Spiders in Alabama (52 Different Species)

There are over 90 different types of spiders in Alabama. Some sources put this number above 500, but the exact number is unclear.

Regardless, only a handful of the spiders in Alabama are properly documented. You’ll learn about them in this guide.

Spiders get a bad rep for various reasons, such as the messy webs they spin, their venomousness, or outright weird physical appearances. But these categorizations are unfair, and you’ll discover why in this article.

Not all spiders spin messy webs around the house. Many species don’t spin webs at all. And of the 3500+ spiders in North America, less than ten species can inflict bites requiring medical attention.

While some spiders do indeed seem creepy, there are several stunningly beautiful spiders, and Alabama is home to several of them. What creepy-looking species lack in appearance, they make up for by being useful.

Spiders eat a lot of insects and other pesky arthropods. At home, they help control the populations of annoying insects. In gardens and fields, they serve as natural pest controls.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the different types of spiders in Alabama. By the end, you’ll know how to identify different species and interesting facts about each one.

Spiders in Alabama

1. Southern Black Widow

Southern Black Widow ( Latrodectus mactans) on a white wall on Nat Mountain, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Advanced
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Latrodectus mactans
Other Names: Black Widow, Widow Spider
Adult Size: Up to 0.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The southern black widow is the most common black widow in Alabama.

It has black, glossy skin and a reddish hourglass marking on its underbelly. Unlike its northern sibling, this species’ hourglass marking is unbroken.

Thanks to popular culture, black widows are among the most well-known spiders, not just in Alabama but worldwide. These arachnids have developed a notorious reputation for being highly venomous and for their cannibalistic mating ritual.

Female black widows generally eat their male partners after mating. This mating ritual is where the species’ name comes from. Even if a male black widow escapes consumption by its partner, it’ll die off shortly after mating.

Of all spiders in Alabama and North America in general, black widows are among the most deadly spiders. The southern black widow’s venom is 15 times more toxic than a rattlesnake’s and can kill a human being. Therefore, their bites require urgent medical attention.

Fortunately, southern black widows aren’t as aggressive as they are deadly. These arachnids are pretty timid around people, running when threatened. They’ll only bite when threatened and unable to escape on time.

Children and adults with weakened immune systems are the most likely to die from a black widow bite. Healthy adults might only experience adverse reactions like fever, pain, muscle paralysis, vomiting, and sweating.

Low mortality from southern black widow bites is because, even though this spider’s venom can be lethal, the dosage the spider injects into humans is too little to kill most healthy adults.

Southern black widows are common in undisturbed places indoors, where they spin sticky cobwebs to catch prey. The spiders sting their victims to death before settling down to consume them later.

Insects and other arthropods are their staples.

2. Northern Black Widow

Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus variolus) walking over wooden floorboards on dry leaves in Lauderdale County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Advanced
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Latrodectus variolus
Other Names: Black Widow, Widow Spider
Adult Size: Up to 0.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The northern black widow is the southern black widow’s closest relative in Alabama.

Like its sibling, the northern black widow is shiny and black with a reddish hourglass marking on its belly. Unlike its sibling, this species’ hourglass is broken at the center.

Northern black widows, like southern black widows, are among the deadliest spiders in Alabama. Their bites can be fatal to children and adults, especially those with weak immune systems. But fortunately, they rarely inject enough venom to cause mortality.

If you suspect a black widow has bitten you, seek urgent medical attention. It’s not always clear what the outcome will be even if you’re healthy and have a strong immune system. Even if the bite isn’t lethal, the symptoms bite trigger can be debilitating.

You’ll generally find northern black widows indoors, although many also live outdoors. These spiders love secluded corners of the house and spots that haven’t been cleaned in a while.

They build tangled cobwebs that are extremely sticky and tough for prey to escape from. When insects enter these cobwebs, the spiders hurry over and immobilize them with venom. They move their catch somewhere else to eat later or digest them there.

Female northern black widows are larger than males and are the more recognizable of the two sexes. Their venom is also much more potent than males’, and the spiders tend to eat their partners after mating.

3. Brown Widow

Brown Widow (Latrodectus geometricus) on a leaf in Hoover, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Latrodectus geometricus
Other Names: Widow Spider, Button Spider
Adult Size: 2 to 3 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The brown widow is the lesser-known sibling of black widows. It also has a reddish-orange hourglass marking on its underbelly. But as its name suggests, it is brown, not black.

While the brown widow is technically as venomous as black widows, its bites aren’t considered medically significant. That’s probably why people don’t know as much about brown widows as they do about black widows.

The reason for the brown widow’s medically insignificant bites is simple. Its venom is as concentrated and toxic as the black widow’s. However, it injects a much smaller dose than black widows, so it doesn’t trigger extreme reactions.

Brown widows, like black widows, are cobweb spiders. They live indoors and outdoors and tend to hide in undisturbed parts of the house. Their cobwebs are messy and sticky, easily restraining prey that wanders into the webs.

These critters are carnivorous. And though they eat a wide range of arthropods, insects make up the bulk of their diet. The spiders are timid when confronted by predators or humans, running instead of defending themselves.

Like other widows in Alabama, female brown widows are larger than males. They also tend to eat their male partners immediately after mating.

Females have longer lifespans than males since even males that escape consumption die shortly after mating.

4. Brown Recluse

Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) on wood and web in Florance, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Advanced
Family: Sicariidae
Scientific Name: Loxosceles reclusa
Other Names: Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider, Fiddleback Spider
Adult Size: 0.24 to 0.8 inches
Lifespan: 2 to 4 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The brown recluse is one of Alabama’s most dangerous spiders.

Unlike black widows, its venom doesn’t carry the same risk of a quick death. But it can cause large ulcers that heal slowly and require medical treatment.

This species’ venom is cytotoxic, meaning it kills off cells and tissues around the bite area. What starts as a small bite injury can quickly spread into a large ulcer. If left untreated, the wound might leave an ugly scar or become infected with germs.

Unlike most spiders in Alabama, the brown recluse has only six eyes. Most spiders have eight. In addition, this species has a violin-shaped pattern on its carapace. The pattern starts behind the eyes and the violin handle runs the length of the carapace.

As their name suggests, brown recluses are brown. These critters are also pretty shy and reclusive, so they don’t wander around in the open unless they need to. You’ll usually find these arachnids in groups or clusters.

Despite their venomousness, brown recluse bites are uncommon. They run when threatened and only bite when they can’t escape. Even then, they sometimes inflict “dry” venomless bites just to scare predators and humans.

Brown recluses feed on other arthropods, sometimes preying on spiders too. They don’t catch prey using webs. Instead, these critters ambush and inject their victims with their cytotoxin before eating.

5. Eastern Parson Spider

Eastern Parson Spider (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus) on dry leaves in Camden, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Gnaphosidae
Scientific Name: Herpyllus ecclesiasticus
Other Names: Stealthy Ground Spider, Ground Spider
Adult Size: 0.3 to 0.8 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The eastern parson spider is a thick-haired black or gray Alabama spider with a white patterning running the length of its back. Its abdomen is large, and the spinnerets at the end extend out like two pikes.

This species’ name comes from the pattern on its back. That’s because the white marking looks like the neckband that clergymen (also called parsons) wore in the past.

Eastern parson spiders are common indoors, and they tend to hide in crevices, under objects, and in dark, damp parts of the house. These spiders are primarily nocturnal, so you can live with them for a long time before detecting their presence.

Eastern parson spiders have great eyesight and are quick on their feet. Unlike most spiders in Alabama, they don’t spin web traps to catch prey. These critters prefer chasing down their victims and stinging them into submission.

These spiders run in a zigzag pattern that makes escaping predators easy. They’ll generally run if you threaten them.

But when backed into a corner, eastern parson spiders fight back. They don’t hesitate to sting, and their bites can be pretty painful.

Although eastern parson spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey, they spin silk for other purposes. For example, females spin silk cocoons around their eggs to protect them until they hatch.

6. Chilean Recluse

Chilean Recluse (Loxosceles laeta) on a grey surface in Montevideo, Uruguay. – Source

Experience Level: Advanced
Family: Sicariidae
Scientific Name: Loxosceles laeta
Other Names: Corner Spider, Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider, Fiddleback Spider
Adult Size: 0.3 to 1.6 inches
Lifespan: 2 to 4 years
Average Price Range: N/A

Also called a corner spider, the Chilean recluse is a brown spider with a violin-like marking in its carapace. It has six eyes like the brown recluse, and both species are pretty hard to differentiate.

The Chilean recluse is native to Chile, not the US. But it’s a medically significant spider with a few populations in Alabama and some other southern US states. This close sibling of the brown recluse is the most dangerous of all recluse spiders.

This spider’s venom has cytotoxic properties that can trigger skin injuries of varying severity. Sometimes its bite leaves only a mild blister. Other times, it causes severe dermal injuries that destroy a wide skin area and takes longer to heal.

Fortunately, this species rarely bites, except when startled. Bites typically occur due to accidental skin contact, such as from wearing a cloth harboring the spider. Symptoms don’t show immediately, so seek immediate medical attention if this spider bites you.

