Help Identify a Spider
Need help identifying a spider? If so, then take a look at our collection of spider pictures to see if it looks like yours.
You can also look through the comments below to see if any of the images match your spider.
Don’t see your spider? feel free to upload your photo here and we’ll attempt to id it, and if we can’t, then perhaps one of the visitors can after we post it.
Found several of these on small, flat, messy webs with a funnel in them on the outside of our house in central New York. The one in the photo I’m sending is smaller than most of the other ones. Post #23 looks similar, but I cannot be sure.
I don’t automatically kill spiders when I find them and would like to know if I should on these guys.
I don’t have a photo of the spider we saw. It is about the size of my hand, mostly red with little black and runs fast when the lights are on. We first saw it in my room in the basement, it ran under the bed, today my eight year old saw it in my kitchen coming up from the basement, it ran back downstairs. It runs too fast to get a photo and I never seen a spider that big before here in Idaho.
I can’t get a pic of the spider I want to identify — they stay down in their holes all the time and I never have a camera on hand for the half-second they sometimes appear.
Our land is in the Black Belt of Alabama, with heavy clay soil called “prairie clay” and “Vaiden clay.” It grows grasses and therefore cows best of all. We have seen hundreds if not thousands of these spider holes all over the property, and the spiders that we sometimes get a glimpse of are big and chunky — not skinny legs — (size of a quarter or better when all spread out), black or dark brown, sort of furry looking, and very timid. We sometimes see black/dark brown crickets in and out of the same holes.
When we started irrigating some rows of brassicas, we noticed the spiders got very active in the moist clay, and the holes they built have sizeable, lumpy rings around them, I guess this is the mud they dug out to make the hole. One of our puppies picked up a ring and carried around like a prize, then ate about half of it, hmmmm.
So. I think we’d have to work hard to get one of them to bite us b/c they’re so shy. What I want to know is, will they damage our crops and if so, how much; what do they eat, and are they my friend for controlling plant pest bugs? If we need to keep them out of the garden, what organic/nontoxic methods mighit we try?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
I live in Central Oregon. I found this spider (late September) in our garden attached to the greenhouse. His back was easily the size of a quarter and had the funny face on the back as well.
Any idea what this is and if it is dangerous?
I live in North East Indiana (Fort Wayne) and found this spider crawling around outside on my front porch… he was not in a web as far as I could tell. He looks like a nasty little bugger so I would like to know what I’m dealing with here. Any help would be appreciated.
I need help identifying this spider. We live in Mobile, Al. This spider was in our pan pool skimmer and bit my husband.
#22 Rachel
I have the same exact spider, same markings color and size. I Searched and searched to find what it was, and still can’t. But I can assure you, that I’m quite positive it is not a brown recluse. Eye patterns are different color and shape. I also live in the southern part of NY.
Hey, can you all stop saying that these spiders are “poisonous” the correct term is Venomous! Something is Poisonous when ingested. But since spiders bite you, you are being envenomed, not poisoned.
I have never seen anything like this spider in all the years I have lived in Chicago IL. It is about 5 inches long and around! It’s brown and mostly black the legs have brown bands like tarantula. It was dangling from a string of web when I found it. Very close to the house this walk way in the pic. is a few feet from the side of the house and there is some bushes on the side where the spider is. Maybe the turane it’s hanging out in will help identify what it is. Can someone tell me what kind of spider this is? I know it is not native to IL.
Dear #’s 7,26,29 and 40,
I’m certain that all of your spiders are classified under the genus Araneus and are commonly known as orb weavers, or garden orb weavers. They are commonly found in places all over North America. The orb weaver species is a non-poisonous spider that resides in flat webs with a spiral shape.
As for # 38, Leslie;
Your spider is Also an orb weaver, only it is another species called the cross spider that is commonly found in Europe and also scattered through North America. It is also harmless.
Hope this sheds some light on your situations, few years overdue though.
-Erik
To #1814 that’s just a big jumping spider, the worst thing he could do is give your fly swatter a break as they are intelligent little acrobatic visual hunters. They stalk there prey slowly and then jump on it. They may bite if they feel threaten but usually they just jump away an hide somewhere. There not poisonous to people.
