Help Identify Spiders and More
Arrakis dune spider.
If you are reading the comments and know what type of spider bite, a visitor has, please feel free to help.
Warning: Some of these pictures may show a scary spider or a bite that has become infected and could be considered disturbing to some, so if you don’t like the sight of rotted skin or exposed bone, this may not be for you. However, it does drive home the importance of seeking medical attention before it’s too late!
Have pictures and a story you would like to share? We would happily review and display them if you upload them here.
Would you like to see our collection of spider bite photos?
My boyfriend and I were playing softball outside with some friends…
we decided to change the rules and do goofy things like crawling to the bases and stuff.
The next day my boyfriend had an open sore on his foot (it looked like a mosquito bite that had been scratched so much it open up).
We put it aside thinking it was an injury from crawling in the grass…
Yesterday (1 day later) it had little red bumps around it and his foot was in much pain. He said he wanted to wait til Monday to see the doctor…
Today, (sunday 2 days later)…
He was complaining about not being able to curl his foot, move it much and he was limping. Later he said that it had turned purple, he was dizzy and he was extremely cold…he went to ER.
I just had to write this to help my worries but does that sound like a spider bite???
woke up this morning with what i thought was just a mosquito bite on my arm. But as the day progressed it started to swell. Now the area around the bite is getting quite warm to the touch. It itches a little bit. I have been trying to ice it, to reduce some of the swelling.
i got this bite about 2 days ago.what can it be
it itched one night and then today it had pus on it
i put an ice cube on it and the pus came out
am i okay
i have 8 cats and i dont know if its just an infected flea bite
i live in in mexaco and i got bit by a black widow but im lucky im alive you know very lucky
I was lying in bed on my laptop when I realized my foot was itching a whole hell of a lot… so I observed it, and what I saw looks like a small blister, surrounded by other very small blisters… from what I’ve read it sounds like a brown recluse, which… please tell me it isn’t. Here’s a pic:
Right now I’m in north Florida, and I was mowing the yard earlier, front and back… the back yard is really basically woods. If the environment helps you at all…
Speedy replies would be oh so great, as I can get paranoid about stuff like this. Thank you so very much.
hey everyone,
this morning, I woke up with a quarter-sized lump under my right ear. it has no color except two small red marks, which makes me think spider. its about half an inch thick, and it hurts to touch and throbs a bit.any help would be hugely appreciated
:D
and i’ve been feeling sick to my stomach as well.
i just got bit by a spider i think and on my leg i found one night a bunch of tiny red very small smaller then the head of a pin but VERY itchy and it was very late at night so i couldn’t go to a doctor and there all VERY SMALL and red. there’s a bunch of them and almost each one has a second one similar next to it. can you tell me whether it’s a spider bite and what kind it is?
Hello Ive been finding these little bites on me when I wake up very tiny with a head on it filled with blood and when I scratch them there is a hole under the head and they are sore I was told they were ant bites but I haven’t seen any ants in my bedroom I went to get my remote from under my bed and saw a nest of spiders one bigger then the rest but they’re all small so I can’t see wat color it is I am pregnant and very scared I live in the valley in the south but I’m from nyc so I know nothing about spiders and I am very scared should I be?
I had a bump appear on the crease of my leg and buttock about 5 days ago. I slept outside with no tent or anything. At first I wasn’t concerned but its been getting bigger. The middle is a black dot, hard and surrounding area is red. Its very painful to walk and to sit. Sometimes releases some pus or what not when I’m walking around. I don’t know if it turned black cause 3 days ago I accidently scratched it. It didn’t bleed except something came out of it. Don’t have a pic right now but was wondering if this discription might help to see if it might be a spider bite and should be concerned at all.
I was bit by something on my ankle on Friday July 4th (5 days ago) and at first it was not very noticeable nor itchy. But after a couple days it swelled upinto a few large red bumps with a whiteish center, and one very large red area next to the smaller bumps. It itched more than anything that’s ever bitten me before… and made my ankle so sore/tender that I could barely walk on it!