You’ll often find the Chilean recluse in forests and woodlands. They hide under rocks, logs, and other debris, only venturing out when they need to. Although females hardly leave their nests, it’s more common for males and juveniles to wander from theirs.

These arachnids feed on other arthropods. Though insects are their main staple, Chilean recluses also eat other spiders. They kill their victims with their strong venom before eating.

These spiders can also go months without feeding.

7. Mediterranean Recluse

Mediterranean Recluse (Loxosceles rufescens) in sticks and rocks in Barcelona, Spain. – Source

Experience Level: Advanced
Family: Sicariidae
Scientific Name: Loxosceles rufescens
Other Names: Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider, Fiddleback Spider
Adult Size: 0.23 to 0.39 inches
Lifespan: 2 to 4 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The Mediterranean recluse is also related to the brown and Chilean recluses.

Although it isn’t originally native to the US, Alabama has a few populations of this species. Recognizing the species is important because it also inflicts medically significant bites.

Mediterranean recluses look very much like brown recluses. They are brown with six eyes and a violin pattern on their carapace. The handle of the violin marking often extends up to the end of the carapace.

You’ll find these spiders outdoors most of the time, under debris and rocks or logs. Sometimes, these spiders wander into home garages and artificial structures, where they conceal themselves in crevices or under objects.

Mediterranean spiders feed on small arthropods. Insects like roaches, silverfish, and ants make the bulk of their diet. However, these spiders aren’t afraid to prey on other spiders. They ambush their prey instead of trapping them with webs.

The venom of these spiders liquefies their victims before consuming them. In humans, it often causes blisters and ulcers that worsen if left untreated. Although death from a Mediterranean spider bite is extremely rare, it’s possible.

Thankfully, these spiders rarely bite people. They avoid human interactions and run when threatened. Bites only happen through accidental skin contacts that startle the spider.

8. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) in front of someone's house in Alabama, USA — Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) in front of someone’s house in Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Argiope aurantia
Other Names: Yellow Garden Spider, Black and Yellow Argiope, Yellow Garden Argiope, Zipper Spider, Zigzag Spider, Corn Spider, McKinley Spider, Golden Garden Spider, Steeler Spider
Adult Size: 0.75 to 1.1 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The black and yellow garden spider is a stunning and brightly colored orb-weaver that’s common in gardens and forests. It anchors its large web to plants or shrubs and sits upside-down in the center, waiting for prey to fly into its nest.

This species has a longer than wide abdomen with black and yellow patterns. The middle of the back is mostly black with pairs of yellow spots, while the rest of the abdomen is yellow with spherical or hoop-like black markings.

Black and yellow garden spiders also have silvery white hairs on their carapace, and their legs are long and spiny. The legs also have alternating black and yellow rings.

These arachnids feed primarily on the insects that their webs catch. Since they eat many insects, their presence in gardens helps control pests and unwanted bugs without the risk pesticides pose.

Yellow garden spiders aren’t aggressive toward people, and their venom is harmless. Their default response is to run when threatened, fighting back only when they can’t escape.

Despite their advantage as natural pest controls and low venomousness, many homeowners get rid of black and yellow garden spiders after discovering their webs.

9. Common House Spider

Common House Spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) hanging in its web in Pelham, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Parasteatoda tepidariorum
Other Names: American House Spider
Adult Size: 0.15 to 0.24 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The common house spider is a cobweb spider related to black widows. Though they belong to the same family, the cobweb spider is mostly harmless. It rarely bites, and when it does, its bites don’t cause any severe symptoms.

Most common house spiders you’ll encounter are indoors. These arachnids favor untouched corners and dark, secluded areas. Like their relatives, they spin messy cobwebs in their environment to catch prey.

It’s common to see several cobweb spiders in the same location. Their cobwebs are often only a few inches apart, and the arrangement can make many individual nests look like just one large cobweb.

Common house spiders are brown arachnids with black spots on their hairy, bulbous bellies. In addition, the last segment of their legs is covered in feathery hair. That’s why they and other members of their family are also called comb-foot spiders.

These spiders can be pretty shy around people. They run when threatened and are unaggressive towards humans and potential predators.

10. Banded Garden Spider

Banded Garden Spider (Argiope trifasciata) in grass in Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Argiope trifasciata
Other Names: Orb-weaver Spider, Yellow Garden Spider
Adult Size: 0.59 to 0.98 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The banded garden spider is the yellow garden spider’s sibling. Both species share some physical features, but the yellow garden spider is brighter and more colorful.

This species’ name comes from the bands running across its abdomen from side to side. Depending on the individual, these lines are often a mix of yellow, white, black, orange, and reddish-brown. The legs have alternating bands and the carapace has whitish hair.

Banded garden spiders tend to live in gardens. However, you’ll find these spiders in almost any habitat with good vegetation in Alabama. Such places include forests, woodlands, and shrublands.

You’ll typically find banded garden spiders sitting in the center of their orb-like webs, waiting for prey. These critters have weak eyesight and depend on the vibrations prey triggers when caught to locate their victims.

Banded garden spiders are beneficial to the environment because they help control insect populations. In gardens, they serve as cheap biological pest controls.

These spiders are unaggressive towards humans, so bites are uncommon. Even if one were to bite you, its venom is too weak to cause any serious symptoms.

11. Toadlike Bolas Spider

Toadlike Bolas Spider (Mastophora phrynosoma) on a rolled green leaf in Hamden, Connecticut, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Mastophora phrynosoma
Other Names: Bolas Spider
Adult Size: 0.5 to 0.75 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The toad-like bolas spider is one of the most fascinating spiders in Alabama. Females have a massive abdomen that’s shaped like an irregular blob or crowned mushroom. Although they are technically orb-weavers, they don’t build orb-shaped webs.

You’ll usually find these spiders lying on leaves with a silky mat under them, hiding from predators in the open. They sit with their legs around their cephalothorax. And from a distance, their brown color and blobby abdomen make them appear like bird poop.

But that’s not the only deceptive tactic these arachnids employ. Since they don’t spin orb-shaped webs to catch prey, they hunt prey by swinging a single strand of silk with a sticky ball (bolas) at the tip toward their prey.

When their victims (generally moths) fly into the silk balls, the spiders pull the moths and inject them with venom. What makes these spiders fascinating is how they attract the moths they prey on.

Toad-like bolas spiders attract moths by secreting a scent similar to the pheromones female moths use to attract male moths during mating seasons. Male moths, unaware the scent is from these spiders, fly towards the scent.

Toad-like bolas spiders can tell a moth is approaching using the vibration-sensitive hairs on their legs. These hairs pick up the vibration from the moth’s wing beat from a distance, giving the spiders enough time to get into a hunting position.

Males and female juveniles don’t capture prey the same way adult females do. They usually use their legs directly to seize prey before immobilizing them with venom.

Female bolas spiders are several times bigger than males, and they live longer. Males are usually more reddish to orange and resemble spiderlings when placed near fully grown females.

Toad-like bolas spiders aren’t aggressive towards people, and their venom is harmless.

12. Star-bellied Orbweaver

Starbellied Orbweaver (Acanthepeira stellata) in the dark on its web in New Hope, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Acanthepeira stellata
Other Names: Star-bellied Spider
Adult Size: 0.19 to 0.59 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The star-bellied orb-weaver is a brown spider with whitish hair on its carapace and pointed protrusions around the top edges of its abdomen. These protrusions give the abdomen the appearance of a crown or star, hence the spider’s name.

Like most orb-weavers, this species builds an orb-shaped web, which it relies on for food. It lacks quality eyesight, so it uses vibratory signals on its web’s strands to tell if an insect has wandered into its web. Afterward, the spider rushes over to kill its victim.

You’ll usually find star-bellied orb-weavers in forests, woodlands, tallgrass prairies, and other places with good vegetation. They sit upside-down in the middle of their vertical webs and are unaggressive towards people.

When threatened by predators, these spiders abandon their nests and run. They only bite as a last resort if they can’t escape, but their venom is harmless to humans.

Female star-bellied orb-weavers spin silk cocoons around their eggs to keep them safe. Sadly, the spiders don’t live long enough to raise their young.

13. American Grass Spider

Grass Spider (Agelenopsis spp.) in its funnel web in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Agelenidae
Scientific Name: Agelenopsis spp.
Other Names: Funnel Weavers, Funnel-web Spiders, Sheet-web Spiders, Ground Spiders
Adult Size: 0.4 to 0.8 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

American grass spiders are easy to mistake for wolf spiders based on appearance alone. But unlike wolf spiders, these arachnids are funnel weavers with poor eyesight that rely on their webs to catch prey.

These spiders typically have a light mid-band on their carapace bordered on both sides by a broad, dark brown band. The abdomen is long with a less distinct pattern of dark lines running down.

You’ll find American grass spiders outdoors in fields, prairies, and bushes. But it’s also common for some of these spiders to migrate indoors in the fall season to escape falling temperatures.

