Overview of Spider Species in the United States
Castianeira longipalpa, sometimeys referred to as the long-palped ant mimic sac spider is found along the Eastern United States as well as in the Pacific Northwest. The small black spider with at least four white lines along its abdomen is not medically significant. Castianeira longipalpa is often confused with its close relative, Long-Palped Ant Mimic […]
Candy-striped spider is not only one of the coolest names for a spider – it also looks great. This spider, which goes by the scientific name of Enoplognatha ovata, is part of the cobweb spider family and has been introduced to the United States and Canada from Europe. Over the last years, its populations have […]
The bowl and doily spiders, known as Frontinella pyramitela, are a small species of spiders that belong to the family of Linyphiidae. The common name of these spiders comes from its peculiar webs that have a bowl shape with a sheet-web or blanket (doily) beneath it. Like other sheet web weavers, Frotinella pyramitela spiders can […]
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 […]
The red-backed jumping spider, Phidippus johnsoni, is found throughout the Western United States and Canada. The spider has a black body and the back of its abdomen is bright red. Description of the Red-Backed Jumping Spider The redbacked jumping spider is generally quite easy to identify. It’s body is predominantly black with a brightly red […]
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 […]
The gray house spider, Badmuna longinqua, is a medium sized black and gray spider originally native to Australia. It has been introduced to New Zealand, South America, Europe, South Africa and the United States. Despite the reputation of Australian spiders, the grey house spider is harmless for humans and larger pets. Due to its secretive […]
The missing sector orb weaver, Zygiella x-notata, is a common spider species found throughout Europe and the United States. The original distribution area of this orb weaver spider is in Europe. The spider is most commonly found throughout the United Kingdom an Western Europe. However, over the last decades, the population has spread throughout the […]
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 […]
Olios Giganteus, the giant crab spider, belongs to the family of Sparassidae spiders, which are commonly called huntsman spiders. As other crab spiders, they have curved legs which gives them a crab-like appearance. However, the giant crab spider can reach a leg span of up to 6 inches (15 cm) – making them much larger than […]
