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.
My 11 year old son was playing around an area this morning where there were a lot of rocks. He said a huge spider jumped up onto his foot and bit him, then it started to sting. At first I doubted his story, thinking it was just his wild imagination. Then I decided I better check it out. We looked for the spider, but he said he shook his foot so hard that his flip-flop came off and it landed near the pool, so we thought the spider might be in the pool. We were right. This is what we found, and I captured it and I have it in a jar of water.
Could this be a hobo spider? (I have read about their aggressive nature, and based on what he told me, it seems like the spider literally came out of nowhere and attacked his foot.) It’s been about 12 hours, and so far no signs of adverse reactions.
Anonymous Mom
Canton, GA (USA)
We found this spider on our front sidewalk in Greenbrier, TN. It makes me really nervous and I would like more information on it.
Thanks so much!!
Hello,
I have been unable to identify this spider.
It was found on a construction site in southern California. It may have fallen out of a shipping container. We killed the spider as we are unsure of its origin and weather or not it is harmful. Your assistance in identifying the spider is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Larry.
I know this is not really your area, but the “locals” are about as much use as a pork chop in a synagogue when it comes to spider identification. And considering I reside in Eilat on the Red Sea, I would like to know if the enclosed photos of this spider are known.
I haven’t been bitten, just want to know what they are to re-assure “her-indoors”.
I live on the coast in Oregon and found this spider in the tub while running my son’s bath.
Leg tip to leg tip is just over an inch, maybe an inch and a half. I would also estimate its body (both halves) to be about one quarter to one half inch in size. I was alarmed by its size and was glad I saw it before putting my son in the tub with him. Thanks for the help in identifying this spider.
My friend got bit by a spider that was all black and had a red tip like on its rear end she said it hurt as soon as it bit her and after several minutes was still very painful should we be worried?
No pictures are available, so sorry. I’ve found these spiders four times, mostly climbing the walls or kitchen table. They are good sized, I would guess a little more than 1/2 an inch. They are black and furry, their body is round, with white marking their back, and white rings on their legs. I live in the Western part of Missouri, near Kansas City, and I need help identifying them to see what to do about them. Thank you for any help!
I have a bump with a red dot on my lower stomach. the bump underneath is very hard and the pain is bad to the touch. after walking around all day with jeans on the pain has gotten worse. I had to walk at a very slow pace to stop it from hurting as I walked. My father says it was probably a spider bite. I don’t know what kind of spider all I know is that the pain is getting worse and so is the bump. there is a red mark about the size of a half-dollar coin around the bump which is about the size of a nickel. I want to pop it but my mother wont let me!!!!
Jacquelyn #283
It looks like a wolf spider (the eyes and the pattern on it’s
back) from what I can tell. These guys aren’t poisonous
and help keep the population of little bugs in my garage
down. They’re also non-confrontational and will normally
run away from people. Fast little guys too.
my sister found a spider the other day. she said it’s middle was red-orange and its butt was black but had stripes on it. Any idea what kind it is?
Hi! I live on the island of Newfoundland on the far eastern end of Canada. I work at a supermarket and last week we received a shipment of strawberries with a hitchhiker aboard from California.
Its span, legs and all, is not much bigger than your thumbnail. It was all white or off white if you prefer with a pinkish hue in places. It has black feet or a black stripe near the ends of its legs. Sorry I have no picture.
If the produce department still has it I’ll try and send one along. Can you tell what it is from this rather poor discretion? If so; have we dodged a toxic bullet or is it as harmless as a house fly?
Thanks
Bob
i found two of these spiders last night running across my carpet in my bedroom.. I killed them and this is a picture of it dead from last night.. I am afraid it is a brown recluse.. If it is I have to take some serious action..
They had really long legs, and when they were running from my spider repellent he or she really ran fast and almost jumped over my carpet.. I live in Biloxi Mississippi.