There’s no reason to panic if you find grass spiders in your home. These critters don’t bite people unprovoked, and their venom is only effective at immobilizing prey. The venom is harmless to humans, only causing mild pain and redness.

American grass spiders’ webs aren’t sticky. But the tangled mass above the web usually knocks insects down mid-flight. When the insects drop to the sheet below, the spiders hurry over to attack.

14. Marbled Orbweaver

Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) on its web in a tree in Orrville, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Araneus marmoreus
Other Names: Pumpkin Spider
Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.7 inches
Lifespan: Less than 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The marbled orb-weaver is an orange or orange-brown spider with a massive abdomen. The dominant color on the abdomen varies widely, with yellow and orange being among the most common colors.

This spider’s name comes from the marble-like pattern on its back. The pattern is sometimes symmetrical with streaks of yellow, black, green, and reddish markings. The legs typically have black and white or orange bands.

Like many orb-weavers in Alabama, the marbled orb-weaver spins wheel-like nests to rest in and catch prey. Unlike many species in the state, this spider doesn’t sit in the center of its web.

Marbled orb-weavers often sit at the edges of their webs in a retreat made out of silk and dried leaves. They remain connected to their webs’ center via a line of silk or “signal thread” that vibrates when the webs catch prey or a predator trespasses.

These spiders are unaggressive, so they usually run when threatened. They rarely, if ever, bite people. But even if one were to bite you, the venom isn’t strong enough to cause any serious symptoms.

You’ll usually find marbled orb-weavers in forests, gardens, and woodlands.

15. Red-spotted Ant-mimic Spider

Red-spotted Ant-mimic Sac Spider (Castianeira descripta) on someone's fingers off Pike Road, Alabama, USA — Red-spotted Ant-mimic Sac Spider (Castianeira descripta) on someone’s fingers off Pike Road, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Corinnidae
Scientific Name: Castianeira descripta
Other Names: Ant Mimic Spider
Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The red-spotted ant mimic spider belongs to a genus of spiders with behavioral and physical adaptations that make them look like ants. For example, this species typically walks with only six of its eight legs.

It walks around with its first pair of legs raised up to mimic a six-legged ant’s antennae. In addition to this behavioral adaptation, the shape of this spider’s body is ant-like. It has a black body with reddish markings on its belly.

Red-spotted ant-mimic spiders imitate ants so they can get close to these insects without detection. Once within reach, these spiders attack the ants and immobilize those they can with venom. They eat their catch immediately or keep them for later.

These arachnids don’t catch prey using silk webs, but they employ silk for other purposes. For example, adult red-spotted ant-mimic spiders spin silk sacs for shelter. Females also spin silk cocoons around their eggs for protection.

You’ll usually find red-spotted ant mimic spiders resting in their sacs or loitering around ants. They build their nests near anthills and ant colonies for easy access to these insects.

Although these spiders enjoy preying on ants, they also eat other insects and arthropods.

Red-spotted ant mimic spiders are unaggressive towards people and rarely bite. When forced to bite, you might experience pain and develop some redness. But the spider’s venom is harmless.

16. Long-palped Ant Mimic Sac Spider

Long-palped Ant-mimic Sac Spider (Castianeira longipalpa) on a leaf in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Corinnidae
Scientific Name: Castianeira longipalpa
Other Names: Ant Mimic Spider, Manybanded Ant Mimic Spider
Adult Size: 0.19 to 0.39 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The long-palped ant mimic sac spider is another ant-lookalike. Although its physical resemblance to ants isn’t as convincing as the red-spotted ant-mimic spider’s, it has the same behavioral adaptations.

This critter pretends to be like six-legged ants by walking on only six of its eight legs. The first pair of legs, this spider always holds up like an ant’s antennae to get close to ants undetected.

Fortunately for this spider, this adaptation is often enough to get it within ant circles. This proximity to ants allows them to easily prey on these insects for nutrition. Although ants are its favorite prey, it also consumes other arthropods.

The long-palped ant mimic sac spider is a hunter that doesn’t spin webs to catch its prey. However, adults spin sac-like shelters out of silk to rest in while inactive. Females also spin silk sacs to protect their eggs.

This species is primarily black with white or yellowish lines on its body. The carapace has plenty of yellowish-brown hair covering it, and the lower half of its first two leg pairs are brown or tan.

Long-palped ant mimic sac spiders are entirely safe to be around. They don’t bite humans unprovoked. And even when they bite, their venom doesn’t trigger any serious symptoms.

17. Woodlouse Spider

Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera crocata) nestled in a small hole in the ground in Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Dysderidae
Scientific Name: Dysdera crocata
Other Names: Woodlouse Hunter, Slater Spider, Pillbug Hunter, Roly-Poly Hunter, Long-Fanged Ground Spider, Sowbug Hunter, Sowbug Killer, Cell Spider, Orange Spider
Adult Size: 0.35 to 0.59 inches
Lifespan: 3 to 4 years
Average Price Range: N/A

You’ll generally find woodlouse spiders in forests and woodlands.

They often hide under debris and rocks near rotting logs near woodlouse populations. Although woodlouse spiders eat all sorts of arthropods, woodlice are their favorite.

Woodlouse spiders have great eyesight and don’t need webs to catch prey. They stalk their victims and pounce with great speed, sinking their long, sharp fangs into their victims’ bodies and immobilizing them with venom.

These arachnids are reddish with a dark red carapace and a light brown or grayish belly. Their fangs are long and prominent. And unlike other spiders in Alabama, these critters have only six eyes arranged in a circular pattern.

Although woodlouse spiders live primarily outdoors so they can be around woodlice, you may also encounter these critters indoors. They hide in crevices, closets, and other dark, tucked-away places.

Woodlouse spiders aren’t dangerous to humans. Their bites might hurt, but their venom doesn’t trigger any significant symptoms. Thankfully, woodlouse spiders are unaggressive toward humans unprovoked, so bites are rare.

Females of this species spin silk cocoons around their eggs to keep them safe before hatching.

18. Pantropical Huntsman Spider

Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) on a white wall in Henry County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Scientific Name: Heteropoda venatoria
Other Names: Giant Crab Spider

The pantropical huntsman is a crab-like spider with long arms.

Although it isn’t a crab spider, its first two leg pairs are curved and spread out in front the way crab spiders do. This species is light brown with dark or reddish-brown markings on its body.

Female pantropical huntsman spiders are larger than males, but they have slightly shorter legs. Both have cream or yellow bands in front of their eyes and reddish-brown chevron markings on the second half of their carapace.

Pantropical huntsman spiders are hunters that seize prey without using webs. When prey is within reach, the spiders grab their victims and inject them with venom.

This venom is painful but harmless to humans, though it kills prey. Thankfully, bites are rare.

You’ll usually find these spiders outdoors in warmer seasons. However, they migrate indoors when temperatures are low because they don’t do well in the cold.

They can make good housemates because they stay out of your way while helping you control pests.

19. Magnolia Green Jumping Spider

Magnolia Green Jumping Spider (Lyssomanes viridis) on a leaf in Jefferson County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Salticidae
Scientific Name: Lyssomanes viridis
Other Names: Magnolia Green Jumper
Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The magnolia green jumper can jump several times its height. It does so by altering the pressure in its legs before extending them. The spider also spins silk draglines to give it stability and prevent injury in case a jump fails.

Although this spider spins silk draglines to assist with jumps, it doesn’t spin webs to trap prey. The magnolia green jumper, like all jumping spiders, is a hunter that prefers to stalk and pounce on its victims.

This spider has sharp eyes that help it navigate its surroundings with precision. Like its jumping spider relatives, the magnolia green jumper’s best eyes bulge from its head and are larger than the others. Unlike most of its relatives, this pair is green instead of black.

The magnolia green jumping spider is a translucent green arachnid with a hairy abdomen and a yellow to orange marking around some of its eyes. Besides the bulging pair, the remaining eyes are black.

You’ll find magnolia green jumping spiders in forests, bushes, and woodlands. These spiders are common on magnolia plants, which is what they have been named after. Females wrap their eggs in silk sacs and watch over them in their nests.

These arachnids are harmless to humans. They don’t bite unprovoked. Even if they did, the venom they produce is too weak to harm humans.

20. Dimorphic Jumper

Dimorphic Jumping Spider (Maevia inclemens) on a leaf in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Salticidae
Scientific Name: Maevia inclemens
Other Names: Dimorphic Jumping Spider, Jumping Spider
Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The dimorphic jumper is unique because males come in two distinct physical forms, while females have only one form.

Interestingly, there is no apparent reason for this difference in males. It’s also impossible to tell which morph a juvenile male will take on.

One morph is called the black or tufted morph. As expected, this morph has a black body and three black tufts on its head. However, the legs of this morph are white, not black.

The other morph is called the gray, striped, or tuftless morph. This morph’s body is gray, but its legs have black and white stripes running down them. In addition, the pedipalps of this morph are orange to yellow and the head lacks tufts.

Female dimorphic jumping spiders have a whitish face, a light brown carapace, and a rust-colored belly with a chevron pattern in the middle. Two red or black lines also run down the sides of their abdomen.

