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 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).
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.
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!
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.
These were in the trees at steck park next to the snake river in Idaho. They were everywhere. Got home they are in the car and my sleeping bag! I wonder how many I ate in my sleep!?
Hi there, this is some type of orbweaver, possibly a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis).
Found this spider in my greenhouse between the potatoes and pepper plants. Spun a web about 24 inches in diameter
Hi JR, this is a spotted orbweaver of the genus Neoscona.
Second time I found this spider inside the house in central Florida. First one I caught started making a web very quickly while this one did not. It is very small and grey with banded legs and no obvious hairs.
Hi Lacy, this is a wall spider (Oecobius sp.). Compare the photo and information on bugguide: https://bugguide.net/node/view/99995
1) Visually white bodied spider (~1/4 inch) with possible greenish cast. Uniform translucent leg color. Front leg pair > 1 inch, 2nd pair somewhat less long, 3rd pair shortest and held vertically under body, back pair longer than 3rd pair but shorter than 2nd pair. No obvious body or leg hairs. Possibly Enoplognatha ovata (Candy-striped Spider) lineata morph? Visually similar in shape/size to black widow type.
2)Found indoors, Corpus Christi, Texas Sept. 14 dancing on computer screen.
3) attribution to Chris Couteau
Hi Chris, this is a cellar spider (family Pholcidae): https://usaspiders.com/pholcidae-cellar-spider/
Was wondering what kind of spider is this
Hi Brandy, due to the condition of the spider, I can’t make an ID off this photo. It does not appear to be one of the medically significant spiders found in the U.S.
Found on our living room ceiling, Long Island NY
Hi Ghost1917, this is a male northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus): https://usaspiders.com/latrodectus-variolus-northern-black-widow/
The females are considered medically significant and should be handled with care!
Found this little guy crawling above my bed area, unsure what species this spider just tried my best not to damage the body too much
Loc Bayville, NJ
Thank you
Hi Jay, this is a broad-faced sac spider (Trachelas tranquillus): https://usaspiders.com/trachelas-tranquillus-broad-faced-sac-spider/
Found this beauty in the corner of our Pima County, AZ house. Her(?) web is orb-shaped and spans about 2.5ft at the longest side of the triangle; leaves it up but hides in the rafters during the day. There’s a circular hole in the web. She’s got three vertical stripes on her belly (couldn’t get a good picture in the dark last night) and her body is less than an inch long, maybe around a half inch. Her top side is white and cream. I have more pictures I can send via email if that helps. Thank you!
Found this beauty in the corner of our Pima County, AZ porch. Her(?) web is orb-shaped and spans about 2.5ft at the longest side of the triangle; leaves it up but hides in the rafters during the day. There’s a circular hole in the web. She’s got three vertical stripes on her belly (couldn’t get a good picture in the dark last night) and her body is less than an inch long, maybe around a half inch. Her top side is white and cream and her legs have black stripes. I have more pictures I can send via email if that helps. Thank you!
Hi Stephie, thanks for the pictures! This is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
This spider is tiny, about the size of a dime, legs and all. I am sure it is an adult though. I found a bunch of these little guys in the woods near my house, which is high on a mountain in North Idaho. We don’t have a ton of different spiders or insects because of the low temps and short summer. The web is messy and as far as I can tell, generally built near the ground.
Hi Michelle, do you have a clearer picture of the spider? I can’t really tell what it is from this one.
Legs could span a us quarter with ease. Found In Wisconsin. Grass spider or perhaps giant house spider?
Hi Mks, this is a grass spider (Agelenopsis sp.): https://usaspiders.com/agelenopsis-american-grass-spider/
Black with yellow
On the large side
Body Length 1 to 2 inch
Hi Michael, I assume you are located in Georgia or somewhere close to it. This is a joro spider (Trichonephila clavata), an introduced species and close relative of the banana spider: https://usaspiders.com/trichonephila-clavipes-banana-spider/
Found in Dillon Mt
18 sept 2022 on my bathroom floor. Picture through a microscope.
Thanks!
Hi Sara, this is a pseudoscorpion, not a spider. Compare the family Cheliferidae.
My husband found this on our fence in Northern South Carolina. Eeeek!
Hi Diane, this is a black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia): https://usaspiders.com/argiope-aurantia-yellow-garden-spider/
Is this spider dangerous? I’m worried that it might be a Northern Yellow Sac Spider.
Hi Mark, this is definitely an orb weaver of the genus Aranidae – most likely a cat-faced orbweaver (Araneus gemmoides): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-gemmoides-cat-faced-spider/
Found in central Utah
Hi Ollie, this is a male western black widow: https://usaspiders.com/latrodectus-hesperus-western-black-widow/
The males are not considered medically significant but you should be careful handling this spider and keep an eye out for females.
Greeter to St Charles MO visitors
Hi Judy, this is a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona sp.): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
Found in our new house Pablo Montana. 🤢
Hi Charissa, this is a western black widow – a medically significant spider. Be careful handling the spider to avoid getting bitten. Here is more information about them: https://usaspiders.com/latrodectus-hesperus-western-black-widow/
Was cleaning under furniture and this fellow hitched a ride out my hand. Some variety of ground crab spider maybe? Striking color combination, never seen it before.
Hi Jean, yes, this is some type of crab spider. Possibly a ground crab spider of the genus Xysticus or a relative Thomisid spider.
Found this guy in a tangled web between my basement bathroom sink and wall. Semi aggressive if my hand got too close. This was just a few days ago during September in northern Ohio. Thanks!
Hi Ketih, this is a grass spider (Agelenopsis sp.): https://usaspiders.com/agelenopsis-american-grass-spider/
Seen in Matthaei Botanical Garden in Ann Arbor, Michigan on 20220918. Maybe a Jumping Spider of some kind?
Hi and thanks for sharing this great shot! Yes, this is a jumping spider of the genus Phidippus. I can’t ID the exact species off the image, though.
Found this guy in my bed and have had hives (for the first time in my life) for 4 days since. Not sure if he bit me or not, not even sure if it’s related; it could have been something else.
I’m in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I would think he was a broadfaced sac spider, but all his legs are the same color and his thorax isn’t so bulky in the front. The Steatoda species looks pretty close too, in my inexperienced opinion, but the location is wrong from what I can tell. Would really appreciate an ID so I can eliminate a potential cause of this allergic reaction. Thank you.
Hi Rochelle, this is most likely a male Steatoda sp. spider. Allergic reactions are always possible but generally, spider bites don’t happen unprovoked or without humans noticing.
Found on a tree branch in Middletown CT. I’m an amateur, but the closest match I’ve found is running crab spider…
Found in Minnesota. It has a round bulbous body with white markings that appear to be spots or triangle shaped.
Hi Kelsey, this is a female triangulate cobweb spider (Steatoda triangulosa): https://usaspiders.com/steatoda-triangulosa-triangulate-cobweb-spider/
found in oklahoma
Hi Janine, this is a black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia): https://usaspiders.com/argiope-aurantia-yellow-garden-spider/
This one hitched a ride back in a storage container from Arroyo Seco Campground near Greenfield, CA.
Given the image quality, I can’t make a positive ID of the spider. But based on the overall appearance and your location, I would guess this is a Titiotus species wandering spider. It’s definitely not a medically significant spider.
This remarkable spider was found in my backyard near Loganville, Georgia this afternoon. I think it must be a Joro spider but I’m not sure. The yellow bands on the top side seemed to be luminescent. The web was three dimensional which made it difficult to focus my iPhone camera on the spider.
Found in Central California.