Please help
I do not mind spiders at all, but lately I have seen quite a few wolf spiders in our home. Usually I will just catch them under a glass and use a paper towel to take them outside. A couple weeks ago, however, I woke up with a bite on my arm, which quickly turned red then purple and itched and hurt, and found a dead spider in my sheets. I broke out in hives a few minutes later. I am allergic and I know that is the only reason I would have reacted to a wolf spider’s bite so badly. Now I just found another in my bed. I’ve read that they aren’t lethal but do have some poison to their bite.
So really my question is how dangerous is that poison to a kitten? I just adopted a four month old kitten, but even at four months he is rather small for his age. I’m just worried that maybe he’ll play with a spider that could cause a serious bite. If you could help me out I would appreciate it.
Most of you are really tripping about these spiders. Most spiders are harmless. I’ve been bitten a few times in my life, once in a tent while I was camping by a little black spider, took forever to heal. Another time, right by my mouth, it burned and stung but healed within a week.
That was some kind of a brown spider. Most big spiders in the US are harmless. You people up in NY who think that a spider the size of a DIME is big? You should see the wolf spiders down here. I’ve seen spiders the size of the lid of a mason jar. (SC) But just know, spiders are God’s creatures too, and if you go around killing them for no reason, their friends will maybe get you back.
Oh, and you’re never more than a few feet from a spider, so they say. Most spiders are harmless to MOST people. A lot of you writing in here about spiders probably do things like drive w/o seatbelts, motorcycles w/o helmets, drink too much, smoke too much or give your kid’s soda and French fries on a daily basis. Spiders should be the least of your fears. Seriously.
Oh, and one other thing. From MY experience (two at least) Brown Recluse bites have redness that goes up, toward the heart, not down with gravity. If that helps at all.
I live on the coast in Oregon and found this spider in the tub while running my son’s bath. Leg tip to leg tip is just over an inch, maybe an inch and a half. I would also estimate its body (both halves) to be about one quarter to one half inch in size. I was alarmed by its size and was glad I saw it before putting my son in the tub with him.?
Photo emailed to badspiderbites.com
Thanks for the help in identifying this spider.
i believe, -although not positive, the photo of Rachel’s spider #12 is a large brown house spider; identified against hundreds of positively identified photos. i know this spider as i lived in CT for 40 years and saw these every fall in the cellar and the ice house. they are very fast!
All spiders bite and are venomous – but – not all can pierce the skin. most do not have a potent enough venom to cause a reaction.
Brown recluse are a smaller type spider. do your research as to what these look like. their bite is VERY serious and should be treated with antibiotics immediately. they seem to be common everywhere so dust and vacuum often keeping corners cleaned out. don’t give them a chance to hide.
#32 and #48 are common garden spiders. usually building webs where they can catch small flying insects. we used to catch carpenter ants and throw them into the web and watch them wrap them up. cool!
My friend took this picture of a spider in New Mexico. She says it spins a large orb web. The spider is about 2 to 3 cm large. Her primary concern is its toxicity. Can anyone id this one?
My daughter found this spider under a hose to our swimming pool. Here are three pictures of it:
I live in North East Oklahoma. I currently have the spider in a quart canning jar until I know if its harmful or not. Its about the same size as the bottom of the jar. It looks kinda like the one that is listed as #1 from Duane on Sept. 7, 2007. Please help me identify it. Thanks.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. About an hour ago I found a pretty large spider (roughly the size of a half dollar including leg span). It was inside our house at the foot of the stairs, not near any kind of web. It was brown in color with darker brown colorations on its topside. We trapped it in a clear glass and the spider’s bottom side had two short black lines that were parallel to each other. He looked a little fuzzy and his legs were really long but not thin like those of a “daddy long legs”, they were more of the kind of leg of a wolf spider.
any idea what this could be? i apologize for lack of a picture, i already let it free back outside.