Dimorphic jumpers, like other jumping spiders in Alabama, have excellent vision and can make impressive jumps. These arachnids jump several times their body height using only the pressure in their back legs and silk draglines for stability mid-air.

They don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, these spiders use their sharp vision to locate prey and then chase down or ambush them. Once close, the spiders leap on their prey and inject their victims with venom.

Female dimorphic jumpers spin silk cocoons around their eggs after laying them. These arachnids are very protective of their eggs, standing watch over them until the eggs hatch into spiderlings.

You’ll find dimorphic jumping spiders outdoors in forests, woodlands, gardens, and parks. They love to hop on vertical surfaces like tree barks and fences outdoors, but they also sometimes wander indoors.

21. Giant Lichen Orbweaver

Giant Lichen Orbweaver (Araneus bicentenarius) hanging from a leaf in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Araneus bicentenarius
Other Names: Lichen-marked Orb-weaver
Adult Size: 0.39 to 1.2 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The giant lichen orb-weaver is a brown spider with a massive abdomen. This abdomen has several colors, such as green, brown, and black.

However, green is the dominant color. The overall pattern that these colors form resembles the lichen found on rocks.

Like other orb-weavers in Alabama, this species makes orb-shaped webs with radial spokes. Its webs are massive, sometimes spanning eight feet.

It has poor eyesight and spends plenty of time sitting upside-down on its web, waiting for prey to come around.

This species uses vibratory signals to detect prey and rushes over to subdue its victims with venom. If the source of the vibration turns out to be an intruder the spider can’t subdue, it abandons its web instead of fighting back.

To avoid predators, the giant lichen orb-weaver usually sits on the edges of its web instead of the center. It’s also more active at night when most of its natural predators are inactive.

You’ll find giant lichen orb-weavers among vegetation in prairies, gardens, and forests. These arachnids are also common in artificial structures, where they anchor their webs to eaves and fences.

Giant orb-weavers are among the heaviest spiders in Alabama. But they are pretty harmless to humans.

22. Southern House Spider

Southern House Spider (Kukulcania hibernalis) climbing a brick wall in Clanton, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Filistatidae
Scientific Name: Kukulcania hibernalis
Other Names: Southern House Spider
Adult Size: 0.35 to 0.75 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 7 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The southern house spider is a dark brown spider with a grayish-brown abdomen. Though often mistaken for a brown recluse, this species is easy to tell apart because it lacks the violin marking characteristic of recluses.

You’ll find this species in many homes in Alabama and other southern US states. It spends nearly all of its life inside crevices in the ground or on walls. Females, in particular, are hard to come across outside their webs.

Southern house spiders are also called crevice spiders because of this habit. Unlike other species that spin their webs out in the open, these arachnids build their webs inside of their crevices. They rely on their webs for food.

You can safely handle these spiders because they scarcely bite. Even if one were to bite you, there’s no need to worry because the species’ venom is not medically significant.

23. Hacklemesh Weaver

Hacklemesh Weaver (Metaltella simoni) on a rock in Hoover, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Desidae
Scientific Name: Metaltella simoni
Other Names: Hacklemesh Weaver, House Spider, Cribellate Spider, South American Toothed Hacklemesh Weaver
Adult Size: 0.23 to 0.39 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The hacklemesh weaver is a brown spider with a black or dark brown face and a hairy black or dark gray belly.

The middle of the belly also has a light chevron pattern running down it. In addition, the lateral eyes of this species are bigger than the middle pairs.

Originally native to South America, the hacklemesh weaver was first introduced to the US in the 1940s. It has spread to become common in many US states, although it is uncommon in others.

You’ll find this spider in woodlands and forests, where it often hides among logs, rocks, and other debris. This species is also present indoors, and it prefers corners and crevices.

It’s called a cribellate spider because the webs it spins are mesh-like, tangled, and disorganized. It uses vibratory signals on the strands to detect prey before rushing over to immobilize its victims.

This spider is harmless to humans.

24. Bold Jumping Spider

Bold Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax) on a wooden surface in Elgin, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Salticidae
Scientific Name: Phidippus audax
Other Names: Bold Jumping Spider, White-spotted Jumper, Daring Jumper, Daring Jumping Spider
Adult Size: 0.25 to 0.75 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The bold jumper is named after its love for performing incredible, daring jumps. It can leap 40-50 times its own body height, and it does all these using short, stout legs and a silk dragline.

This species jumps by altering the blood pressure in its back legs before extending them. If a jump goes wrong, it uses the silk safety line it spins to steady itself and avoid injuries.

You’ll find the bold jumper in forests, parks, and gardens. It is common on vertical surfaces like tree barks, window panes, and fence posts. Although it’s mostly outdoors, this species sometimes strays indoors in search of food or shelter from the cold.

You can identify this species by its black, hairy body. The back of the belly has three orange-red spots and the legs have white hairy bands. Unlike its lookalikes, this species has metallic green fangs to differentiate it.

The bold jumper, like other jumping spiders in Alabama, has excellent vision. It uses its eyes to locate prey and chases its victims down instead of making webs to catch them.

Although this spider doesn’t build conventional webs, it does spin small silk nests for itself. Females also fashion silk cocoons which they use to wrap their eggs. They protect their eggs fiercely until the eggs hatch.

25. Spitting Spider

Common Spitting Spider (Scytodes thoracica) on a rough surface in Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Scytodidae
Scientific Name: Scytodes thoracica
Other Names: Spitting Spider
Adult Size: 0.15 to 0.25 inches
Lifespan: 1.5 to 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The spitting spider is a light brown to yellow spider with several dark brown markings and a few unique qualities. First, it has a dome-like cephalothorax and belly of roughly the same size.

This spider has six eyes instead of the eight other spiders in Alabama have. In addition, it has a unique ability to shoot or spit toxic silk at prey from its head. This silk usually immobilizes insects that come in contact with it, making them easy food for the spider.

Spitting spiders can shoot toxic silk from their heads because they have extra silk glands on their heads. When they shoot silk, it often comes out liquid, only solidifying when it touches prey.

You’ll find spitting spiders indoors and outdoors. They don’t bite, and their silk is harmless to humans. Their high-insect diet makes them beneficial to have around.

These arachnids are hunters that don’t trap their victims using conventional traps. However, their eyesight isn’t as sensitive as that of other hunting spiders in Alabama. Fortunately, they have an effective workaround.

When hunting, the spitting spider first gets close to its prey. It then starts to tap around the insect with its long front legs, hoping it can pinpoint its victim’s exact location by vibratory signals. It covers its victim in toxic silk immediately it figures it out.

26. False Black Widow

False Black Widow (Steatoda grossa) on a gray surface in Tula, Russia. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Steatoda grossa
Other Names: False Widow, Brown House Spider, Dark Comb-footed Spider, Cupboard Spider
Adult Size: 0.25 to 0.4 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 6 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The false black widow is related to the southern black widow.

Like black widows, it has a bulbous belly and glossy skin. Many people unfamiliar with black widows mix them up, but they are easy to tell apart.

False black widows are generally brown, not black. Even dark false black widows are usually dark brown or dark purple instead of true black. If in doubt, check the spider’s underbelly. False widows lack the hourglass markings characteristic of true widows.

You’ll find false black widows indoors and outdoors. Indoors, they favor corners and undisturbed spaces, where they build tangled cobwebs to catch prey.

These spiders prey on insects and other spiders, including true black widows.

False widows can be beneficial at home since they control pest insects and prevent black widows from taking up residence. Unlike widows, their venom is not medically significant.

Bites might hurt, but bites are rare because the spider is unaggressive.

27. Triangulate Combfoot

Triangulate Combfoot (Steatoda triangulosa) on a light marbled background in Harvest, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Theridiidae
Scientific Name: Steatoda triangulosa
Other Names: Triangulate Cobweb Spider, Triangulate Bug Spider
Adult Size: Up to 0.25 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The triangulate cobweb spider is a black widow relative with a brown body and a bulbous belly.

Broad and wavy dark brown lines run down its abdomen. The spaces between these wavy lines are light brown and triangular, hence the spider’s name.

This species builds sticky cobwebs to trap prey. Since its eyesight is poor, it relies on vibratory signals on its web strands to detect prey caught in its cobweb. It then hurries over to kill its victim with venom.

Triangulate cobweb spiders feed on various kinds of insects. They are common indoors, where they help control pest insect populations. Look for their cobwebs in ceiling corners, window sills, garages, and furniture bends.

Despite this spider’s relation to black widows, its venom is pretty harmless. You might experience pain and mild swelling, but nothing major.

Thankfully, even these symptoms are uncommon because the spider scarcely bites.

Female triangulate cobweb spiders are larger than males, and they live much longer. Males don’t survive much long after mating.

28. Southeastern Wandering Spider

Southeastern Wandering Spider (Anahita punctulata) walking on dry leaves in Monroe County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Ctenidae
Scientific Name: Anahita punctulata
Other Names: Wandering Spider
Adult Size: 0.19 to 1.57 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The southeastern wandering spider is a light brown spider with long, spiny legs. It often rests with its legs folded near its body, so it might seem dead if you don’t get close enough.

