Wall spider
Wall spider is the common name for members of the genus Oecobius in the family Oecobiidae.
One cosmopolitan species is O. navus.
One species of interest is Oecobius civitas. When a spider enters the home of another spider, rather than defend itself, the resident leaves to find another one.
Description
The members of these several species are all small spiders that make small flat webs over crevices in walls and in similar spaces. They are cribellate spiders, meaning that they produce silk through a sieve-like plate of many parallel spigots, so that it emerges in a bundle of many invisibly fine parallel fibres with no adhesive covering to glue them together. Instead the bundles part into separate woolly cables that readily entangle small prey items, such as ants, that run into them. The spider sits in middle of the web, and when it is disturbed by suitable prey, it runs out and circles the prey with more silk to tangle it further. It subdues the prey by biting it, and carries one or more items bundled in silk, seeking a refuge where it can feed.
Species
, this genus includes 98 species:Oecobius achimota Shear & Benoit, 1974 – GhanaOecobius aculeatus Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius affinis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – LebanonOecobius agaetensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius albipunctatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Syria, IsraelOecobius alhoutyae Wunderlich, 1995 – KuwaitOecobius amboseli Shear & Benoit, 1974 – Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda. Introduced to Denmark, Netherlands, BelgiumOecobius annulipes Lucas, 1846 – Northern AfricaOecobius armiachi Marusik & Zonstein, 2024 – IsraelOecobius ashmolei Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius beatus Gertsch & Davis, 1937 – MexicoOecobius bracae Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius bumerang Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius caesaris Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius cambridgei Wunderlich, 1995 – Lebanon, IsraelOecobius camposi Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius cellariorum – Mediterranean, Russia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Jordan, Iran. Introduced to United States, St. Helena, China, Japan Oecobius chassieri Lecigne & Moutaouakil, 2025 – MoroccoOecobius chiasma Barman, 1978 – IndiaOecobius civitas Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius concinnus Simon, 1893 – USA to Brazil, Caribbean. Introduced to Galapagos, Seychelles, Laos, Japan Oecobius culiacanensis Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius culichi Alcántar-Valenzuela, Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025 – MexicoOecobius cumbrecita Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius dariusi Zamani & Marusik, 2023 – IranOecobius depressus Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius dolosus Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius doryphorus Schmidt, 1977 – Canary IslandsOecobius duplex Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius eberhardi Santos & Gonzaga, 2008 – Costa RicaOecobius erjosensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius fahimii Zamani & Marusik, 2018 – IranOecobius fortaleza Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius fuerterotensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius furcula Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius gomerensis Wunderlich, 1980 – Canary IslandsOecobius hayensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius hidalgoensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius hierroensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius hoffmannae Jiménez & Llinas, 2005 – MexicoOecobius idolator Shear & Benoit, 1974 – Burkina FasoOecobius iguestensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius ilamensis Zamani, Mirshamsi & Marusik, 2017 – IranOecobius incertus Wunderlich, 1995 – North AfricaOecobius infierno Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius infringens Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius interpellator Shear, 1970 – United StatesOecobius isolatoides Shear, 1970 – United States, MexicoOecobius isolatus Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, MexicoOecobius juangarcia Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius kowalskii Magalhães & Santos, 2018 – MadagascarOecobius lampeli Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius latiscapus Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius linguiformis Wunderlich, 1995 – Canary IslandsOecobius longiscapus Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius machadoi Wunderlich, 1995 – Portugal, Spain, MoroccoOecobius maculatus Simon, 1870 – Mediterranean to Azerbaijan. Introduced to United States, MexicoOecobius marathaus Tikader, 1962 – Tropical Africa. Introduced to Brazil, St. Helena, Ascension Island, India, Laos, Taiwan, Japan, Australia Oecobius maritimus Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius melanocephalus Zamani & Marusik, 2023 – IranOecobius minor Kulczyński, 1909 – Azores, MadeiraOecobius nadiae – Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, ChinaOecobius navus Blackwall, 1859 – Europe, northern Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Jordan, Israel, Iran. Introduced to Canada, United States, South America, St. Helena, South Africa, China, Korea, Japan, New ZealandOecobius naxuanus Zamani & Marusik, 2023 – AzerbaijanOecobius palmensis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius parapsammophilus Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius pasargadae Zamani & Marusik, 2023 – IranOecobius pasteuri Berland & Millot, 1940 – West AfricaOecobius paulomaculatus Wunderlich, 1995 – AlgeriaOecobius persimilis Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius petronius Simon, 1890 – YemenOecobius piaxtla Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius pinoensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius przewalskyi Hu & Li, 1987 – China Oecobius psammophilus Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius pseudodepressus Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 – South Africa, Egypt, Cyprus, Sudan to Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India. Introduced to United States, MexicoOecobius rhodiensis Kritscher, 1966 – Greece, Ukraine, TurkeyOecobius rioensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius rivula Shear, 1970 – MexicoOecobius rugosus Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius selvagensis Wunderlich, 1995 – Selvagens Is.Oecobius sheari Benoit, 1975 – ChadOecobius similis Kulczyński, 1909 – Macaronesia, St. HelenaOecobius simillimus Wunderlich, 2011 – Canary IslandsOecobius sinescapus Wunderlich, 2017 – Canary IslandsOecobius sombrero Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary IslandsOecobius sudcaliforniana Alcántar-Valenzuela, Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025 – MexicoOecobius tasarticoensis Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius teliger O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, IsraelOecobius templi O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 – Egypt, SudanOecobius thar Tripathi, Sudhikumar & Sherwood, 2023 – IndiaOecobius tibesti Shear & Benoit, 1974 – ChadOecobius trimaculatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Greece, IsraelOecobius unicoloripes Wunderlich, 1992 – Canary IslandsOecobius yaqui Alcántar-Valenzuela, Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025 – MexicoOecobius yoreme Alcántar-Valenzuela, Chamé-Vázquez & Jiménez, 2025 – MexicoOecobius zagros Zamani & Marusik, 2023 – Iran