And to |tephen #1876 I think that’s a really big huntsman spider, there nasty and will bite, and a few species can really deal some hurt. Like an extremely painful bite and you’ll be sick for a week or 2. I do believe there’s a cpl that can actually kill you but I’m not positive, there like in between they don’t have that bad as a rap as recluses or widows but I know they’ll mess you up..very painful bite…best thing to do is leave it alone unless its in your house you might want to call john goodman.
I have 2 replies here first is to Rachael or whoever else finds a brown spider in there home around the area, its a wolf spider, an almost solid tan, dark brown or even gray with a darker band running down there carapace (section with legs)there very common and basically harmless unless your a cricket. They probably will bite if you poke them with your finger but if your not doing that you shouldn’t worry. Brown recluses are really rare to find up north and unless your digging in an old wood pile I really wouldn’t worry about ever crossing paths with one.
And brown recluse is also known as the violin spider because of its violin shape on its carapace.. which is unmistakable.. Also to anybody with questions on spiders they find on the outside of there house or garden and they make that classic Halloween spider web we all know, those are orb weaver type spiders, and most of the smaller types 1-2 in are docile enough to handle, if they bite it will hurt, it won’t kill you, they eat mosquitoes and things like that and are good to have around outside.
Hi, I live in New Lenox, IL. I found this spider in a large circular web, about 2-3 feet in diameter spun between out porch swing and the banister. He is brown with stripes on his legs. I came upon this site and figured I’d give it a try.
Thanks,
Susan
i have a spider inside in window,not outside. i makes a funnel web, its light brown maybe gold. its really fast. i just want to know what kind of spider it is, so if its dangerous and need it killed. i have children, so please help me
i have spiders in my home like duane, michelle, and chris on page 1 and would like to know the name and if their poison.
this is the second spider I found and they are quite large. I think brown and yellow striped. Are these dangerous? They really creep me out. I live in Michigan.
I was in my bathroom and i was washing my hands when i noticed a white spider trying to climb up the sink to get into the mirror. I am a big Entomophobic, which means i am afraid of bugs of all kind. My first instinct was to close my bathroom and leave it there and hope it does not crawl out. Yet later that day i knew i was going to have to use my bathroom eventually so i did the logical thing i thought was correct at the time. I herm…covered it with a hair gel and then roost booster to make sure it didn’t crawl away. Eventually it died, the roost booster providing a layer to block out air. I know it had a slightly pointed back but its white color truly amazed me. Any help is greatly appreciated
Hi, I live in Michigan. This particular spider was photographed crawling up our living room wall this evening. (There were thunderstorms in our area yesterday and this morning.) However, a few days ago, I had a covered pan of water on the stove to boil, and went to check it, to pour the pasta in, and there was another of this same spider perched on the handle of the pan… At first glance, the spider appeared a bit pinkish in color, especially the legs. However, from the picture, you will see that its more of a beige color. I confess to a bad case of paranoia, as I have an infant daughter, and am terrified of her getting bitten, especially by something poisonous. From what I can see, it most closely resembles the hobo spider, but it doesn’t appear to be a good match to anything I’ve seen online yet.
I really appreciate any help anyone can give me in identifying this! Peace of mind for a new mom is invaluable!!!
#62 its a Broad Faced Sac Spider.
#62 I believe your Spider is a sac spider i caught one today, by our shower, i found a pic of it, just type in sac spiders and you will see that it is the same spider i hope this helps.
Howard,
Yes that looks like a standard garden spider to me. They are harmless.
Hope this helps,
Jen
I think this is a standard garden spider, am I correct?
Hey, my name is Bre Kahle. I need help identifying this spider. I’ve looked everywhere but no luck. Help me?
I found this in my brothers garage. It has been in the same place for a few days now. It is about the size of a quarter, body the size of a dime. The body looks like an egg sac. But its not. I’m worried because my brother has 3 young children. Is it poisonous?
Hello, I hope you can help me. I have been trying to identify this spider. I have looked at so many pictures on the internet that it has given me a headache. The closest thing I could find would maybe be the wolf spider. The only thing is that this particular spider I am asking about was about 6 inches in length. This was a very large spider and very aggressive. Could you maybe please look at the pictures I am sending and let me know what your opinion is? Thank you in advance.
Stephen P.