Originally native to South America, this species has established sizable populations in some US states. You’ll find it in forests and woodlands, where it lives in burrows, or among plants and fruits. It is related to the infamous Brazilian wandering spider.

Although these spiders don’t attack unprovoked, they will bite when backed into a corner. Thankfully, their venom doesn’t trigger any medically significant symptoms. But it can hurt pretty badly.

Southeastern wandering spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, these hunters ambush their targets down and inject them with venom. Insects make up the bulk of their diet, but they also eat other arthropods.

Females wrap their eggs in silken sacs to protect them. They guard their eggs for as long as they can until the spiderlings hatch.

After maturing, the young spiderlings move out to start their own lives.

29. Tailed Cellar Spider

Tailed Cellar Spider (Crossopriza iyoni) in its web in greenery in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Pholcidae
Scientific Name: Crossopriza iyoni
Other Names: Tailed Daddy Longlegs, Box Spider, Daddy Longlegs, Vibrating Spider, Cellar Spider, Daddy Longlegger, Granddaddy Longlegs
Adult Size: 0.1 to 0.28 inches
Lifespan: 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The tailed cellar spider is a light brown to gray arachnid with a broad belly and long legs stippled with black spots.

From the top, the belly is oblong, but the angles are sharp and pointed if viewed from the sides. That’s why it’s also called a tailed or box spider.

Although the spider’s incredibly long legs justify its name, “daddy longlegs,” it isn’t the original daddy longlegs spider. The original daddy longlegs spiders are harvestmen, a group of spider-like arachnids with long legs.

You’ll find the tailed cellar spider indoors and outdoors. Indoors, it lives in cellars, window sills, and ceiling corners. It spins large, sometimes obtrusive, webs to catch prey and for shelter.

The tailed cellar spider has six eyes arranged in a U-shape. These eyes have very poor vision, so the spider uses vibratory signals to detect prey on its webs instead. When insects stray into its web, the spider hurries over and injects them with venom.

Like many members of its family, this species’ venomousness is the subject of speculation. You’ll often hear people say it’s one of the most venomous spiders in the world, only that its fangs can’t penetrate human skin. This assumption is false.

Tailed daddy longlegs can kill small insects with venom, but their venom is too weak to harm humans. They run when threatened, biting only when restricted. Whether their fangs penetrate human skin or not is debated, but you won’t experience any symptoms.

These spiders can be beneficial to have around because they help control insect populations. However, some people consider them pests because their webs can be an eyesore.

30. Humpbacked Orbweaver

Humpbacked Orbweaver (Eustala anastera) on a leaf at Pine Glen Campground Vicinity, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Eustala anastera
Other Names: Orb-weaver
Adult Size: 0.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The humpbacked orb-weaver is a brown to gray spider with a hairy carapace.

The abdomen is massive and humped with symmetrical dull yellow markings peppering the top and sides. Like many orb-weavers, the legs are spiny and banded.

You’ll find this spider in large, orb-shaped webs that can be up to six feet across. The humpbacked orb-weaver sits in the center of its web, waiting for insects to fly into its nest. Flying insects like flies and mosquitoes are among its favorite meals.

Despite its eight eyes, this species has poor vision. But it has very good vibration sensors on its feet that allow it to detect prey and potential predators. When a trapped prey struggles, causing the web to vibrate, the spider rushes over to kill it with venom.

The venom of this spider is effective against prey, but it is harmless to humans. When threatened, the spider abandons its web and only returns when the threat has passed.

This spider is common in gardens, forests, prairies, and other places with plenty of vegetation. You’ll also find its web anchored to other man-made structures around homes in residential areas.

Whether you remove this spider from your home or not is up to you. But it’s good to leave it since it’s beneficial in controlling other potentially harmful pests.

31. Black Laceweaver

Black Laceweaver (Amaurobius ferox) in dry hair-like structures in Lubusz, Poland . – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Amaurobiidae
Scientific Name: Amaurobius ferox
Other Names: Cribellate Spider
Adult Size: 0.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The black lace-weaver is a dark spider with shades ranging from black and dark brown to reddish-brown or tan.

The abdomen and face are darker and hairier than other parts of the spider’s body. In most variants, the back of the abdomen has a yellowish marking in the middle.

This species is a cribellate spider, and the webs it spins are intricate meshes or lace-like structures. That’s why it’s called a lace-weaver. The webs are thin and sticky, helping this spider capture prey.

It spins its web at night because it is nocturnal, and then it retreats to its crevice to rest instead of waiting for prey on its web. Although it is primarily nocturnal, the black lace-weaver often emerges from its crevice to take care of spiders trapped in the daytime.

The black lace-weaver lives in dark, damp places. It’s common indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, you’ll usually find it under rocks and rotting logs. Indoors, it hides in crevices and wall cracks.

Female black lace-weavers wrap their eggs in protective silk sacs and guard them until the eggs hatch. The spiderlings live with their mothers for a while, nourishing themselves on the trophic eggs their mothers lay for them.

The young spiderlings have the peculiar habit of consuming their mothers shortly after emerging from eggs and molting.

Black lace-weavers don’t inflict medically significant bites, but their bites hurt. Most people experience only pain and swelling, but you may also develop small blisters around the bite area after the pain subsides.

32. Twin-flagged Jumping Spider

Twin-flagged Jumping Spider (Anasaitis canosa) on a leaf in Montgomery County, Texas, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Salticidae
Scientific Name: Anasaitis canosa
Other Names: Twin-flagged Jumping Spider
Adult Size: 0.15 to 0.39 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The twin-flagged jumper is a black and brown arachnid with white markings on its carapace and abdomen.

It’s called a twin-flagged jumper because its pedipalps have white patches at their joints. When the spider moves its pedipalps while walking, the patches resemble white waving flags.

In other areas, this species is pretty typical. It can leap several times its height due to its strong back legs and ability to control the pressure in them. It also spins a silk dragline for support when making these jumps.

Like other jumping spiders, the twin-flagged jumper doesn’t build web traps to catch prey. It has excellent vision and prefers to seek out its meals instead. When prey gets close, the spider pounces on it and immobilizes it with venom.

You’ll encounter twin-flagged jumpers in forests, where they often hang around on leaf litter, rocks, plants, or tree barks. In residential areas, they are common on fence posts, window panes, and walls.

Twin-flagged jumping spiders are harmless to humans. They are fun to watch and (if you can catch them) easy to handle.

33. Northern Yellow Sac Spider

Northern Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium mildei) on a flower stem in Fort Bend County, Texas, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Eutichuridae
Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium mildei
Other Names: Long-legged Sac Spider, American Yellow Sac Spider
Adult Size: 0.16 to 0.40 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The northern yellow sac spider is a greenish-yellow spider devoid of any distinct patterns beyond a slightly darker stripe on the abdomen. The face is darker than the rest of the body, and the belly has two prominent pikes at the rear.

Unlike web-building spiders in Alabama, this species is an active hunter. It doesn’t spin webs to catch prey, preferring to chase its targets and subdue them with its venom.

This venom, while lethal to prey, is harmless to humans. You might experience mild pain, redness, and swelling after this spider bites you.

These symptoms may be more pronounced in allergic people. However, the symptoms fade on their own without any lasting impacts.

Although it doesn’t spin typical silk webs, the northern yellow sac spider builds silk sacs to rest in when inactive. That’s why it’s called a sac spider. The species is nocturnal, so it spends most of the day in its sac.

You’ll find northern yellow sac spiders indoors and outdoors. Most sightings are indoors, where the spider often hides in crevices, closets, and other dark, damp places.

Female northern yellow sac spiders lay their eggs in silk cocoons, which they keep safe until the eggs hatch into spiderlings.

34. European Garden Spider

Cross Orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) on its web in front of leaves in Masovian, Poland. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Araneus diadematus
Other Names: Crowned Orb-weaver, Orangie, Cross Spider, Cross Orb-weaver, Diadem Spider, House Spider, Pumpkin Spider
Adult Size: 0.22 to 0.79 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The European garden spider is closely related to the giant lichen orb-weaver.

Both species share a similar wavy-edged pattern on their backs. However, European garden spiders also have several light markings that form a cross in the middle of their backs.

You’ll usually see the European garden spider in gardens, forests, woodlands, and other places with high foliage. Like other orb-weavers, this species spins a large wheel-shaped web and sits on it, waiting for prey.

This arachnid has poor eyesight, so it depends on the vibrations of its web strands to detect and locate prey. When prey enters its web, the spider scurries toward its target and injects it with venom before wrapping it up to consume later.

The European garden spider’s venom often kills small insect prey. However, the venom is harmless to humans. Bites are uncommon, but when they happen, you’ll only experience mild pain, itchiness, or no symptoms at all.

European garden spiders are beneficial around the house because of their high insect consumption. They can help control the populations of pests in the garden and other harmful insects that might invade your home otherwise.

