Spiders are unpleasant to look at, and their webs can cause a mess if they infest your home or business. From common house spiders to black widows, we can give you more information about these creatures to help you get over your fears and answer the most important question: “What spider is this?”
Below, we explore the appearance, lifecycle, and habits of these spiders. Click a spider to be taken to its section.
The black widow spider (Latrodectus spp.) is known for its glossy black body, with the female featuring a distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of its abdomen. This marking distinguishes it from the false widow (Steatoda), which has no red marking. These spiders are often found in dark, undisturbed areas such as woodpiles, basements, and sheds. While their venom is potent, bites are rare and usually occur when the spider feels threatened.
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The brown recluse spider (Lloxosceles reclusa) is a small, light brown arachnid with a violin-shaped marking on its back. It prefers warm, dry, and secluded areas like attics, closets, and spaces under furniture. Unlike web-spinning spiders, the brown recluse hunts its prey actively at night.
The house spider (Achaearanea tepidariorum) is one of the most common house spider species, frequently found in basements, garages, and on ceilings. It builds messy, irregular webs using its spinneret to catch insects and prefers undisturbed areas. These spiders are generally harmless and help control pest populations indoors.
Cellar spiders (Pholcidae) are one of the most common spider species found in basements, crawl spaces, and garages. These spiders have long, delicate legs attached to their cephalothorax (the front body section) and are sometimes mistaken for daddy longlegs. They are known for their erratic web-shaking behavior when disturbed.
Garden spiders (Argiope aurantia) are easily recognizable due to their striking yellow and black markings. These orb-weaver spiders (part of the Araneidae family) build large, circular webs to trap flying insects and, like grass spiders, can live outdoors. They play a key role in controlling insect populations.
Cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) are small, unassuming arachnids often found indoors. Their messy, irregular webs are a telltale sign of their presence.
Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) are among the largest types of spiders, recognized for their hairy bodies and slow movements. Despite their intimidating size, they are mostly docile and rarely bite unless provoked. Found in burrows or under logs, these nocturnal hunters rely on ambush tactics rather than web-building, controlling their food using mouthparts called pedipalps.
Yellow sac spiders (Cheiracanthium) are small, fast-moving arachnids often found indoors. They are commonly encountered in homes across various regions, including the Western United States. These spiders do not build traditional webs but instead create silk retreats in corners or folds of fabric.
The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis, part of the Agelenidae family) is a fast-moving arachnid known for building funnel-shaped webs in cracks, basements, and gardens. It has a brown body with a mottled pattern, making it difficult to distinguish from other spiders. While they are often mistaken for more dangerous species, hobo spiders are not aggressive and rarely bite humans.
Wolf spiders (part of the Hogna genus, which is of the Lycosidae family) are active hunters and cause concern when encountered in homes. These spiders have excellent vision, allowing them to see humans approaching them, at which point, they flee. Many wolf spiders are nocturnal and use a reflective structure to maximize vision at night. Shining a flashlight at ground level will often allow one to see the green eyeshine on this spider reflected from 10-30 feet away, depending on the spider’s size. Wolf spiders are rarely pests, but they sometimes wander into houses, where their large size often frightens homeowners.
Each of these spider types plays an important role in controlling insect populations. While most are harmless, professional spider control is recommended if their presence becomes a concern. If you need help with knowing how to identify a spider, observing color, body shape, and web patterns can provide useful clues.
The Brazilian wandering spider is considered among the most venomous due to its potent neurotoxin, which can cause severe symptoms in humans. However, bites are rare, and fatalities are uncommon with medical treatment. In the US, the black widow and brown recluse spiders are considered the most dangerous.
The daddy longlegs (cellar spider) is one of the most harmless spiders. While they have fangs (part of the chelicera, or the jaw), they are too small to penetrate human skin and pose no threat to people.
The house spider is the most common, often found indoors in corners, basements, and on ceilings. It builds irregular webs to catch small insects and is harmless to humans.
There are over 50,000 known spider species worldwide, and new species are still being discovered. Spiders vary in size, habitat, and behavior, from tiny jumping spiders (Salticidae) to large tarantulas.
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