In the Michigan spider gallery below, you can find an overview of the most common spiders in Michigan. Just click on any of the images or links to learn more about the spider. Overall, there are around 500 native spider species in Michigan but only two of them are considered medically significant: the black widow spider whose bite can cause tissue scarring called necrosis and the yellow sac spider which can cause a painful bite. While there are reports of brown recluse sightings in Michigan, they occur very rarely and cannot survive the cold winter months in Michigan.
Other common, but not medically significant spider types found in Michigan are orb weavers, jumping spiders, grass spiders, wolf spiders and fishing spiders. Orb weavers can mostly be found on patios and gardens and create beautiful and large webs. Jumping spiders are mostly small and very quick hunting spiders with an ability to jump wide distances. Grass spiders, wolf spiders and fishing spiders are large, mostly brown spiders with long legs that are often wrongfully confused with brown recluses. Just scroll down to see the full list of spiders in Michigan incuding several images to help you identify the spider you found.
If you have found a spider in Michigan that is not on our list, make sure to upload your picture, description and state where it was found here on our spider identification page and we will do our best to ID it for you.
Common spiders in Michigan
Acanthepeira Stellata – Starbellied Orb Weaver
Acanthepeira stellata, commonly called the starbellied orb weaver, is one of the most remarkable and memorable orb weaver spiders. Its ...
Agelenopsis – American Grass Spider
Agelenopsis, American grass spiders, are a genus of spiders that can be found around the world and in every US ...
Araneus Bicentenarius – Giant Lichen Orb Weaver
While the giant lichen orb weaver may not be the largest orb weaver in terms of diameter, thanks to its ...
Araneus diadematus – The European Garden Spider
Araneus diadematus, also called the European garden spider or the cross spider is an orb weaver spider with an iconic ...
Araneus Gemmoides – Cat-Faced Spider or Jewel Spider
The Araneus Gemmoides is an orb weaver species that occurs in the Western United States. It is also known under ...
Araneus Marmoreus – Marbled Orb Weaver
Araneus marmoreus, The marbled orb weaver is a colorful orb weaver species. Due to its orange color, it is sometimes ...
Araneus Trifolium – Shamrock Spider
Araneus trifolium, the shamrock spider, is a widely distributed orb weaver that can come in various colors, mostly beige or ...
Argiope Aurantia – Black and Yellow Garden Spider
The Argiope Aurantia or black and yellow garden spider appears in every US state and in many other countries around ...
Argiope Trifasciata – Banded Garden Spider
The Argiope trifasciata or Banded Garden Spider is one of the most common species of the Argiope orb weaving spider ...
Castianeira Descripta – Red-Spotted Ant Mimic Spider
Castianeira descripta, more commonly know as the red-spotted ant mimic spider gets its common name from the similar look and ...
Castianeira Longipalpa – Long-Palped Ant Mimic Sac Spider
Castianeira longipalpa, sometimeys referred to as the long-palped ant mimic sac spider is found along the Eastern United States as ...
Cheiracanthium Mildei – Northern Yellow Sac Spider
Cheiracanthium mildei, the northern yellow sac spider is one of the most common spiders in Northeastern America. However, it can ...
Clubiona – Leaf-Curling Sac Spider
Spiders of the genus Clubiona, commonly called leaf-curling sac spiders, can be found throughout the world and in every US ...
Dolomedes – Fishing Spider
As the name suggests, the fishing spider is a semi-aquatic genus of spiders that are found all over the world ...
Dysdera Crocata – Woodlouse Spider
As the name suggests, the Dysdera crocata, or commonly called woodlouse spider, primarily preys on woodlice. The spider can be ...
Enoplognatha Ovata – Candy-Striped Spider
Candy-striped spider is not only one of the coolest names for a spider - it also looks great. This spider, ...
Eratigena Atrica – Giant House Spider
As its name suggests, the giant house spider, Eratigena atrica, is one of the largest spiders found in Europe and ...
Frontinella Pyramitela – Bowl and Doily Spider
The bowl and doily spiders, known as Frontinella pyramitela, are a small species of spiders that belong to the family ...
Herpyllus Ecclesiasticus – Eastern Parson Spider
Herpyllus ecclesiasticus, The Eastern parson spider is one of the most commonly encountered hunter spiders in the United States. The ...
Hibana – Ghost Spider
Hibana are a genus of spiders commonly referred to as ghost spiders. They are common throughout South and Central America, ...
Larinioides Cornutus – Furrow Spider
Larinioides Cornutus, commonly known as the furrow spider, is an orb weaver species that can be found throughout the Northern ...
Latrodectus Variolus – Northern Black Widow
Latrodectus, the black widow spider is one of the most famed and feared spider genera in the world. Hollywood tends ...