Using hcdrocortizone gel didn’t help much at all. Putting an ice pack on it for 15 minutes helped a little bit. Now it does not hurt quite so bad, but it’s turning purple… does that mean its healing or getting worse?
What bit me???
earlier this evening my stomach hurt.. that doesnt ever happen. I really dont get sick often. when i went to take a shower, I had cleaned the entire house earlier, I looked down on my side located just where my ribs end. the was what looked like a masquito bite, but only in color and form. The size of it suggested that it was not a masquito but a spider. I live in anaheim california. it is roughly the size of a penny, and pink. the skin surrounding it is hard. I put a cold cloth on it and it became soft. I have no idea what kind of spider bit me, I have a stomach ache like the kind you get after you go swimming and swallowed a bit too much chlorine. but no cramping.
I am hesitant to ask or go to a doctor because I really dont like to be touched and i really really dont want anyone to see me without clothes.
I am 22 years old and have access to many medical books and have emt basic training and all i can think to do is to not touch it, or scratch it and put ice on it to slow the blood flow. if anyone knows what kind of spider bite this is please tell me, if only to rule out that it might be a really poisonous one.
just wondered if you got the pics of my arm, I know there not the best, I never even knew I was bit until the itching started, now its a red area the size of a silver dollar with a hard center and has been draining fluid for about 8 hours, the bite occurred about 16 hours ago I guess, any ideas what it might be?
Gary
My daughter is in India for the summer. She called this morning to say she had been bitten by something during the night on her arm. Within 12-18 hours the bite site has swelled to the size of a golf ball; it’s red, hot, has a dark spot in the center, has red circles around it; her arm is red and swollen to twice it’s normal size.
When she visited with a nurse at the compound in the jungle where she is staying, the nurse simply smiled and said, “mosquito.” Since she is covered in mosquito bites that are nothing like this, she believes it to be a spider. She is 2 hours out of Mumbai with really no medical help. She is not feverish, or sick in any other way. Any suggestions?
Hello everyone, for the past week, something in my room has been eating me alive. About a week ago, I started waking up with three small red dots on my right leg. my first assumption was bed bugs, so i got up at 3am, and started cleaning!
I took everything apart, desks, dressers, parts of the closet, vacummed and washed everything possible, I never found any sign of bed bugs
no bugs, no blood no droppings so shells or whatever. no dead ones, absolutly nothing. I did however find a few spider webs.
I live in New england, and I cant say I’ve ever had a problem like this before.
I thought that would be the end of it, after all the cleaning, but a few days later, I keep waking up with more.
They seem to appear in groups of three, they are okay until I brush against them, and then they are very itchy.
they are only occuring on my right leg it seems I have about 23 bites now in the past week so it seems. I told myself a spider wouldnt possibly bite that much, and that its bed bugs, but I cant find any sighs.
I’ll be sending photos, they arent the best light, but I think you can tell.
I dont spend much time outside, so I dont think they are just mosquitos
I do have a dog but she doesnt have fleas, and I’ve seen no signs of any.
at this point I’ll probably go to the doctors for a skin scraping but if its just a bite I doubt they will be able to tell me anything
thank you for whatever advice you can offer.
Hey, About 3 days ago I noticed a pimple sized thing on my left thigh. Then a few hours went by and it started to swell.. then I woke up the next day and there was pus and a red rash sort of ring around it. So the dummy I am I popped it and pus and blood came out. It is still hot to the touch and tight and very itchy.. Can someone please let me no if this is a spider bit or not? Thanks.
Bryana
One doctor told me it is poison ivy , sumac another says its a bite . These pictures are three days old ,day one was just redness the swelling and soreness began.The muscle around bite are sore, area is sensitive to touch and red after laying down for a while when you first standup there is an intense burning feeling in leg painful to walk on bite is in crease behind right knee.
