Spiders

Banded Garden Spider
Category: Spider
This spider builds its web between plants in garden beds. It sits in the center, head down, waiting for prey to ensnare itself in the web. Females can deliver a moderately painful bite if guarding eggs and disturbed.... READ MORE

Brown Recluse / Violin Spider
Category: Spider
Violin Spiders - more commonly known as the Brown Recluse Spider - are generally found to the southern states and west to California. These spiders inhabit loose piles of debris or - if indoors - in furniture and folded clothing. Identifying features... READ MORE

California Trapdoor Spider
Category: Spider
California Trapdoor Spiders are native to Southern California. In many ways, they resemble smaller versions of tarantulas with shiney bodies. Their chelicerae have spines on them helping this species to dig their burrows. Their burrows serve as both ... READ MORE

Desert Tarantula
Category: Spider
Desert Tarantulas are a common sight in the Southwestern states. They generally hide during the day, choosing instead to rest under rock collections or in protective holed burrows that are uninhabited in desert soil areas until dusk and night. As wi... READ MORE

Eastern Harvestman
Category: Spider
Harvestman are not spiders, though they resemble them in many ways. They are relatives of the spider. They do not have fangs, are not venomous and do not bite. Their long legs do more for them than travel. The second pair of legs act as ant... READ MORE

Golden Silk Orbweaver
Category: Spider
The size of this spider can be frightening. While males remain quite small (up to 1/4 inch), females can grow to become 3 inches. The abdomen of this spider is shaped like a banana and only the 1st, 2nd and 4th pairs of legs have black tufts of h... READ MORE

Goldenrod Crab Spider
Category: Spider
This species of spider uses camouflage as its primary defense, but will bite as well. They are able to change their coloration over the course of several days to blend in better with their surroundings. They are an ambush spider, jumping on their... READ MORE

Grass Spider
Category: Spider
Grass Spiders are common sights throughout North American summers and belong to a family of Funnel Web Weavers. Males are smaller than females. What gives these little arachnids their namesake is the web funnels that they create in the grass or in cr... READ MORE

Green Lynx Spider
Category: Spider
As its name might suggest, the Green Lynx Spider is a highly identifiable green spider of the Lynx spider grouping. Appearing an almost leaf-greenish shade, the species is further complimented by orange on the legs and black dots on a gray coloring a... READ MORE

Huntsman Spider
Category: Spider
Although this species of spider is already established in the Southeast, sometimes they stow away on produce from Mexico or Central America and land in other states. Part of the crab spider family, this spider is comforable angling its first 2-3... READ MORE

Johnson Jumping Spider
Category: Spider
These tiny spiders jump large distances (considering their size) to catch their prey. They are day-time hunters and hide out at night and in the winter. They have been known to bite humans, but without serious effects. Females weave funnel-sh... READ MORE

Marbled Orb Weaver
Category: Spider
The unique 'marbling' pattern of colors on the abdomen, the orange head and black and white legs make this spider visually stunning. Like other orb weavers, this spider creates circular webs daily. This species prefers moist locations near water... READ MORE

Orb Weaver
Category: Spider
Orb Weavers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Common traits among some include the rounded abdomen and orange-to-brown and brown or black coloring - those this colors may vary per species. Legs of an Orb Weaver are generally very long, giving it... READ MORE

Parson Spider
Category: Spider
A unique pattern on the abdomen makes this spider easier to identify than others. This species of spider does not spin webs to catch prey. Instead, it roams the ground and searched for its food. This spider's bite has caused allergic reations... READ MORE

Red Spotted Ant Mimic Spider
Category: Spider
This spider acts like an ant to gain better positioning when attacking prey. It walks on its back 6 legs while raising the front pair as if they were antennae.... READ MORE

Running Spider
Category: Spider
Running spiders, or sac spiders, do not form webs. Instead they hunt their prey with quickening speed. The reddish head and abdomen are in contrast from the lighter legs. Hind legs are lightest, appearing almost white.... READ MORE

Southern Black Widow
Category: Spider
Female Black Widows are well-known and particularly feared for their venomous bites. They are shiney in look and feature a red hour-glass shape on their abdomen (sometimes appearing as two red marks). The male is smaller than the female and is brown ... READ MORE

Spiny Backed Orb Weaver
Category: Spider
The spines on the side of this spider make it unique and easy to recognize. Males are considerably smaller than females. Like other orb weavers, it creates a web that is circular in shape, only it has few or no spirals at the center of its web. Each... READ MORE

Turret Spider
Category: Spider
Native to Northern California, the Turret Spider is part of the larger family of "Folding Trapdoor Spiders" that live in self-made burrows dug into the ground. Though other "Trapdoor Spider" types exist, Folding Trapdoor Spiders actually make use of ... READ MORE

Western Spotted Orb Weaver
Category: Spider
Orb weavers spin circular webs and this species tends to create them in open areas. These spiders do not spin any zigzag patterns (stabilimenta) in the center of their web. They feed on anything that entangles itself in their webs: flies, moths, ... READ MORE

Yellow Garden Spider
Category: Spider
Yellow Garden Spiders are from the Argiope genus and a local throughout the United States of America. Commonly found throughout garden areas and woodlands, the spider is easily identifiable by the distinctive yellow and black coloring found on the ab... READ MORE