USA Spiders

Overview of Spider Species in the United States

USA Spider Identification

16 Comments on USA Spider IdentificationPosted in Information By usaspidersPosted on

Did you find a spider in the U.S and you would like to identify it? Then you are at the right place. This page will help you identify your spider. Simply read through the content on this site and answer the questions below, and you will hopefully identify your spider. If not, you can still reach out to us (more details below).

Are you dealing with a venomous spider?

Let’s first start off by eliminating the possibility that you are dealing with a potentially dangerous spider. There are only two medically significant spider genera in the United States: Widows and recluse spiders. Look at the following pictures below. Does your spider look like any of these? If yes or if you are unsure, click on the pictures to see more pictures and learn more about the venomous spiders and their range in the U.S.:

Loxosceles reclusa - brown recluse spider full body pictureAdult_Female_Black_WidowBrown_widow_spider_Latrodectus_geometricus_underside
A small brown spider in the Southern U.S. with thin long legs and a violin shape on its back may be a brown recluse.A small black spider with a round abdomen and red (hourglass-shaped) markings may be a black widow.A small brown spider with a round abdomen and red (hourglass-shaped) markings may be a brown widow.

If your spider doesn’t look like yours – Great! Then you are most likely dealing with a harmless spider. Let’s identify it!

USA Spider Identification Tool

Please answer the questions below and you will get one or more possible results based on your answers. In a few rare cases, you might get no result. If this happens, you could try the spider identification tool over again or upload your spider pictures in the comment section below, so we can identify it for you. You are also welcome to leave a comment or feedback about the spider identificator (criticism is also welcome, we are working hard to improve).

In what state did you find the spider?
Which one of these looks most similar to your spider? You can select multiple answers
Focus more on the general appearance, not the exact colors and patterns. If more than one of the images look like your spider, select multiple answes. If the spider doesn't look like any of those, choose the question mark.
  • Juvenile spiders can have white or red markings on their back
  • Wolf spider
  • Nusery web spider
What size is the spider you found? Compared to a 1 Dollar coin
What size is the body (not leg span) in comparison with a one dollar coin (1 inch in diameter). Try to focus only on the body. Some spiders may seem huge with long legs but in reality they might have a small body.
Did you notice a spider web?
What is the primary color of the spider
Focus on the main colors of the body (not legs) of the spider. If you think there are more than one primary colors, select both. Do not look at dots, stripes or other markings in a secondary color. These will be asked in the next question. If you think the spider has more than one secondary colors, select both.
Secondary colors or markings
Does the spider have any characteristic markings in a color? Select this color (e.g. red dots on the body, yellow bands around the legs or body, etc.). You can select multiple colors.
What color pattern are the legs?
Nevermind the colors in the images. Select the pattern that comes closest to your spider.
Let's talk more about the legs. How long are they?
Compare the legth of the legs with the length of the body.
What shape is the spider? You can select multiple answers
Select the shape that comes closest to your spider. You can select multiple answers if you are uncertain.
Did you see any spinnerets on the abdomen of the spider?
Spinnerets are the silk-spinning organs of spiders. Some spiders have visible spinnerets on their back (two small spines).
Is the spider hairy?
Check Answers

Did the tool not help you to (correctly) identify your spider? Let us help you identify your spider!

Did you also look through the list of common spiders for your state on this site and didn’t find any information?

Simply upload a picture of your spider as a comment to this post below in the “Leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – no sign-up or login necessary. Along with the photograph, please add the following information:

  1. Description of the spider (helps with the identification but is not mandatory)
  2. City and U.S. State where the spider was found
  3. Your name how you want to be credited on our website

By uploading a picture, you are giving us permission to use the picture on this site. Please only upload pictures you own the copyright to. Do not upload pictures taken from other web sources without proper crediting. Any pictures we use, we will place your name and city where it was found beneath the picture as the photographer.

When uploading your picture, you are required to enter your email address. Your email address will not be posted publicly. As soon as we have found an ID for your spider, you will be notified by email to the email address provided by you.

Taking the perfect picture of your spider

The more detail can be seen, the better. It is easiest for others or for us to identify your spider if the photograph is taken from the top of the spider. If both body parts, the colors, and the markings are visible, it will go a long way to getting the spider correctly identified. If you have a good camera and are not afraid to get a good close macro shot of its eye pattern, that can also help immensely. Some species can only be distinguished by a close look at their eye patterns.

Please upload the picture as its own file to the comment form below. Our upload form allows all standard image files up to a size of 15 MB. It is not possible to upload .zip files or more than one picture per upload. If you have more than one picture of your spider sighting, please upload them separately and copy the description text including the location along with it.

Backup: Email contact of USAspiders.com

If for some reason, the upload form doesn’t work or you prefer that your spider picture is not published publicly, you can email us with the information to [email protected] and we will get back to you with an ID via email. However, we do prefer that you upload your picture in the comment form below as it will benefit all our readers.

USA Spider Identification

16 thoughts on “USA Spider Identification”

  1. Going off the eye pattern and the hairs, I think this is a Mecaphesa, possibly Mecaphesa celer, which is found in Utah. Am I correct? It was found on a sunflower in my yard on 1 July 2020, South Jordan, Utah

    Yellow Crab Spider Misumena vatia, Daybreak, july 2020 found in Utah

    Reply

    1. Hi John,
      It is hard to make a definite ID since so many Thomisidae species have a similar appearance. However, I agree with you that this is most likely a Mecaphesa celer.

      Reply

  2. Pinky finger tip sized, pattern similar to spitting spider but body shaped like false widow. Spider appears almost black without flash from camera revealing the pattern.

    Reply

    1. Hello Robin,
      Thanks for reaching out. Do you also have a dorsal shot of the spider? It’s hard to make out the patterns on the back of the spider. At first glance and given the size, this might be some type of Lyniiphidae spider. It could be a Sheetweb Spider (Drapetisca alteranda). Check out the pictures and information on this site for your reference:
      http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_Sheetweb_D_alteranda.htm

      Reply

  4. Towards the top, checked in red with air pointing to it.

    Gangly, thin, about 3/4 to 1 inch long

    Narrow

    Can’t tell if seeing belly or back

    Appears this could be the belly.

    Marking looks like u shaped magnet

    Many rowed round orderly web super fine doesn’t show in pic

    Many thanks

    Reply

  5. I’ve never seen a spider so comically red before! It’s not much bigger than the diameter of the tip of a pen cap. Seems like it could have some lighter red bands on the body. Lynchburg, Virginia.

    Reply

  6. This spider is 2.5-3cm in length and was seen in my garage in Jersey City, NJ. Feel free to use the pic and inform me what species it may be!

    Thanks,

    Jerry Piven, PhD
    Rutgers University

    Reply

    1. Hello Jerry, thanks for uploading the picture. It’s a bit hard to tell from the angle and with the strong contrasts. Based on the picture, it looks like a male wolf spider to me.
      I can tell with certainty that this is not a medically significant spider.

      Reply

  7. live in Northeastern Connecticut and I was just vacuuming when all of a sudden this huge spider appeared on the wall! I took pictures and the released the spider outside. I was thinking it looks most like a Dark Fishing Spider or a Wolf Spider….

    Reply

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