Common Wall Spider

These strange-looking spiders are flattened in profile, giving them the common name of Flatties or Common Wall Spiders. They are common in houses, garages and around large boulders.

Full Name: Common Wall Spiders – Flatties (Family Selenopidae)

Other names: Muurspinnekop

Classification: HARMLESS

These strange-looking spiders are flattened in profile, giving them the common name of Flatties or Common Wall Spiders. They are common in houses, garages and around large boulders. In the house they live on the walls or upside down on the ceiling. They are a bit larger than a R5 coin. They hunt insects such as mosquitoes, moths and flies. The are usually brown to grey with stripes and bands making them camouflaged on rocks. They are completely harmless to humans and pets.

Map indicating the distribution of Common Wall spiders, within Southern Africa.
African Snakebite Institute