USA Spiders

Overview of Spider Species in the United States

USA Spider Identification

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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 one of these – 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.

Consider a small donation

USAspiders has always been free and will stay free – so have the thousands of spider identifications we have made over the last years. We are always happy to spend a fair amount of our days during the summer months looking at reader images, identifying spiders. It’s what we love to do! If you can, and if you would like to support us, we would highly appreciate a small donation through Paypal. Any small amount is great! Thanks!

Donate here through Paypal

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

91 thoughts on “USA Spider Identification”

  1. It’s in my backyard just below the overhang of my house. I’ve seen it have a few June bugs in its web. They weren’t moving by the time I see then and it looked like it was wrapping then up in is webbing. The webbing didn’t look uniform.

    The first couple of times it’s web was maybe 2 to 3 feet off the ground. 3rd time it was 6 feet off the ground.

    Reply

  2. Spider photographed in its web, ventral view, in northern Utah. I also photographed this spider in a side view with a male attempting to mate. The male is somewhat smaller and uniformly straw colored. Viewed from the side, the female is not so black and has gold flecks on her back.

    Email me and I can upload the male-female photo as well.

    Reply

  5. I didn’t get to see the belly of this, I found this in my basement and I’m worried it could be a northern black widow. When I got it outside, it played dead for a bit then came to life. Notice those 2 circle divots on its back.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jamie, my gut tells me that this is a false black widow (Steatoda grossa) because it appears to have some brownish colors. But that could be a result of the photograph and it might well be a northern black widow.

      Reply

  6. Spider is on a tangled web in the corner of the garage ceiling in Arlington, TX. It’s small with long thin legs and a bulbous abdomen, with white markings on the underside.

    Reply

  7. I found this spider in my garage. She’s sitting on a 2”x6” stair. Last fall, there was a spider about twice her size that ran sideways and jumped. I didn’t get a picture last year.

    Reply

  8. Touched this while attempting to open my mailbox and felt it. Sorry couldn’t get a better picture, I’m super afraid of spiders.

    Located in Port Charlotte, FL. Thanks in advance!!

    Reply

  11. This spider was under refrigerator, it was very large, if you can ascertain the size of the hardwood floor, i noticed the spider had little balls on end of legs. I have not been able to identify, please help!
    Thank you!
    Stella

    Reply

  16. In Houston, TX, I saw this spider at night in about an 6 foot diameter web actively wrapping insects and weaving…very quick. Next morning, web gone but he was still in same bush.

    Reply

  17. Hi guys found this in my basement in NY and was wondering if anyone knows it is. It was just about an inch if not slightly bigger and was on the ground in a corner.

    Reply

  20. 15mm, 5/8″ for whole spider, small tangled web low down in a bedroom corner, web continues behind a bookcase. Has gotten bigger since first seen. This phone picture is with a very bright LED light, under dim light it looks black with red/orange spots (got me worried.) Seems to have eliminated all the regular house spiders nearby.

    NY State, near NYC.

    Reply

  22. Spotted at Boyd Hill Park in St. Petersburg, FL.
    Small, maybe 0.5in.
    Love the colors, but not sure what it is.

    Reply

  25. Please identify! I’m afraid this is a brown recluse. I sat over it for around 10 minutes while I went number two.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chirye, unfortunately, the image is too dark and I can’t make a definite identification. You location in the US might help narrow down what type of spider it is.

      Reply

  32. Found this spider on our porch, it’s about 2.5 inches long, 5 yrs ago, we found an exact spider that was as large as a palm of a hand. It jumped and ran down our porch….

    We live in Kokomo, Indiana

    Reply

  34. Medium sized spider found near Denver, Colorado. It was being bothered by my cat and I’m hoping he didn’t get bitten. Not a brown Recluse, I hope? Doesn’t look to have the violin shape on its front.

    Reply

  35. I found this spider on May 31 in Wimberley Texas eating a hummingbird. My best guess after looking on your website is a giant lichen orb weaver. I had no idea spiders ate hummingbirds.

    Reply

  38. The very next day I found this one as well. The most spiders I’ve seen in my house in 3 years.
    Thank you kindly,
    James P.

    Reply

  39. I believe I found a better picture of the first picture I sent. This is a lighter picture and it has the round line/s on the abdomen. Still can’t find the name of it.
    Hopefully you can help.
    Thank you again,
    James P.

    Reply

  40. Found this one roaming through a gravel/grass driveway on the Southern Oregon Coast (about 3 miles inland).

    Reply

  41. West Central Minnesota…
    Have a small infestation of fairly small (approx. 3/8″) all black spiders… this one is approximately 1/2 to 5/8″…
    The smaller ones appeared to be all black, couldn’t get pics of those, this larger one appears black, but it’s “belly” is a dark gray with no markings.
    Thanks for your help!

    Reply

  42. I found this inside my house. I live in a third floor condo. It was fairly small. We have seen several spiders in my place recently. In the past, I have actually seen spiders crawling out of my bathroom sink. This one was near my kitchen.

    Reply

  43. West Michigan
    Tan, 2″+ legs, 1/2″ body
    All my Googling didn’t come up with anything

    Thanks!

    Reply

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