Overview of Spider Species in the United States
The arrow-head spider, Verrucosa arenata, is an orb-weaver spider found throughout the United States. Its common name arrowhead spider or triangle orb weaver comes from the triangle-shaped yellow or white coloration on the spiders’ abdomen. Arrow-Shaped Orbweaver Description Verrucosa arenata are generally easy to distinguish from similar orb weavers because of their special color pattern and […]
Metaltella simoni is a spider species that is commonly often referred to as hacklemesh weaver. This may lead to confusion with some spiders of the genus Amaurobius which are also referred to as hacklemesh weavers and often have a similar appearance. Therefore, we will restrict to the usage of the specific name in this guide which […]
As its name suggests, the giant house spider, Eratigena atrica, is one of the largest spiders found in Europe and the United States. The species is originally from Europe and was introduced to the Western United States over 100 years ago. It has now developed large populations in the Pacific Northwest and in the Great […]
Aphonopelma eutylenum, the California ebony tarantula is a large spider that can be found in California and its surrounding states including Northwestern Mexico. Mostly, they are found in the grassy areas around the Eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area down to San Diego. As many other spiders, the California ebony tarantula is a […]
Latrodectus mactans, the Southern black widow is a close relative of the Northern black widow and the Western black widow. The female of all three species is mostly black with a distinctive red hourglass pattern on the underside of its abdomen. They can inject a potent venom with their bite with potential severe medical effects. […]
Latrodectus, the black widow spider is one of the most famed and feared spider genera in the world. Hollywood tends to use only one kind of Black Widow in its films. It is always shown as a shiny black spider with a red hourglass on the dorsal side of its abdomen. However, this is not […]
Latrodectus hesperus, the Western black widow spider is one of the few medically significant venomous spiders in the United States. As its common name suggests, it can be found in the Western States of the US as well as in Canada. Description of the Western Black Widow The larger female Western black widow looks very […]
Latrodectus geometricus, commonly called the brown widow spider, is one of the most common widow spiders that can be found in the United States. Its range is restricted to the warm Southern States ranging from California to Florida and South Carolina as well as Hawaii. It is not a native US species and has been […]
The spitting spider, scientifically called Scytodaes thoracica, is a fascinating type of hunting spider that captures and paralyzes its prey with sticky venomous silk strands that it shoots from its head. The spitting spider occurs throughout the world and can be found in every U.S. State. Spitting Spider Description The spitting spider has a very […]
Aphonopelma hentzi, the Texas brown tarantula is one of the largest species of spiders native to the Southern United States. The large brown and furry spider lives in arid climate. Since they are a non-aggressive and docile species, they have become a popular pet spider throughout the U.S. and in other parts of the world. […]