Cindy in #19… I have a spider that matches your description living in our mailbox. After a LOT of research, I found that it is probably a Phidippus regius. Here is a picture shown below:
This morning when I went into the bathroom I saw a spider I’ve never seen before.It was about 2cm. (including legs) when stretched out.The thing was brown with a tan back and harry.Please let me know what kind of spider it is and weather its bites are bad because I have a baby brother and sister and I don’t want them to hurt. :)
Thanks,
Yarrow
Hi. I just recently moved to Elmsford NY in Westchester County. Over the past month we’ve found 15-20 small black spiders. We’ve never had any other bugs so I’m not sure what they’re eating. They jump and have been found on the floor, wall, and ceiling. I’ve dusted and vacuumed several times a week trying to solve the problem but I haven’t seen any webs…nor have I ever seen one hanging from a silk thread. I’ve never been afraid of spiders but today I felt something biting me and when I brushed the back of my leg one of these little spiders fell off. I’ve started killing them whenever I find them but they seem to keep reappearing. Any ideas what kind these are or how I should get rid off them? Thanks!
Hello,
I have been seeing a lot of these around my yard the last 3 months. I live in the South Gate area of Sarasota FL. I hate to kill spiders even though I don’t like them. I actually moved the first couple but more and more have appeared. I have been in the house for 12 years and have seen one or two over that period, but never this many so quickly. It felt almost like an invasion.
I have 4 kids and all have been warned of the dangers of this spider. My youngest just started walking this week and I had to make the yard safe. Today I exterminated at least 8 that were living under the picnic table and playhouse area where my kids frequent. The area is no more than 170 square feet. I was surprised to see so many large brown widows in such a small area. Is there a reason for the quick infestation, and why this year and not the past? Is there a certain type of condition they prefer? We are very active in this area, especially when the weather is nice. It has been very dry this year.
Love the site thanks for the info!
We found the spider pictured below in our basement crawling in some laminate scrap.
Does not move too fast….was not scared of us!!
I have little brown spiders in my house but i can’t figure out what they are. I don’t think they are brown recluses because they are not the same size and the don’t have any markings on them. They are brown and kinda look like grandaddy long legs.
Hello Ben,
It appears to be a Brown Recluse and below are six conditions I used to make that assumption. I’m not an expert, so I’ll leave it up to the visitors to decide.
Here is the test to determine if you have a Recluse:
1) Has 3 pair of eyes, one in front, one on each side.
– (yes)
2) Has Violin shaped marking
– (yes)
3) Legs must be one uniformly light-colored
– (yes – those lines on the leg are hair, not another color, right?)
4) Only one pigment on the abdomen
– (yes)
5) Fine hairs on legs, no spines
– (yes)
6) Body length is less than half an inch (3/8 usually)
– (yes and it measures 3/8)
Hello,
Found one of these on my kitchen counter the other day, about a year ago I killed one that looked exactly like it.
If it is what I think it is, I’m looking for a new apartment, especially since these aren’t supposed to be in my state! Hopefully a visitor to your site can identify it for me.
Thanks,
– Ben S.
Hi,
I have seen a couple of spiders in my room (various sizes from tiny to medium), not too many though. They are very light in color and apear to be harmless. Here’s my thing; lately I have been getting bumps(or bites) around my neck and under my chin. They itch a little but not too much and are a little red in color.
When I notice the bites, i put alcohol on them and they eventually go away in a day or two, leaving no marks. Are these spider bites?? If so, what kind of spider and how can I get rid of them.
The funny thing is that the bites/bumps appear in the same area on my body all the time….around the neck area…..HELP!!!!!
I am in South California, and found this guy on my wall next to my lamp just chillen didn’t budge or anything if I got close it just sat there.
Any idea what this is?
I killed this guy in the kids’ playroom. It is small (about 1/4 inch maybe a little more). The red on it’s back worries me. Is it poisonous.
Thanks for any advice.