THANKS
DENNIS
Hello-
I found your website this morning and thought I would send in a photo of my dogs foot that I believe may of been bitten by a Brown Recluse, but am not sure. This is the bite a few hours after it happened, and today it looks a bit smaller, but the muscle and swollen area around is hard and about the size of a quarter now. He is on a megadose of antibiotics as a just in case preventative.
We live in Indiana and I have seen Brown Recluse in my apartment before!
Would love any info you may have!
Thanks!
Sara
The bite mark is a red bump, entire area swells and intensifies towards center. I’ve been really tired lately. Around the bump, there’s a tanned ring around it, the ring is tanner than my skin.
have just moved to arizona with my 3 year old son. Usually I don’t mind spiders, but I found a black spider that had taken up residence near his outdoor toy box. We think it may be a black widow, but could not get close enough to observe the hour glass mark. Unable to identify it, we killed it, and have seen two more since. 2 days later (today), I was bitten by a small brown spider, which I followed back to the previous spiders old web. Upon examination, there were 3 other spiders just like it! While it was obviously a juvenile, it packed quite a bite. My leg swelled up to resemble a very bad bee sting. If you could identify them, and let me know if they are dangerous for my 3 year old, I would forever be grateful.
I’ve read a lot about people waking up with several small red bumps that go away after a few hours. That sounds exactly like Bed Bugs, REAL bugs that live in your matress and feed off of shed skin cells and blood. They bite, leaving small, itchy, red bumps, usually several. They are easy to kill, as freezing temperatures, washing, and several store-bought remidies are available. Hope that helps some of you!
The other day I noticed a firm blister type bump on my left hip. My husband popped it with a needle and clear fluid came out. Do think this is a spider bite and if so from what kind of spider? It has been 2 days since he popped it and it is sensitive to the touch and itchy. Yesterday I had the chills and today I feel a little sick to my stomach. Should I go see my doctor?
Anyone have a tip on how to remove the “plug” out of the wound of the spider bite?
I have washed the wound with soap & water several times a day to clean it, but I can’t get the white plug to budge! The wound is white inside-necrotic(dead skin?) and it looks like a fresh cut in the flesh is around that, where I can see and feel (!) “the cut” made by the bite It was badly infected. I am on an anti-biotic and have an appointment to see the Dr. again in a few days.
I removed two black “stickers” from the wound, I found holes, I presume from the spiders’ bite! I see what look like several scratch marks also.
Are these damaged follicles w/no hair left on the leg-Or did that bug really get after it when it bit me?
Mostly, I’m interested in knowing if anyone has advice on how to get the residue left from the spider bite out of the wound, off of the skin, after the bite.
It looks like surgery may be an option, if I can’t wash it off!
I would sure like to hear a success story!
Thank you for your time!
Tracy
My friend has a large bite on the middle of her back and we’re not sure as to what caused it. its the size of a $o.50 piece and rather red.
You can see a small puncture in the middle and it has rapidly gotten larger. Any ideas as to what it might be?
i have a red welt about one inch by half inch with a small dot in the middle. has been a week now and just starting to shrink. very itchy at times. live in friendwood texas..any idea of what may have bitten me??
HEY I GOT BIT BY SOMETHING AND ITS A WHITE BUBBLE AND IT WAS LEAKING PUS LAST NIGHT… AND NOW MY WHOLE FOOT HURTS.. ANY IDEAS?
-AMY FROM SC
My son was playing in the creek behind our home, in NY, tylerville – SE of Watertown. He was bitten or what looks to be like a bite on his feet. My wife has taken him to the Doctor’s on Fort Drum and to the Sameritan Emergency room in watertown and not of them can figure out what is wrong with his feet. I heard the black widow was out in force this year and I have this stuck in my head or another type of spider bite. I am currently in Iraq and not there to help out. I hope you are able to help ID what this is. Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide.