35. Bowl and Doily Spider

Bowl-and-doily Spider (Frontinella pyramitela) in its web in Launderdale County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Linyphiidae
Scientific Name: Frontinella pyramitela
Other Names: Sheet-weavers
Adult Size: Up to 0.15 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

Bowl and doily spiders are tiny brown arachnids with white comma-like lines running vertically down the sides of their large abdomen. The lines often curve under the belly, where they turn yellowish or cream instead of white.

These sheet weavers are named after their peculiar nests. The nest is a two-part structure with a bowl-shaped silk web on top and a flat, doily-like web under. Although the web isn’t sticky, it catches insects effectively.

The web of this species has a tangled mass of silk above the bowl. Flying insects often crash into this silk mass mid-flight, dropping down to the sheet or bottom of the bowl. Immediately the insects fall down, the bowl and doily spiders inject them with venom.

You’ll usually find these spiders in forests and woodlands, where their large webs are easily recognizable. Their webs often run parallel to tree trunks, anchored to branches at the top and to tree trunks at the base.

It’s unusual to see a male and female spider sharing the same nest outside mating seasons. However, bowl and doily spiders often live in the same nest outside mating seasons. Their pairing isn’t necessarily romantic, as the spiders often compete for food.

Bowl and doily spiders are harmless spiders that don’t bite unprovoked. Even if they did, their venom is too weak to cause any serious symptoms in humans.

36. Spiny-backed Orbweaver

Spinybacked Orbweaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis) on a leaf in McCalla, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Gasteracantha cancriformis
Other Names: Crab-like Orbweaver, Spiny Orbweaver Spider
Adult Size: 0.06 to 0.375 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

Spiny-backed orb-weavers are stunning. The legs and cephalothorax are black, while the abdomen is white with black spots that give the back an overall smiley-like pattern. In addition, the back has about three pairs of spine-like protrusions around the edges.

These arachnids get their name from the spiny protrusions on their backs. The color of the pointy crowns varies with individuals, with most being either black or reddish-brown. Unlike females, males have fewer spines. Their abdomen is also grayish with white spots.

You’ll find spiny-backed orb-weavers sitting on their orb-shaped webs waiting for prey. They consume insects like wasps, mosquitoes, flies, moths, and beetles. Like other orb-weavers, these spiders have poor eyesight and rely on vibration to sense prey.

When predators attack these spiders, the arachnids typically abandon their webs and take cover elsewhere. They’ll only return to their webs after the threat has left.

Spinybacked orb-weavers are common in areas with plenty of vegetation, such as forests and shrublands. You may also find them in gardens and other artificial structures in residential quarters. These spiders are harmless to people.

37. Golden Silk Orbweaver

Golden Silk Spider (Trichonephila clavipes) on its web near trees in Bladwin County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Trichonephila clavipes
Other Names: Banana Spider, Banana Orb-weaver, Golden Silk Spider, Calico Spider, Golden Orb-weaver, Giant Golden Orb-weaver
Adult Size: 1 to 1.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The golden silk orb-weaver, unlike many orb-weavers, has a long and slender abdomen.

The body has a slight curve that’s earned it the name “banana spider.” However, you shouldn’t confuse it with the Brazilian banana spider.

The Brazilian banana spider is a highly venomous spider that’s called so because it often hides in bananas. Compared to it, the golden silk orb-weaver is harmless. The golden silk orb-weaver doesn’t bite unprovoked, and its venom doesn’t cause any serious reactions.

Golden silk orb-weavers have a yellow belly with several columns of white markings. The carapace is dark but covered in whitish hair. In most variants, there are black spots on the carapace that form a skull-like pattern.

These spiders have long golden-yellow legs. The last segments and joints of these legs are reddish-brown and often bear feathery hair tufts.

Golden silk orb-weavers are called golden silk orb-weavers because the silk they spin has a golden-yellow tint. They use this silk to create intricate wheel-like webs and sit in the center waiting for prey.

Like many orb-weavers in Alabama, male golden orb-weavers are much smaller than females.

38. Red-legged Purseweb Spider

Red-legged Purseweb Spider (Sphodros rufipes) on sand and rocks off Palmertown Road, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Atypidae
Scientific Name: Sphodros rufipes
Other Names: Purseweb Spider, Atypical Tarantula, Atypical Spider
Adult Size: 0.57 to 0.98 inches
Lifespan: 10 to 25 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The red-legged purseweb spider is a black or reddish-brown arachnid with red or reddish-brown legs.

Unlike males, females have darker legs. The abdomen ends in two pikes, and the spider’s fangs point downward without crossing each other.

This spider doesn’t spin typical webs to catch prey, but it isn’t an active hunter either. It builds vertical tunnels out of silk and debris on the sides of trees or rocks. When insects climb down the tube’s wall outside, the spider bites them through the wall and pulls them in.

You’ll scarcely see this species wandering outside its silk tube, except during mating seasons when males seek out mates. Although you might encounter this species in residential areas, it is more at home in undisturbed parts of hardwood forests and woodlands.

There’s very little information about the life cycle of this species because of its shy, solitary nature. The spider rarely bites people, and its venom doesn’t cause any serious symptoms.

However, you might have stronger reactions to its venom if you’re allergic.

39. Broad-faced Sac Spider

Broad-faced Sac Spider (Trachelas tranquillus) on a leaf in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Trachelidae
Scientific Name: Trachelas tranquillus
Other Names: Bullheaded Sac Spider, Sac Spider
Adult Size: 0.19 to 0.39 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The broad-faced sac spider is a reddish spider with a very dark carapace and a brown or grayish abdomen. Its first pair of legs are dark red, but the intensity fades as you count towards the last leg pair.

It’s easy to mistake this species for the woodlouse spider because they look alike. However, broad-faced sac spiders have eight eyes, not six like woodlouse spiders. The eyes of broad-faced sac spiders are also widely spaced, not arranged in a circular pattern.

You’ll find broad-faced sac spiders indoors and outdoors. Indoors, they hide in crevices and dark, undisturbed spots. Outdoors, you’ll find them under debris, logs, and rocks around the house or in forests and bushes.

These spiders don’t spin conventional silk webs to catch prey. Instead of such webs, they live in sac-like nests they spin out of silk. They rest in their nests when inactive and come out to hunt at night.

Broad-faced sac spiders have great eyesight and prefer to track down and ambush their prey. Aside from consuming live prey, these spiders also act as the vultures of the arachnid world. That’s because they have a penchant for feeding on decaying insects.

These arachnids don’t bite unprovoked. And though their venom is not medically significant, the bites they inflict can be painful. Bite sites are also prone to infection because of the germs left on the spiders’ mouthparts after eating decaying arthropods.

40. White-banded Crab Spider

White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) on a pink flower in Winston County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Thomisidae
Scientific Name: Misumenoides formosipes
Other Names: Yellow Crab Spider, Red-banded Crab Spider, Flower Crab Spider, Crab Spider, White Crab Spider, Ridge-faced Flower Spider, Red-banded Spider
Adult Size: 0.31 to 0.55 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The white-banded crab spider’s name comes from the white band running through the plane of its eyes. Females are yellow, light brown, or white and have red, dark brown, or black markings on their abdomen.

Male white-banded crab spiders, on the other hand, are usually reddish or greenish with a golden yellow abdomen, while the first four leg pairs are dark brown. Males are also much smaller than females.

Like other crab spiders, this species’ first two pairs of legs are larger than the rest. The first two pairs curve forward and are almost always spread out. The abdomen is also oval and wider at the rear than the waist.

You’ll usually find white-banded crab spiders among vegetation in forests. They spend most of their time on flowerheads, waiting for prey. That’s why they’re also called flower crab spiders.

Females, unlike males, almost never leave the flowerheads. They ambush insects that come to pollinate the flowers they’ve made home. Since they don’t spin webs, they rely on their speed and strength to quickly seize and inject their victims with venom.

Female white-banded crab spiders can change their color to match the flowers they live on. Although this color change can take days and they can only switch between white and yellow, the camouflage it gives them makes ambushing prey easy.

Male white-banded crab spiders lack this ability and are more active than females. Like females, they catch prey directly instead of using webs. But they often have to chase down and subdue their victims.

Although white-banded crab spiders don’t spin typical webs, they use silk for other purposes. Females lay their eggs in protective silk cocoons and protect these eggs for as long as they can.

White-banded crab spiders are harmless to humans and rarely bite.

41. Furrow Orbweaver

Furrow Orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) hanging from its web at Guntersville Dam, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Larinioides cornutus
Other Names: Furrow Orb Spider, Furrow Spider, Foliate Spider
Adult Size: 0.4 to 0.5 inches
Lifespan: 1 Year
Average Price Range: N/A

The furrow orb-weaver is a brown spider with spiny legs bearing black and brown bands. The carapace is reddish-brown and hairy, while the massive abdomen is light brown or grayish-brown with a broad black or dark brown pattern in the middle.

