions. Still, in general, the spiders do not inflict serious injury even when they do bite humans.
What is the Oreo spider’s life cycle?
Oreo spiders have a typical spider life cycle progressing through egg, spiderling, juvenile, and adult stages. Here are the key points about their life cycle:
- Eggs – Females lay 20 to 80 eggs at a time in a silken egg sac constructed in the web. The eggs are pale yellow in color.
- Spiderlings – After hatching from the egg sac, the tiny spiderlings remain clustered together for several days. They eventually disperse into the surroundings.
- Juvenile – Immature spiders gradually take on adult coloration. They molt frequently as they grow.
- Adults – Sexual maturity reached in summer and early fall. Males die soon after mating. Females may live 1-2 years.
Oreo spiders can produce multiple generations per year. The overall lifespan ranges from several months to just over a year in warmer climates. Development may be prolonged by cooler temperatures and limited prey availability.
Oreo Spider Reproduction
Reproduction in the Oreo spider involves the following sequence of events:
- Males spin small sperm webs and load sperm into their pedipalps (short leg-like appendages near the mouth).
- When a mature male encounters a female, he initiates an elaborate courtship ritual.
- During mating, the male inserts his pedipalps into the female’s genital opening to transfer sperm.
- The female stores the sperm internally until she is ready to produce an egg sac, usually within 30 days of mating.
- The eggs are enclosed in a silken egg sac produced by the female. She guards the sac within her web.
- After hatching, the young spiderlings remain in the web for a few days before dispersing.
How do you identify an Oreo spider?
Using the following checklist can help identify Oreo spiders:
- Small spider around 5-9 mm long
- Pear-shaped grayish white abdomen with black speckles and stripes on top
- Legs prominently banded black and white
- Makes a messy, three-dimensional web in corners or crevices indoors
- Web lacks sticky silk and has disorganized strands
- Eight eyes in two rectangular rows
The combination of the color pattern, web type, and habitat preferences distinguishes the Oreo spider from similar species. Their pear-shaped abdomen and leg banding creates a look resembling an Oreo cookie which gives this spider its common name.
How do Oreo spiders behave?
Oreo spiders exhibit the following behaviors:
- Nocturnal – Most active at night when they hunt and build webs.
- Sedentary – Spend most of time stationary in their web.
- Vibratory sensing – Detect prey through vibrations transmitted on the web silk.
- Swift attack – Rush out and wrap prey in silk when vibrations detected.
- Ballooning – Young spiders disperse by releasing silk strands that carry them on wind currents.
- Solitary – Each spider constructs its own web for hunting and rarely interacts with others.
- Shy – More likely to retreat than act defensively if disturbed.
The Oreo spider leads a mostly secluded, hidden existence in its tangle web where it patiently senses for passing prey. It remains out of sight from humans most of the time.
Where do Oreo spiders live in a home?
Inside homes, Oreo spiders may create their messy webs and take up residence in various areas that meet their needs for shelter, stability, and prey access. Common indoor habitat sites include:
- Corners of rooms
- Behind or under furniture
- Inside cabinets and wardrobes
- Basements and crawl spaces
- Garages and sheds
- Attics
- Crevices and gaps around windows and doors
- Cracks in walls or ceiling joints
They prefer locations that are dark, dry, and protected. The spiders avoid open, exposed areas or anywhere that receives excessive moisture or regular cleaning/disturbance. Finding accumulated webs in undisturbed corners is often a giveaway of Oreo spider activity within a home.
How do you get rid of Oreo spiders?
If Oreo spiders have taken up residence in an undesirable location in the home, the following methods can be used to discourage them:
- Vacuum up any webs and egg sacs to remove both spiders and offspring.
- Seal cracks and crevices where spiders may access the home.
- Reduce clutter to limit web anchoring sites.
- Use insecticides labeled for spider control in problem areas.
- Employ pest control professionals for heavy infestations.
- Install sticky traps to monitor for ongoing activity.
Prevention is also key. Keeping a tidy, dry home environment and sealing off potential entry points helps deter establishment of Oreo spiders and their messy webs inside the home.
Are Oreo spiders beneficial to humans?
Oreo spiders can provide some benefits by their presence around homes:
- Prey on household pests like flies, mosquitoes, clothes moths, and cockroaches.
- Don’t damage housing structures or possessions.
- Cause less allergy concerns compared to other spiders.
- Rarely bite or contact humans.
- Venom is harmless to people.
- Messy webs indicate presence of insects to prey upon.
Their tendency to avoid contact, shy nature, and minor pest control services make Oreo spiders more neutral than detrimental around human homes in most cases. They can be considered beneficial when not directly interfering with human activities.
Key facts about the Oreo spider
To summarize key information about the Oreo spider:
- Small spider 5-9 mm long known for black and white coloration.
- Build messy, three-dimensional webs in sheltered indoor sites.
- Prey on common household pests.
- Cosmopolitan species found worldwide in close association with humans.
- Also called cupboard spider, warehouse spider, and grey spider.
- Not harmful to humans; bites very rare and mild.
- Females can produce 20-80 eggs multiple times per year.
- Live for up to 1-2 years.
Conclusion
With its distinct black and white markings resembling an Oreo cookie, the Oreo spider is a globally distributed species well-adapted to living in and around human structures. It gets its common name from the abundant populations that build messy webs in cupboards, warehouses, and other indoor sites they share with people. While they can become a nuisance with their haphazard webs when found indoors, Oreo spiders pose no real harm to humans. Their reclusive nature, harmless venom, and predatory habits targeting pests even provide some benefits around homes where they take up residence.