Types of Spiders and What They Look Like

There are more than 40,000 types of spiders on earth. There is no spider-free place to live in so why not know a bit about the different species and their traits.

Types of Spiders

• Black Widow Spiders

These types of spiders are found throughout the United States, but they mostly reside in southern states due to the tropical climate which they favor. This spider species has a shiny black body with a characteristic red colored hourglass-shaped mark on its back.

Black widows prefer to nest and spin their webs at ground level in solitary. Usually in quiet places where they won’t be disturbed.  You can find them near woodpiles, firewood, under leaves, and even in boxes in attics.

These spiders are quite aggressive, especially female black widows, and they can even bite humans. They attack when they feel their eggs are in danger or self-defense.

You should seek medical help immediately if you are bitten. Common symptoms of black widows bite include high blood pressure, vomiting, fever, nausea, and sweating.

• Brown Recluse Spiders

These are small, non-hairy spiders bearing light-brown or yellowish-brown color. Unlike other spider species, brown recluse spiders have six eyes.

Another distinctive feature of them is the presence of a violin-shaped dark mark on their back. These spiders are usually found in Central Midwest U.S. and Southwards.

These spiders got their name because of their lone, wanderer nature. They prefer to live in dark and secluded places.

Outdoors they will be found near woodpiles and debris. Indoors they tend to be found in attics, closets, crawlspaces, under furniture, and inside storage spaces.

These are their favorite places because it provides them with the dark, warm, and undisturbed area which they need to prosper.

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Brown Recluse Spiders do bite, but only in defense. Their bites are painful and result in symptoms like fever and restlessness.

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• Long-Bodied Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders are a widespread spider family having about 1500 spider species. Features of this family of spiders include long thin legs and small bodies. These spiders are also known as “daddy-long-legs” commonly. Cellar spiders have pale-yellow or light brown colored body.

Cellar spiders love to live in dark and damp places like cellars, underground, basements, garages, bath-traps, and warehouses. They build structure-less webs and aren’t dangerous for humans as they don’t bite. They possess weak mouthparts which restrict them from injecting toxic venom into humans.

• Wolf Spiders

These dark-brown colored giant spiders have thick hairy bodies and large compound eyes with sturdy spiny legs. Wolf spiders can reach 3-4 inches in length. They are sometimes confused with tarantulas because of their size. You will find they have pale-yellow colored marks on their body and legs. Around 100 wolf spider species can be found in U.S and Canada alone.

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Wolf Spiders don’t create webs to trap their prey, but instead swiftly run after their prey to hunt them.

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They usually don’t bite humans out of habit, only when they feel threatened. Even though their bites are quite painful for humans, they aren’t life-threatening and result in minor symptoms like itching, swelling, and redness. They seek shelter in dark places like under debris, stones, firewood, leaves, and under furniture. They spin most of their webs at ground level.

• Jumping Spiders

These types of spiders are widely found in the U.S. and can be spotted almost anywhere. They have a compact body in black color with distinct yellow markings. Jumping spiders have short legs which help them to jump and pounce upon their prey. They have excellent vision, and can swiftly move sideways and backward while hunting their prey.

Jumping spiders are mostly active during the daytime because they love sunshine. You’ll usually find them around windows and doors as these areas are filled with sunlight. Outdoors they can usually be seen running over tree bark, on bushes, fences, under stones, and boards.

They build web retreats where they go back after hunting their food. Jumping spiders aren’t dangerous for humans as they are not known for attacking them. They may bite in self-defense though.

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Jumping spider bites aren’t lethal, and a bite may result in mild itching or redness at worst.

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• Common House Spiders

House spiders are common yet irritating creatures which are found in homes worldwide. These are yellowish-brown colored spiders which have quite elongated abdomen. The favorite habitat of these spiders is damp places. In homes, they are usually found in crawl spaces, garages, basements, under the furniture, and inside cabinets.

It’s difficult for house spiders to survive outdoors because they have evolved to survive primarily indoors. You may find them around windows and under leaves outside your home, but it’s hard for them to endure outside conditions. These spiders aren’t threatening to humans, but they are annoying to have around.

• Garden Spiders

These types of spiders bear distinct yellow markings on their abdomen, and because of it, they are often known as Yellow Garden Spiders or Black-Yellow Garden Spiders.

These spiders aren’t aggressive in nature and are not known for biting humans unless they are disturbed or feel threatened. Their venom isn’t toxic and may result in only minor irritation or swelling.

The main habitat of garden spiders is green and grassy areas like gardens, clearings, and meadows. They can build delicate, but strong orb-shaped webs, and prefer sunny locations to spin them. They use their webs to capture prey and instantly pounce on them to inject venom to paralyze them.

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Garden spiders are sort of friends to humans as they help control insect populations in gardens protecting them from destructive pests.

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• Funnel Web Spiders

These types of spiders have a long tail-like body, and they are covered with hairs. Usually brown or grey colored they bear distinctive dark colored marks. They are named Funnel Spiders because of their unique funnel-shaped webs that have a tube with a flat surface. This flat surface works by entangling prey, and the tube provides a safe escape to hide.

These spiders are extremely aggressive towards their prey, and their venom is so potent that it can instantly kill most prey. They usually hide under woodpiles, rocks, gardens, burrows, corners of buildings, and in dark areas of a home. 

They aren’t in the habit of attacking humans, but if disturbed they may bite in defense. In case of a bite from a funnel spider, seek emergency medical treatment immediately as their bites can be lethal.

These are only a few of the many species of spiders in the world. There are so many more worth exploring and learning more about.***

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