John
Found in Jacksonville, Florida on May 12th.
RESPONSE TO #46…I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that is not a Brown Widow. It’s hairy. Look under the abdomen for the infamous red hour glass shape. Then you’ll know for sure. It may be orange or yellow. Brown widows are venomous, but are not likely to bite unless guarding eggs.
hi,
i found this very small spider in my bed. it had a furry whitish looking body and a brownish black head. i was just wanting to know if it was dangerous or not i see a lot of spiders around my house and outside but i have never seen one like this before please tell me what it is.
thank you kayla
Here is a spider I found on our front door in Los Angeles, CA in May 2008. It was just resting on the door, not near a web. However when I tried to catch it in a small jar it dropped to the ground suspended from a web and ran away.
From the tips of the hind legs to the tips of the longest forelegs (actually the second set) was about the size of a quarter.
Any idea what it might be?
Thanks,
Chris
(255) It looks like a Huntsman spider. They are no harmful to people although they could cause a pretty painful bite.
(257) Yes it is a type of wolf spider.
(22) That is not a recluse. For starters they are not found in NY. What you have is a Hobo spider. Although the bite of the hobo spider is initially painless, the bite can be serious. After 24 hours, the bite develops into a blister and after 24-36 hours, the blister breaks open, leaving an open, oozing ulceration. Typically when the venom is injected, the victim will experience an immediate redness, which develops around the bite. The most common reported symptom is severe headache. Other symptoms can include nausea, weakness, fatigue, temporary memory loss and vision impairment. In any case, first aid and medical attention should be sought, if bitten, as and when any adverse health effects are observed.
(227) Sounds like a wolf spider but can’t be sure without pictures.
Hi,
Been seeing and killing five of these in my bathroom within the last six months. Can’t seem to get a clear identification on what it is. My bathroom is pretty open, and I search for any possible openings as to where they’re entering. Everything seems properly sealed, but it is still appearing one-by-one every month or two. Any ideas on what it might possibly be?
Thanks!
Please help identify the kind of spider that is shown in the picture below.
I have searched the web and I am unable to find anything close to this type of spider. I found it hanging on the wall outside of my home. I’m located in the southern most part of Louisiana.
Thank you for your assistance.
I live in central Michigan and I found a brown spider with a white hour glass on his back (not the underside like a widow). We have seen them before. They are about a half inch in size. No bites to report.
Hi Jeff (#257)
I live west of Manassas and also found one of these spiders this morning. We caught it and my 3 year old took it to school to share with his friends… I think you’re right in thinking that it’s a wolf spider. I hope you took it outside and let it go.
Re: #22 – I have a spider just like this that we found this morning… I DO NOT believe it to be a recluse. One description I read says, if it’s brown with markings on the abdomen, it’s NOT likely a recluse. However, I believe that it’s a wolf spider and the same site still says that wolf spider bites can require medication. They are hunters and do not spin a web.
Re: #32 & 48
These are harmless orb weavers – really beautiful and won’t bother anybody, but help keep the bugs down… I’ve seen them in our garden but never inside our home. I love the way they hang out with their legs paired together.
Hello
We find these strange spiders all over the outside of our house every year and I took one to the conservation department but they were unable to identify it and I hope someone can they are quite creepy looking. They are a tad fuzzy (peach fuzz-ish) and not shiny.
They do have 8 legs and 2 separate sections to the body. The are exact opposite of black widow in regards to markings. They are red backed with a black shaped hour glass, black legs and the top half of the body on the back side is also red with 2 tiny dots like eye marks.
I live in Missouri (Kansas City) have a very rocky yard and am very curious. Average size of a penny
Non native spider infestation.
I actually E-mailed a long time ago to get an ID on a bunch of baby spiders
that were taking flight on there silk. Anyways they are all grown up now an
somehow happened to survive the winter in the garage.
