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.:
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).
Juvenile spiders can have white or red markings on their back 
Wolf spider 
Nusery web spider 
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:
- Description of the spider (helps with the identification but is not mandatory)
- City and U.S. State where the spider was found
- 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.
Small: less than dime sized. Saw one in garage but this one was on back patio concrete: he was kind enough to hold still for a pic 😂
Hello Dawn, thanks for getting in touch! Can you please tell me in what U.S. State you found this spider? That will help with the ID. Thanks!
Central Minnesota: Little Falls.
Very small spider, found it at my job here in Central Wisconsin. Probably the size of the nail on my ring finger. To the human eye it’s very black with a single red line on it’s back on the cepholothorax. Up close you can kinda see it’s more brown than red and extends to the legs.
On the dining room table for several days now. Appears much less brown or more pale/white/cream in this photo than in situ. Very thirsty, gave him a big droplet to drink!
Hello Neil, thanks for getting in touch! This is a female dimorphic jumping spider (Maevia incelemens): https://usaspiders.com/maevia-inclemens-dimorphic-jumper/
What kind of spider is this?
Found on the siding of our house.
Happy that it had gotten the ant as the ants here are a HUGE problem. It is welcome to stay – outside, killing ants.
Hello Bill, thanks for getting in touch! This is definitely some type of jumping spider – they are not medically significant and indeed great to get rid of ants 🙂 I can’t really say for certain what species it is since the body parts are not clearly visible. Let me know if you get another picture of it so I can try to get an identification on species level.
Found in Ray Harrall Nature Park in Broken Arrow, OK
Hello Hannalie, thanks for getting in touch! It’s hard to make out the details of the spider’s body on the photo. There are a couple of spiders in the U.S. with a black body and red legs (none of them are medically significant). My best guess would be that this is a red-legged purseweb spider (Sphodros rufipes): https://bugguide.net/node/view/140108
Let me know if your spider did not look like this one.
Found in my water cup this morning in east Pennsylvania. I’ve found quite a few of these spiders in my apartment. Haven’t really found webs for them. His body, excluding his legs, are pretty thin and tiny.
Hello Sage, thanks for getting in touch. This is most likely a male yellow (or long-legged) sac spider, Cheiracanthium sp. They are not considered medically significant but can deliver a painful bite. Males are generally less venomous than females. You can read more about them here: https://usaspiders.com/cheiracanthium-mildei-northern-yellow-sac-spider/
Found this guy on the wall of our hotel in Big Sky, Montana. 2nd floor. Moved slowly.
What type of spider is this?
Hello Sharon, thanks for getting in touch! That looks weird 🙂 I can’t really see any spider-specific markings… I guess this is not a spider – but I can’t say what else it might be.
Found in our horse barn, I cant seem to match it to a picture.
Hi.. this guy or gal was sitting in my bedroom this am. Am hoping it’s a a good spider so I can put it outside to eat insects! Marsville, WA
Hi Shelly, thanks for reaching out! This is one of the good ones 🙂 it’s a male false widow spider, most likely a triangulate cobweb spider (Steatoda triangulosa): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-triangulosa-triangulate-cobweb-spider/
Hi there. I found this spider in the corner of our covered front porch. We’re in Northern New Jersey. It has very long front legs, a dark abdomen with a darker geometric pattern and a light brown to gold thorax with a dark brown shape in the middle. It’s body is about 1/4″ in length without the legs. It doesn’t appear aggressive…just chillin’. Any idea?
Thanks!
Hello Patricia, this is a cellar spider or daddy long-legs spider. My guess is that it is of the species Pholcus phalangioides: https://usaspiders.com/pholcidae-cellar-spider/
I have had several spiders like this. They like my kitchen window staying hidden most of the time in the track, although it seems to come out at dusk or dark. Web is like a mesh strung between items in the window. The body is about 1 inch long, dark brown, don’t see markings but also not getting that close. Legs are long and red/orange. Voracious eatter of a variety of insects. Find a variety every morning.
Found this outside on the back porch behind a planter. Was about 1” body length at least. Not hairy. Black body and reddish legs. Found in Poulsbo, Washington.
Please identify this spider. We live near the Delta in Northern California. Size, approximately half inch body
body is maybe hairy, with balls or beads maybe eggs? runs fairly fast with thick legs. that is a quarter in the picture
Found in East Texas, June 2021. Not sure what kind of spider it is.
Found this little guy while working in our flower bed. Northwest Georgia – elevation about 1500 feet. Overall size (with leg span) was about that of a dime. Pedipalps appear to have the “boxing glove” ends. (Not 100% sure). Eyes seem to be clustered in front of the cephalothorax. I was fascinated at the difference in markings between the front and back pairs of legs. Beautiful little spider. But cannot figure out what it is.