I got bitten in my sleep, and when i woke up i saw a spider bite, i just thought it would go away, but it hasnt, that was atleast a week ago. the bite has gotten pretty swollen. i dont know what to do, it itches a bit though. id like to get a reply soon, because it is irritating.
I need some help I dont know if it is a mosquito bite or a spider bite my daughter has this like scratch it is kind of bumpy feeling and she has complained of a headache and that the area is itchy Does anybody seen something like this or should I start to be concerned ?
On June 12 I was bitten in bed by something. (The room was dusty and does not get used frequently.) There were 13 or 14 bites in a cluster. The bites were like small holes and in an area about 3″ x 2″. After a day or two the swelling spread to twice that size. There was a little itching, but more of an ache and soreness. With the swelling there was some heat/fever in the area as well. After about a week the swelling went down mostly.
The site of the bites was at first like holes and red. Then some of them blistered. A few days more and scabs began to form. Now the scabs are complete, but the last two days have seen the edges around the scabs inflamed slightly. The soreness continues. I have been putting triple antibiotic ointment on the area. How much longer until the irritation ceases? Would the bug be a dust mite or some kind of spider? If you need a photo I could seen one on Tuesday.
I’ve been working in the garden and greenhouse (Southampton, UK) over the past couple of weeks and a few days ago I took off my shirt and found what looked like a HUGE bruise on the inside of my forearm. Confusing thing is – I don’t remember being hit there. And nor do I remember being bitten by anything.
I don’t remember any pain at all in fact. It doesn’t hurt now either – it just feels a litle bit tender and aches a little – especially in the centre where there is a hard lump which feels like I have a huge, bean-sized spot or boil or something just under the skin.
The only clue I have to this is that about a week before I saw an unusual small black spider huddled right up in the corner of the greenhouse. He/she seemed to have a small yellow blotch on what looked like the underside of the belly.
Any ideas?
Rather poor quality pic of strange bruise attached…
Tizz
I wish I knew what caused these bites to my girlfriend. They are all in one spot. I’ve noticed some on my chest around my arm pit a few days ago. They are itchy.
Thank-you very much in advance.
Fred
I live in PA but I was in Southern Maryland camping for the weekend with my bf. I came home with loads of bug bites on my legs, about 30. He didn’t though. I figured they were either from mosquitoes or biting flies. It rained for 3 hours the one day we were there so I knew there’d be alot of bugs.
Well now i have a rash on my buttocks, gross, I know, but I dont know where it came from. Plus I have a marble sized lump thing behind my earlobe. I cant see it but it hurts really bad and is sore to the touch. I tried to squeeze it thinking it was a boil or pimple or something. Well, it wont pop and it just slowly keeps getting bigger. I’m having pain around that area into my neck and the jaw area close to my ear.
I showed some coworkers and my family this huge bump and they said it looks like a spider bite and my grandmother said she could see two “heads” on it. So now im definitely thinking its a spider bite. I havent been too hungry either. I usually eat alot but I havent eaten but one meal a day this whole week. I even put a hot compress on it but it doesnt keep the swelling down. It just eases the pain a bit.
I dont want to wait till Monday morning to see the doctor cuz its scaring me but i have to. Does anyone have an idea of what this might be?
my husband was bitten last weekend on his upper back.ther are two bites, at first it had a redness around them.now they are two red hard knots but small and aggrevating him. what type of bug or spider could this be?
Hi, my name is Christina. I was bitten by what I think was a Brown Recluse spider. I was walking up my driveway at 2am carrying grocerys in the house. I live in central Florida. I felt a light sting on my right heel, and when I got in the house it began to itch. I looked and it was already slightly swollen in a strange pattern. I put an ice pack on for 15 minutes. Then applied Aveno anti-itch cream. I went to sleep that night and woke at 11:30am with a horrible pain shooting up my leg that was absolutley unbareable.
I woke my fiance’ and we drove to the emergency room. It had been less than 12 hours since the bite. As we were waiting in the ER a small blister began to show. It was not there when we left the house. The ER doctor had no idea what bit me. She prescribed antibiotics (doxycycline hyclate 100mg and methlprednisone (not sure of correct spelling) steroid pack) and steroids.