Originally they were yellow with black spots on the back. Now they are a dark reddish black body with a orangeish redish coloration on the abdomen. They make TONS of cobwebs and are somehow successful on eating bugs much much larger
than them.
Anyway, there body looks just like a black widow only instead of a red cross on the back and jet black body, the body has a slight red hue to it, and the cross is orangeish/yellow/reddish. These things hitched a ride on a tropical plant and they are MEAN. Not like this black spider hairy spider and white stripes that i saw before but dang. Little things too!
I am worried about the pets. Our one dog eats spiders. One person when they
were smaller thought they might be an orb weaver, but the cobwebs concern
me with being a widow or widow relative, I don’t have pics because I can’t
get close (arachnophobia sorry)
I have heard 2 things about the attached spider shown in the picture below.
A_ Water spider
B_ Orb or wolf.
We are 100 yds max from preserved wetlands, we always seem to get these in the summer, but this sucker was exceptionally huge (3+ inches diameter) and with kids, I needed to ask.
Let me know what you think
I think these are wolf spiders – we found them in a huge pile of dirt we are moving…spreading on the lawn… all were brown except the first who was black… i rescued them all successfully to our forest nearby… the last one was very small – 2 mm… carrying what looked like an egg sack. the rest were large – black one being nearly 1.5 inches, browns ranging from 1/2 inch to inch in body size
My camera died so I didn’t get the pic of what I think was the female – but she was remarkably smaller than the rest.. there were no webs or nests found yet (we aren’t thru the dirt yet) – the seem to hang out under the dirt – fairly far under.. Pictures are shown below:
I hope I did not endanger us in the future by not killing them now (or our dog). I found around 6 so far….
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any quarters on me – nor did I want to get that close to them J I am not typically afraid of spiders – but when you could put a saddle on them…..
Attached – 3 pics of the black one, 3 shots of the other color – rest showed up after camera died or in the wheelbarrow away from camera…
Thanks for your help
I found this in my bathroom sink this morning – to the best of my knowledge it did not bite me – I think I would know by now… Anyways I was curious as to what this was, it appears that it may be a wolf spider.
I have it trapped in a plastic container. Its body is about 1.5″, it is
brown and furry. Picture is shown below:
I live in Northern Virginia near Washington DC
I found this link while trying to identify 2 spiders I have killed in my Baltimore basement (which I still have yet to identify or take a picture of. It may help some of you…
Also, according to the chart, it looks like #1 and #72 are wolf spiders who are toxic but non-aggressive. #57 and #111 looks like a hobo spider which is deadly. #73 and 77 look like a St. Andrews Cross which are harmless and beneficial. I will send a postmortem picture of the one I killed to see if someone can identify mine.
I found this peeping tom while I was taking a shower earlier today. He was just sitting on top of a shower curtain hook. My attempt at capturing him alive unfortunately failed (I believe knocking him into the glass jar is probably what did it).
At first glance I thought “brown recluse” (I live in the southwestern part of Oklahoma) until I got a really good look at him, so then I thought wolf spider. Any help would be appreciated in identifying this guy.
#250
I looked at length for info on our spider. I believe they are from the massive jumping spider group probably family Salticidae, Attinidae, or P… something or another. Long story short, looks like they are no more dangerous than a “typical” house spider. I am NOT a doctor however, do some further research on your own as well.. I know I slept better after finding this out; hope you do to!
#22 is NOT a brown recluse. Don’t worry.
It’s probably Tegenaria domestica, often found in the evenings. This one, by the size, is probably a male. They are no big deal.
hi my name is kristy and last night was bitten by something and we think it was a spider they call it a white tahune spider but the doctors said they are not in the u.s. so if you don’t mind write back
I just sent an email and photo to this site as well, I think we found the exact same spider as you (Mercedes #250) based on your photo. See my picture below:
If you find out anything about this spider, please let me know, and I will do the same! We were simply relieved it wasn’t a black widow.