This abdominal pattern runs from the waist to the rear dorsally and has wavy edges that resemble the furrows left behind after plowing the ground. When viewed completely, the pattern also looks like a leaf with serrated edges, hence its other name, “foliate spider.”

Like most orb-weaving spiders in Alabama, this species builds orb-shaped webs with some sticky threads. The spider often sits on its web while waiting for prey. Since its eyesight is weak, it uses vibration on the web strands to locate prey.

You’ll find furrow orb-weavers in forests, woodlands, and other places with rich vegetation. They are also common around homes, where they often spin their webs parallel to walls and under eaves or porches.

They are most active at night when they come out to eat insects like mosquitoes and flies caught in their webs. During the day, they spend most of their time hiding in retreats near their web.

Furrow orb-weavers are not aggressive spiders. Bites are extremely rare, but you’ll be fine even if one bites you.

The species’ venom is too weak to cause any serious symptoms.

42. Running Crab Spider

Running Crab Spider (Philodromus spp.) on a leaf somewhere off Pike Road, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Philodromidae
Scientific Name: Philodromus spp.
Other Names: Crab Spiders
Adult Size: Up to 0.75 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

Running crab spiders aren’t true crab spiders, but they get a pass because they behave like true crab spiders. For example, these arachnids often hold their first two pairs of legs forward and at a curved angle when walking, just like true crab spiders.

There are many ways to tell these spiders apart from true crab spiders. One way is to examine the legs. Though the first two leg pairs of running crab spiders seem longer than the rest, only the second pair is. In true crab spiders, both leg pairs are larger and longer than the rest.

Running crab spiders are light to dark brown spiders. The middle of the carapace is light, while the abdomen is mostly dark brown. The spiny legs also have dark brown mottles and bands.

These arachnids are hunters that don’t spin webs to catch prey. They have good eyesight and are fast runners, so they usually chase down their victims and inject them with venom.

You’ll typically find running crab spiders in forests and woodlands. They often run on the ground in search of prey, and their mottled brown color provides them with excellent camouflage among dried leaf litter.

Running crab spiders are harmless to humans.

43. Six-spotted Fishing Spider

Six-spotted Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton)on a leaf in the water in Ragland, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Pisauridae
Scientific Name: Dolomedes triton
Other Names: Fishing Spider
Adult Size: 0.5 to 0.75 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The six-spotted fishing spider is a semi-aquatic arachnid common near streams, rivers, and other natural water bodies. It inhabits moist coastal forests and woodlands, but it is also present in drier places.

This species is a hunter spider, so it doesn’t spin webs to trap its victims. It has great eyesight, speed, and strength, qualities that make hunting easy. Fortunately for it, it’s skilled at hunting on both land and water.

When hunting on water, the six-spotted fishing spider often stands on the water surface listening for vibrations triggered by prey moving underneath. It dives into the water to sting and retrieve its target immediately after figuring out its location underneath.

Although the spider mostly eats aquatic insects and other arthropods, it’s common for the spider to catch and eat tiny non-arthropods like fish and tadpoles. When hunting, it can stay submerged in water for several minutes before resurfacing.

The six-spotted fishing spider is dark brown with six dark spots on its sternum, which is where its name comes from. It also has six pairs of whitish spots running down its abdomen and a yellowish-white stripe around the carapace and (sometimes) abdomen.

This hairy spider often sits with its legs stretched out on all sides. While the sight of this spider can be intimidating, you shouldn’t panic if you find it in your house. It doesn’t bite unprovoked, and its venom is harmless.

44. Lined Orbweaver

Lined Orbweaver (Mangora gibberosa) on its web at Old Rocky Ridge, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Mangora gibberosa
Other Names: Orb-weaver
Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.25 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The lined orb-weaver has a green carapace with a dark line running through the middle.

Its abdomen is usually whitish or cream and has a long rusty brown or black line running in the middle. In some individuals, two shorter lines run along the sides of the long one.

Like other orb-weaving species in Alabama, this spider spins wheel-like webs that concentrate at the center. But the lined orb-weaver’s nest is one of the easiest to differentiate.

The center of the line orb-weaver’s web is often reinforced with thickened silk, forming a thick, white ring on which the spider usually sits when waiting for prey. This area of reinforced silk likely stabilizes the web and makes it more resistant to damage.

Lined orb-weavers have poor eyesight, so they use vibratory signals to locate prey caught in their webs. They quickly head over to finish off their catch after sensing these signals.

You’ll find lined orb-weavers in places rich with vegetation, such as gardens and forests. These spiders are harmless to humans, and they rarely, if ever, bite people.

45. Basilica Orbweaver

Basilica Orbweaver (Mecynogea lemniscata) tangled in its web in Colbert County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Araneidae
Scientific Name: Mecynogea lemniscata
Other Names: Basilica Orb-weaver
Adult Size: 0.19 to 0.35 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The basilica orb-weaver is a colorful spider with yellow, red, green, brown, black, and white patterns on its belly. The sides are mostly green with white spots, while the back has a long yellow and brown pattern sandwiched by red and white lines.

This orb-weaver’s cephalothorax is brown or yellow, and its carapace has one narrow black or dark brown line in the middle and two broader ones at the edges. The legs vary from pale gray to green and brown, but they are spiny.

Although this species is often mistaken for the orchard orb-weaver, they are easy to tell apart once you’ve seen pictures of both species.

You’ll find basilica orb-weavers in forests and other vegetation-rich areas in Alabama. These arachnids build spiral webs and wait for insects to fly into them before attacking. You’ll usually spot the webs on plants.

The webs basilica orb-weavers spin are dome-like. Unlike many orb-weavers, they prefer to repair damaged webs instead of eating and rebuilding them.

They spin new webs atop old ones if the old ones are irreparable. Basilica orb-weavers are harmless spiders.

46. Golden Jumping Spider

Golden Jumping Spider (Paraphidippus aurantius) on a leaf at Ruffner Mountain, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Salticidae
Scientific Name: Paraphidippus aurantius
Other Names: Emerald Green Jumper, Emerald Jumper, Emerald Green Jumping Spider, Golden Jumping Spider, Golden Jumper
Adult Size: 0.28 to 0.47 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The golden jumping spider is a stunning spider with dimorphic sexes.

Females are golden brown with emerald green hair on their belly and carapace. In most variants, the abdomen has pairs of black spots. An orange band also curves around the top of the abdomen.

In contrast, males are black with a white band instead of orange. Only the middle of the abdomen is emerald green. White markings replace the black spots on the belly, and the carapace has a white stripe on each side.

You’ll find the golden jumper in forests, gardens, parks, and on vertical surfaces around homes. Like many jumpers, this species is energetic and super active. So it often jumps from surface to surface.

The golden jumping spider can leap several times its height, thanks to its strong back legs and the silk draglines that give it stability in the air. It makes every jump by regulating the blood pressure in its legs before forcefully extending them.

This species has excellent vision and agility, so it prefers to stalk and ambush prey without webs. Though it doesn’t spin silk webs, it often fashions a silk nest for itself to hide in when inactive.

Female golden jumping spiders also host their eggs in protective silk cocoons after laying them. They keep the egg sacs in their nests and guard them until spiderlings emerge from the eggs.

Golden jumping spiders are unaggressive spiders with a venom that’s too weak to harm humans.

47. Green Lynx Spider

Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) on a yellow flower with prey in its mouth in Valley Head, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Oxyopidae
Scientific Name: Peucetia viridans
Other Names: Lynx Spider
Adult Size: 0.47 to 0.63 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The green lynx spider is common among plants in forests and shrublands.

Its body is green, and its legs are pale green with black spots and spines. It’s called a lynx spider because it often runs and pounces on its prey the way a cat does.

Like many hunters, this spider ambushes its prey without spinning a web. Its eyesight isn’t as great as other hunters like jumping spiders. But its green body provides it with excellent camouflage when hunting insects and other arthropods on plants.

Due to its high-insect diets, many scientists have proposed its use in controlling field pests. The spider has a penchant for targeting crop-damaging pests. But sadly, it can be indiscriminate by also preying on beneficial insects.

Although green lynx spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey, they use silk for other purposes. They spin silk draglines when jumping, the way true jumping spiders do. Females also spin silk sacs to house their eggs.

Females fashion shelters out of leaves and silk for their eggs and protect them fiercely. Although the spiders are generally unaggressive and rarely bite humans, females guarding their egg sacs will bite in self-defense.

Besides spitting spiders, this species is the only spider in Alabama capable of shooting venom at prey. Bites can hurt, but the spider’s venom is harmless to humans.

48. Neil Young’s Trapdoor Spider

Neil Young's Trapdoor Spider (Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi) on someone's thumb off Pike Road, Alabama, USA — Neil Young’s Trapdoor Spider (Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi) on someone’s thumb off Pike Road, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Euctenizidae
Scientific Name: Myrmekiaph Tila neilyoungi
Other Names: Trapdoor Spider, Wafer-lid Trapdoor Spider
Adult Size: Up to 1.38 inches
Lifespan: 10 to 25 years
Average Price Range: N/A

Trapdoor spiders are unique because they live underground in tunnels covered with trapdoors. These trapdoors are built out of silk and debris, and they have one hinge that the spiders use to open and close their tunnels.

