There are several species of Wolf Spider that may be found within Utah, all within the Hogna Genus. This means that Hobo Spiders may OR may not be dangerous to humans, but more and more evidence is being mounted against the idea that they are. Confirmation of such a bite would require sufficient study, of which all reported cases have not been, and therefore could be a case of blaming the spider who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Furthermore, there have been no scientifically “confirmed” cases of necrosis caused by a Hobo Spider bite. When this study was later replicated, the spiders would not freely bite the rabbits, and when injected artificially with venom, the rabbits showed no necrosis as the paper suggested. The original papers citing Hobo Spiders as having a necrotic bite are from 1987, with a sample size of just 5 European White Rabbits. Within the last 10 years, studies have suggested that the Hobo Spider bite is not necrotic, as previously described, and that most previous studies suggesting necrosis from Hobo Spider venom was not studied properly, completely, or with enough prejudice. There has also been much fear surrounding the “necrotic” venom of a Hobo Spider.
This nickname has given the spider a negative connotation for obvious reasons. However, agrestis is Latin for “of the field” much like agriculture means cultivation of the field.
A nickname of the Hobo Spider is “The Aggressive House Spider” which was coined most likely from is species name agrestis. Unfortunately, a lot of what makes people so afraid of the Hobo Spider may be misfounded.
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