Amarillo, TX
We found a spider outside our south facing window. The house is at 7500 ft. in the Colorado Mountain Front Range. The climate is very dry. This spider spun a symmetric web. She is very fast to get and eat a fly placed in her web. I have a photograph but I can’t figure how to attach it to this reply. The spider is light brown with a LARGE abdomen, brown and white striped legs. The abdomen is about 1/2 inch in diameter and almost round. When you look at the abdomen from the anterior end, the marking on it looks somewhat like a smiley face. There is no funnel or burrow by her web. Please let me know how to attach her picture because I would love to know what the spider is.
leslie.whitaker@prodigy.net
Hi, I am Thomas and this morning i woke to extreme itching on my right foot so I looked and I saw a lot of red then white then dark red and i think it wasn’t poisonous but i just wanted to now and me and my mom put some itching stuff on it and now it just hurts does anyone know what it is thank you.
In response to Karen (post #70)
The spider looks like a Spiny Orb-Weaver (Genus: Gasteracantha)
I’m sorry if someone has already replied to your photo it’s just as soon as I saw it I recognized it and wanted to go ahead and reply. The Spiny-Orb Weaver is considered very docile and rarely bite, but if bitten their venom is generally considered non-toxic and harmless to humans, but some irritation and itching can follow result from a bite.
I’m no spider expert but they do interest me, so I hope this helped.
Cheers, Morgan.
Hello, my name is Nicholas Candela. I am wondering about a spider I saw crawling across my bathroom mirror. Now usually, (since my goal in life is to be an entomologist i know a lot of insect and arachnid species, but i haven’t seen this certain species before ) I would put it in a jar, observe it for about an hour, and then let it go. But since my mom is deathly afraid of spiders, my dad killed it before I could take a picture. But I still remember what it looked like. It had A very bright orange colored thorax witch was oval shaped, but it was an unusually shorter oval. Not a longer one. And Its head was all black. Its legs were divided colors, and very short, but paper thin. The beginning part ,or top part of the leg was reddish orange, the middle sector of the leg was black, and the tip of the leg was bright orange. In size category, it was about 1.5 mm long. I was hoping you guys could tell me what kind it is, if its venomous, and maybe a pic to go along with it( if you can).
All the thanks in the world,
Nicholas Candela
Hello, I live in East Tennessee and I have a similar spider to #1206, the only difference between them is mine isn’t furry and is a solid brown with those same markings on its belly. And it’s grown substantially in size these past two weeks… I really need to know what kind of spider it is and if they are harmful, as there was apparently a hidden egg sac that hatched (I’ve counted so far 20 of those spiders in varying sizes building webs on my porch and around my door way.)
We live in the high desert of California;
But I think it may have come from the dog food bag because I found the first one in the sealed container I keep the dog food in.
The spider is I guess actually huge, as big as the palm of my hand. It is not a typical desert tarantula which we do have here. It is a sandy color with brown marking on abdomen. It is hairy but it has an elegant body and legs with the huge abdomen like a widow ( of course it is several times the size of even the very large black widows).
My husband put her in a terrarium (sp) and she ate all of the crickets he put in for her and wove herself into an egg sack the size of a baseball, bright white and shaped like a regular chicken egg.
Everyone (the babies) escaped somehow. Now I have found 2 more, one just died, the other sits at night between the glass and the screen of the sliding door right in the middle with her web (the web is not permanent and I cannot find her during the day).
I do not, ever, kill spiders but my puppy insists on sitting against that door when she wants inside and she can be curious. I don’t want my dogs or my birds out in the aviary or my husband or myself for that matter in danger.
I went to take a picture but my battery was out.
Does anyone recognize the description of this spider? I’ve seen a lot of spiders but nothing like this.
P.S. we’ve also recently gotten these huge-mega wasps the size of hummingbirds, black and orange…exactly like a traditional wasp is colored…any idea?
Please help I am currently disabled and a bit weakened, should I be worried?
i really would like to know what spider is in picture of number #62
I live in southern Middle Tennessee, 5 miles north of Alabama. Saw a spider crawling on the gravel driveway, 1 1/2 in long, shiny black, looked like a hard shell on the front half, and dark brown soft, back half. Shiny black legs, it moved similar to a tranchula. Never saw this one before! Have any Idea what it is??
Thanks!
I was in Venice CA in my friends apartment and went in the bathroom and there was a spider ( I got a picture but was to scared so it is to fuzzy) but it was really thick, brown, and hair with yellow down the back. Any one know what it was? it was probably about 1 1/2 inches (at least)
We have a small black spider with a triangle back. On the triangle back are perfectly symmetrical white dots.