She also told me to apply ICE for 15 minutes at a time. NO HEAT until 48hrs after. Within 24 hours I had a quarter sized blister on my heel. (picture attached) The pain was gone within 2 days. I kept my foot elevated and stayed on the couch for a week. I continued to use the ice pack, even after 48 hours. I never did use heat. After 8 days had passed I still had the blister on my heel, at times it looked as if it was going down. The more I was on my feet the more it seemed to get bigger. As many times as I had bumped my heel I thought for sure it would have popped the blister, but did not. I was also told by the ER doctor NOT TO POP the blister. If it did pop, don’t use peroxide, just antibacterial soap.
Finally the blister popped on the 9th day. (picture attached) The fluid that came out was clear with a pink/yellow tint. It is absolutley painless, I wash it 3 times a day with antibacterial soap and water and keep it covered with a band-aid. So far so good, there is no pain and no fluid or swelling. It does have the black spot in the center, from what I’ve read, that is a sign of a brown recluse bite. I did not see the spider so I cannot definitly say it was a brown recluse that bit me.
I just hope that this helps others that have been bit, or think they have been bit by a brown recluse. Most important I think is getting to the doctor A.S.A.P. I was able to see a doctor less than 12 hours after the bite and I believe that is what helped me he most. I will keep you posted and continue to send photos of my progress…
Thanks for your time,
Christina
I was bitten Sunday, I think. I woke up in the early hours and noticed 3 bites on the outside of my upper thigh.
The only thing I can think of is I got bitten while leaning into a bush to fill a cup with water.
I live in Colorado Springs, CO in a sort of wooded area and we have lots of trees and bushes in our yard.
Can you help?
They are getting very painful now, like a bruise and the are is starting swell. I have also been feeling sick, like with mild flu symptoms.
Ginger
my mom was bitten about 5 days ago and it has recently become very swelled up and red. The original bite was a little smaller than a dime and it grew to nickle size. My mom is taking anti-biotics, but it isn’t helping much. The bite is on her leg and its spread down from the bite.
I don’t know what bit me but I went to bed one night and woke up with black spot on both my legs front and back I was in pain. The outer area of the mark was red it started getting bigger and bigger I think that it was a spider but I’m not sure. I went to the dotor but th doctor said he had never known a spider to bite a person as many times as I was bitten but he have me antibodic. If any one know what could have bitten me I would appreciate feedback.
Wife took a picture of a red and hard place on the back of my leg. It’s giving me moderate pain. She thinks I should seek medical help for a spider bite. I’ve attached a picture. Please advise.
I wish I took pictures the first two days. It just looked like a bruise.
38 yr old healthy male. (BTW….I am a nurse practitioner) This is my hubby.
His systemic symptoms were not typical either. Only 10% of people get systemic effects. Initially, he had a bright red rash above the waist including trunk, head, and arms…….looked exactly like a sunburn. Feet felt like pins and needles, when he walked. Minor headache. Temp 100.7. Said he had a small area on his foot that hurt. (It looked like one of the eyelets from his boot laces had been rubbing there.)
He was started on antibiotic called Doxycycline that same day. That night his hands ached like arthritis in the joints. He said it also hurt under his fingernails.
The first pic is on day 3, and he was started on Dapsone 100 mg per day. It was a miracle drug. It really made a difference in the size. I really thought it was going to slough some skin, and it has yet to open.
Today is day 6 and when I took the other 4 pics.
This is from a spider , that bit me on tues june, 10th. and the pics are on wed. night. I had to go to the hospital, where I was given, IV benadryl and IV steroids. I was also given antibiotics and pain meds. It seems to be spreading still, and the area is numb, and burns. do you have any suggestions.I have looked on your website and havent seen any pics like mine. Thanks
I WAS BITTEN BY SOMETHING, I THINK SOME KIND OF SPIDER?
