Bubalola Loc: Big Apple, NY

relbugman Loc: MD/FL/CA/SC

Great photos! First thought it was a Nemisiidae - Calisoga sp. (?C. longitarsis), but the eyes do not match and they have spinier legs see https://bugguide.net/node/view/413815. Second, family Filistatidae - Kukulcania sp.; I think this is right. See https://bugguide.net/node/view/266485 and others: search BugGuide under the genus or family names. They are more velvety on abdomen and legs, have a longer cleft on the top of the cephalothorax, share the silvery posterior median eyes, and are fairly common in CA. K. hibernalis is common in the East, given the name Southern House Spider; I don’t know if the Central Valley ones are the same. They are also called Funnel-web Tarantulas but Tarantulas (a different family) here have long hairs on the abdomen as well as urticating (itching) hairs, and most are larger, so that’s not a very good name; and also called Dwarf-tarantulas. Filistatids do make a funnel or sheet web, but usually small and on the ground around a burrow or a stone; their silk is ‘hackeled’, that is covered with tiny loops aiding in capturing prey as the web is not sticky.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I love how you write they have velvety abdomen and legs . I’ll take your word for it, as I’m not looking to snatch one up.

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

Thanks for the detailed id. I think you on right on the mark with the house spider. It was my choice as well, but I am not that adept at arachnid ID. Thank you very much for the time an effort you spent in helping out. Correct id is important to me.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Of course the first thought is tarantula, but a young one given the size. But what did not fit was that the abdomen is smoothly haired, while tarantula abdomens are shaggy, and the chelicerae on this one were too small. So a quick look in BugGuide brought up the "false tarantula": https://bugguide.net/node/view/1822041 It looks to be a dead ringer.

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

Thanks Mark. This spider is about the size of a Black widow, though a bit more bulky in the appendages. Realbugman came up with a few suggestions as well. I am trending towards the House spider species. It is often very difficult to get a real feeling for the size of an organism from a photo. the behavior was much like the black widow as well...very quick, but very fragile in moving any distance. That meaning several inches. Thank you so much for providing me with a direction for the id. I can do a decent job on the avians, mammals, herps, and insects, but the arachs are another ball game. Thank you again.