Rachel one thing I forget to mention, it DOES look like a Brown Recluse to me, but maybe you can tell better from your picture, if it looks like it has an upside down violin on its back, then that is deff. a Brown Recluse.
I have the exact spider as #120
I’d appreciate to know exactly what it is
Thanks!
hey what spider is the size of a quarter brown has a orange stripe near its head and lives in Maryland? Please reply.
Rachel,
I know for a fact that IS a Brown Recluse spider, and I know that guy, David , I think his name was, said they don’t live in NY. I live in northwestern PA, and people have always said we don’t have them around here either. One of my mothers friends was bitten by one a couple of years ago, and her arm is all messed up, she cant even work anymore. My advice would be treat it as you do have them in that area, until you find out FOR SURE.
I actually just killed one in my house about a month ago. They call the a “recluse” because they don’t like the light, so if you go into your attic, basement, or anywhere its dark, turn the lights on about a half hr. before you go into that room. Since you have a young one running around, if its possible to go somewhere for a weekend, set off some bug bombs in your house, but make sure it will kill spiders too, or just call an exterminator. These are VERY NASTY spiders to get a bite from. GOOD LUCK!!
I saw the same spider again today in our garden. Any help would be appreciated. I live in Southern Saskatchewan in Canada.
I saw a spider today in our garden that I’ve never seen before. I couldn’t get a picture of it because i killed on sight. It was a 2 inch, slow moving spider with a brownish-black body and white and black striped legs. The abdomen looked like a shiny brown mushroom. The abdomen was about 1 cm wide.
Any info on its name or if it is poisonous will be greatly helpful.
I live in Southern Saskatchewan in Canada.
I was in bed and I felt a sharp sting/scratch, it was this spider I don’t know if it will go out soon but it will go out it bite me so, I was just wondering am I going to die!
Saw a spider the other day unlike any id ever seen. I live in California near San Francisco. It was in a friends yard underneath a candle holder she has hanging in a tree. The abdomen was probably about 3/4 of an inch long and bulbous. the body of the spider was probably about 1.5 inches total. as far as I could see, it was jet black and fairly smooth and shiny. does anyone have an idea? it was terrifying.
#22 and #97
The spider is the Common Kentucky Wolf Spider. I know that spider very well. It is NOT a brown recluse. My son has these as pets and they are NOT poisonous. However, when they get out of their cage and I see them around the house they are very scary looking. The usually will not bite because my son picks them up all the time and he has never been bitten. I hope this helps.
I live in south-central AZ and occasionally find tiny brown spiders in my guest bathtub, dead. I also find many of the same when I vacuum under my bed, always dead and dried out. I never find any alive, or anywhere else around the house. but it does worry me that these could be brown recluses. The body is 3/16 in. long. With legs outstretched, it is 1/2 inch. The legs are very thin with darkened joints. It is too small to be sure, even with a magnifying glass, but does not appear to have any hairs anywhere.There are 2 dark lines running logitudianlly along the cephalothorax, and 3 bands around the tail section. I cannot make out the eyes or jaw on a spider this tiny. I have never been bitten by one. I spray pesticides regularly, but they seem to have no effect on this kind of spider. What kind of spider could this be?
Washington State
City of Lynnwood
Spider found in garage with many more. Can anyone help identify please?
dear Rachel #22
The light in your picture isn’t very bright but from the shape of it it looks like a brown recluse which is venomous to humans, if it had a tiny fiddle shape on its abdomen then it differently was a brow recluse.
Dear Barb, Michelle/#72/57
The spider in your pictures are wolf spider while they are creepy looking they are harmless to humans.
Dear Sal/#87,
The spider you found is a black widow most likely a male they are smaller then females and differ in color just a bit, however male black widows don’t have necrotic venom like females do
Cari What part of Ohio do you live in? I live in Cleveland but not for much longer because I go to college somewhere else. I have a big fear of spiders. And I would like to know what types of spiders you saw around by your house? Do you have black widows and brown recluses? Because so far I have not seen any around y house or property or anything like that. SO I hope you have the answer to my question. Because I haven’t gotten bit by a spider yet and I never have spider problems in my house. I have arachnophobia can you reply back please when you can?
Thanks
Maddy