Leucauge venusta – Orchard Spider
Leucauge venusta, commonly called orchard spider is an orb weaver spider that can be found in the Eastern US states, ...
Lycosidae – Wolf Spider
The Lycosidae, commonly called wolf spiders are a family of hunter spiders found throughout the United States and the rest ...
Maevia Inclemens – Dimorphic Jumper
Maevia inclemens, commonly called dimorphic jumper is a species of jumping spiders mainly found in the Eastern U.S. States and ...
Mangora gibberosa – Lined Orbweaver
Mangora gibberosa, the lined orbweaver, is a common spider found throughout the eastern part of North America. One of the ...
Micrathena gracilis – Spined Micrathena
Micrathena gracilis, commonly known as spined micrathena, is one of the spiny orb weaver spiders. The spiny body serves to ...
Micrathena mitrata – White Micrathena
The spider species Micrathena mitrata, commonly called white micrathena, is an orb weaving spider. They have a large bulbous white ...
Micrathena Sagittata – Arrow-Shaped Orbweaver
The arrow-shaped orb weaver, Micrathena sagittata, is a strange-looking, arrow-shaped spider that is commonly found in gardens of the Eastern ...
Misumena – Flower Crab Spider
The misumena, commonly called flower crab spider, is a genus of spiders that hunt their prey in or around flowers ...
Neoscona Arabesca – Arabesque Orb Weaver
Neoscona arabesca, commonly known as the arabesque orbweaver, is one of the most common orbweaver species that can be found ...
Neoscona crucifera – Spotted Orb Weaver
Neoscona crucifera, commonly known as the spotted orbweaver, is an orb weaver species indigenous to the Eastern part of North ...
Pachygnatha
The Pachygnatha is technically part of the Orb Weaver family. However, it does not spin a web and is a ...
Parasteatoda tepidariorum – The Common House Spider
Parasteatoda tepidariorum, or the common house spider can be found in every US state. The spider is also distributed throughout ...
Phidippus audax – Daring Jumping Spider
Phidippus audax, commonly known as the daring jumping spider is a jumping spider found throughout the USA. As their name ...
Philodromus – Running Crab Spider
Philodromus, commonly called running crab spider, is a genus of crab spiders. Various species can be found throughout the entire ...
Pholcidae – Daddy Long-Legs or Cellar Spider
As strange as it sounds, the Pholcidae, or Cellar Spider is one of the most misunderstood spiders in the world ...
Pisaurina Mira – American Nursery Web Spider
Piraurina Mira, commonly called nursery web spider, is a brown spider species with long legs. They are endemic to the ...
Platycryptus Undatus – Tan Jumping Spider
The tan jumping spider is a mostly black and gray jumping spider found in the Eastern United States. The can ...
Salticus Scenicus – Zebra Spider
Salticus scenicus, the zebra spider, is a jumping spider that can be found in the entire Northern Hemisphere. As its ...
Scytodes Thoracica – Spitting Spider
The spitting spider, scientifically called Scytodaes thoracica, is a fascinating type of hunting spider that captures and paralyzes its prey ...
Steatoda Bipunctata – Rabbit Hutch Spider
The Steatoda bipunctata, commonly called rabbit hutch spider is a black spider found throughout the United States. It comes from ...
Steatoda borealis
Steatoda borealis, a spider species that belongs to the genus Steatoda is one of the members family of Theridiidae. In ...
Steatoda Grossa – False Black Widow Spider
The Steatoda grossa, commonly called the false black widow spider or cupboard spider can be found throughout the United States ...
Steatoda Triangulosa – Triangulate Cobweb Spider
The Steatoda triangulosa, commonly called the triangulate cobweb spider is a brown-black spider found throughout the US. It has an ...
Trachelas Tranquillus – Broad-Faced Sac Spider
The Trachelas Transquillus, or broad-faced sac spider is a spider that is native to the Eastern part of the United ...
Ummidia – Trap-Door Spider
Ummidia is a genus of spiders that can be found around the world. Among other genus, they are commonly called ...
Verrucosa Arenata – Arrowhead Spider
The arrow-head spider, Verrucosa arenata, is an orb-weaver spider found throughout the United States. Its common name arrowhead spider or ...
Xysticus – Ground Crab Spider
Spiders of the Xysticus genus, also called ground crab spiders are a rather indistinct species. As all crab spiders, they ...
Xysticus Funestus – Deadly Ground Crab Spider
Even though Xysticus funestus has a dangerously-sounding common name, the deadly ground crab spider, it is of absolutely no concern ...
The book about spiders in Michigan
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If you want to learn more about spiders in Michigan, check out the book “Michigan Spiders” by site founder K.J. Ester. The book is available on Amazon. Just click here or on the book cover image below.