I AM HOPING THAT YOU CAN HELP ME FIGURE OUT ?
I HAVE PICTURES OF THE BITE AND WILL SEND THEM TO THE SITE
HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON, THE BITE IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER, AND IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING A LITTLE WORSE. I DON’T KNOW IF IT WILL JUST TAKE TIME TO HEAL OR IF I NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT HEAL?
PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT HAS BITTEN ME!!!
THANK YOU,
JACQUELINE BOYLE
Hi. The past couple of days I’ve been getting bit by spiders. The first one is on my right inner thigh, the next on my left side both hurt when it happend and have stayed red and itchy, not raised though and no longer hurts. The next one is in between the crease of my left leg where the knee bends and that one is swollen and really itchy, almost feels like a hive but hurts when you touch it and is warm. I’m also 3 months pregnant and worried that these are dangerous. Any help?
I have a bite on my arm for a week or two. At first it looked like a normal misquto bite but it slowly expanded! Now it looks like a small bump with a rash around it almost. Its about 1inch each way. Its not to bad but it’s worrysome since its been there for awhile! And it still iches as well!
Any ideas of what it is?
thanks!
ah.
i work at a park and i was pulling weeds and brushed over some poison ivy, so i was expecting it the next day.
But when i woke up not only did i have the poison ivy , there was a hard bump on my forearm and red dots every where( probabyl the poison ivy) there are also two little black marks from where iam guess the spider bit me. I think it bit me while i was sleeping in my room, so i didnt see it and iam not even sure if it was a spider. But now the bump is getting bigger and the rash is spreading..it looks like a big red blob with little dots then a red line kinda goes up my arm towards my elbow.. its reeallllly itchy and there is a little bit of ozzzee stuff coming out.,. but that could just be the poison ivy..
Iam not sure what it is but if anyone knows what to do .. please help..
thanks
Hi,
I happened across your site while researching spider bites. I live in Kansas and was riding my bike to meet up with my boyfriend on June 11, 2008. Somewhere between 3:30 pm and 9:30 pm, I was bitten by an insect or arachnid. It looks like a spider bite, but does not hurt at all. It itched a little bit, but I put some ammonia treatment on it and the itching ceased. It is swollen about two to three millimeters above the rest of my skin. It is located on my left side/lower back, about 6 inches away from my hip bone and about the size of a quarter. The center is somewhat hard and dry, but no other symptoms have appeared. I have included pictures and would greatly appreciate some opinions on what spider could have done this, if it is a spider bite. Thank you very much.
Okay, I’ve read through most of these and can definitely say, most of you who thought you were bitten by spiders were not. Most sounded like infectections from rusty nails… not uncommon confusing them with bites. Often these occur in dark, damp, and unfrequented places, so they’re easily mistaken. Spiders that contact humans rarely cause any harm worth panicking about. They usually go unnoticed. But anytime infection is present, see a physician immediately, spider bite or not. The outcome, if delayed can be very permanent.
-Tony – Arachnologist
My husband got bit by what we think was a spider, several weeks ago…he’s doing fine now, however it was a very strange experience. The bite was on the side of his neck & it itched & of course, against my advice, he scratched it…it did what all spider bites do & it became very hard & eventually very tender to the touch. By the 3rd day after the bite he started getting small bumps in the front of the bite as the bite was healing. The bumps grew in number to about, I’d say, 10 or so. Does anyone know a bite that has that sort of effect?
I wanted to add my photos in hopes to get some leads as to what I want revenge upon. :)
can you please post this photo and identify it if you are able. It
doesn’t hurt, i didn’t feel any bite… occurred while paddling up a
small stream in Michigan.
I was wondering if you could tell me if this looks like a brown recluse bite? My brother got bit about 6 days ago and he says the pain is getting worse but I figure it would have looked worse by now if it was a brown recluse. Thank you for whatever info you can give me.