Neil Young’s trapdoor spider is a fairly recently named trapdoor spider. It was named in 2007 after Neil Young, a Canadian-American rock musician. When hunting, the spider hides behind its trapdoor and yanks insects walking by into its burrow.

Unlike many hunters that don’t trap prey with webs, this species relies on vibratory signals it picks up from the ground when insects walk by. Insects make up the bulk of this spider’s diet, but it eats several types of arthropods.

Like many trapdoor spiders, this species is brown. The mouthparts are very dark, followed by the abdomen. The rest of the body is relatively lighter. You’ll also notice that the cephalothorax bulges in front, but is very flattened towards the rear.

Neil Young’s trapdoor spider has six eyes, instead of eight. Although it looks dangerous, it isn’t. Its bites are medically insignificant, but they can hurt. Fortunately, bites are uncommon.

49. Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver

Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver (Florinda coccinea) in its web in leaves off Pike Road, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Linyphiidae
Scientific Name: Florinda coccinea
Other Names: Red Grass Spider, Scarlet Sheet-weaver
Adult Size: 0.12 to 0.16 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The black-tailed red sheet-weaver is a small spider with a red or oxblood body.

The end of the abdomen is black, hence the “black-tailed” in its name. In many individuals, the legs are pale green and spiny.

You’ll find the black-tailed red sheet-weaver in prairies, fields, and gardens. It spins a flat, sheet-like web for shelter and to catch prey. While the web is not sticky, the structure is efficient at catching insects for the spider.

This spider’s sheet web is usually suspended by a tangled mass of threads above. When flying insects accidentally crash into the tangle, the impact knocks them down to the sheet below where the black-tailed red sheet-weaver attacks them immediately.

Tiny flying insects like flies and mosquitoes make the bulk of this species’ diet. But it’ll eat almost any arthropod it successfully subdues in its web. While its venom is toxic to small insects, it is harmless to humans.

The black-tailed red sheet-weaver doesn’t bite people unprovoked. When threatened, its first instinct is to run and seek shelter elsewhere until the threat has passed.

50. Carolina Wolf Spider

Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis) on rocky ground at Catalina Foothills, Arizona, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Lycosidae
Scientific Name: Hogna carolinensis
Other Names: Giant Carolina Wolf Spider
Adult Size: 0.70 to 1.37 inches
Lifespan: Up to 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The Carolina wolf spider is the largest wolf spider in Alabama.

This species is the official state spider in South Carolina. It’s hairy, lives in burrows, and is often mistaken for a tarantula by people unfamiliar with tarantulas.

Although it is sometimes active during the day, the Carolina wolf spider is primarily nocturnal. It lives in a variety of places, from forests and woodlands to residential areas, sometimes wandering indoors in search of prey.

Like other wolf spiders, this species is a skilled hunter that doesn’t use webs to catch prey. It tracks down its victims and pounces on them, subduing them with venom. Hunting usually happens at night.

The Carolina wolf spider’s body is brown and black, helping it blend into the background when among leaf litter on forest floors. A narrow tan line runs down the middle of the carapace, between two broad black lines. But the edges are light brown.

The edges of the spider’s abdomen are usually black. In the middle, there’s a black stripe that runs down halfway. The second half of the center is patterned by brown, chevron-like markings.

Though Carolina wolf spiders don’t spin silk webs, they spin silk sacs to hold their eggs. Like other wolf spiders in Alabama, females carry their egg sacs on their backs until the eggs hatch.

Young Carolina wolf spiders ride on their mothers’ backs for a while before dispersing. During this time, they nourish themselves on the yolk sac on their mothers’ backs. They start eyeing each other as prey when the yolk finishes, prompting them to move on.

Carolina wolf spiders don’t bite people unprovoked, but their bites can hurt. Luckily, the venom they produce is too weak to harm humans. You’ll likely experience pain and mild swelling but nothing more serious.

51. Long-bodied Cellar Spider

Long-bodied Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides) on its web against a white wall in Prattville, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Pholcidae
Scientific Name: Pholcus phalangioides
Other Names: Daddy Longlegs, Cellar Spider, Daddy Longlegger, Carpenter Spider, House Spider, Granddaddy Longlegs, Vibrating Spider, Skull Spider
Adult Size: Up to 0.4 inches
Lifespan: 2 years
Average Price Range: N/A

The long-bodied cellar spider is one of the most common spiders in the United States.

It has a long abdomen and a brown body with mottled legs. Like most cellar spiders, the legs of this species are long, up to six times the spider’s body length.

You’ll find the long-bodied cellar spider indoors and outdoors. Indoors, it favors cellars, hence the name. But it’s also common in ceiling corners, window sills, and the joints of chairs and furniture that haven’t been cleaned in a while.

Like most spiders in Alabama, this species builds webs to trap insects and other arthropods. Its eyesight is poor, so it uses the vibration of insects caught in its web to locate victims before attacking.

When threatened, the long-bodied cellar spider shakes its web vigorously. That’s why it’s also called a vibrating spider. This action dissuades predators and makes the spider blurry within its web, preventing predators from pinpointing it.

The spider abandons its nest and seeks shelter elsewhere if its vibration doesn’t dissuade intruders. It only comes back to its nest when the threat is gone.

Although you’ll see many stories claiming this species is highly venomous online, there’s no need to panic when you see them. The long-bodied cellar spider’s venom is harmless to humans, and it doesn’t even bite unprovoked.

52. Orchard Orbweaver

Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) on a rock in Jackson County, Alabama, USA. – Source

Experience Level: Beginner
Family: Tatragnathidae
Scientific Name: Leucauge venusta
Other Names: Long-jawed Orb-weaver, Venusta Orchard Spider
Adult Size: 0.14 to 0.3 inches
Lifespan: 1 year
Average Price Range: N/A

The orchard orb-weaver is a small, colorful spider with a long, slanted abdomen.

In most variants, the top and front of the abdomen is predominantly silvery white with green and yellow markings. The rear is mostly green, black, orange, and yellow.

This spider’s carapace is yellowish-green with brown stripes at the edges. In addition, its legs are long and translucent green.

Like many orb-weaving spiders in Alabama, this species spins circular webs with radial threads that run toward the center. It often builds its web vertically or at an oblique angle to the ground.

You’ll usually find the orchard orb-weaver in the center of its web. It uses its web to catch prey. But since it has poor eyesight, it has to depend on vibratory signals from the web strands to locate captured insects.

The orchard orb-weaver is common in orchards, hence its name. However, you’ll also find this species in many forests, gardens, and shrublands.

They also sometimes anchor their webs to artificial structures around houses and are harmless to humans.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably still have questions about spiders in Alabama. Read on to find the answers to your most pressing questions.

What do spiders in Alabama eat?

Spiders in Alabama eat the same things spiders all over the world eat—arthropods. Insects make up the bulk of their diet because insects are more readily available than other types of arthropods.

Many spiders also eat other spiders, including their species members. Others prey on small non-arthropod invertebrates and vertebrates, although this is less common. In addition to arthropods, juvenile spiders may also eat plant matter like pollen.

Do spiders in Alabama have good eyesight?

Some spiders in Alabama have good eyesight, while others don’t. Broadly speaking, web-building species have weak eyesight, while active hunters have great vision.

Spiders with weak eyesight often rely on vibratory signals to understand their surroundings. That’s why web-building spiders use vibratory signals on their web strands to detect prey or potential predators.

Where can I find spiders in Alabama?

Spiders are everywhere in Alabama. You’ll find spiders indoors in ceiling corners, window sills, attics, garages, between furniture that hasn’t moved in a while, and damp, undisturbed places.

Outdoors, it’s common to find spiders under eaves, near walls, or in gardens, forests, and other vegetation-rich places. While spiders are common indoors, you’ll find more diverse species outdoors.

Are there any poisonous spiders in Alabama?

Yes. There are venomous spiders in Alabama. As a general rule, all spiders are venomous.

What varies is the degree of their venomousness. Most spiders in Alabama only possess mild venom, but some species have deadly venom.

Black widows and recluses are the only spiders that can inflict medically significant bites in the state. It’s necessary to seek urgent medical care if any of these spiders bite you.

Can a spider bite kill you?

Yes. While deaths resulting from spider bites can kill, it’s an extremely rare occurrence. Most spiders in Alabama are incapable of killing with their bites, but a few species can inflict lethal bites.

Black widows inject a neurotoxic venom that’s potentially fatal to children, elderly people, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Fortunately, the spiders only inject small doses that don’t kill in most cases.

Recluses inject a cytotoxic venom that destroys cells and tissues by liquefying them. Their venom can result in terrible ulcers. And in extreme cases, death.

What is the deadliest spider in Alabama?

Black widows and recluses are the deadliest spiders in Alabama. Black widows are considered the deadlier species because their venom, when lethal, causes symptoms that quickly compound and cause death.

However, recluses can also kill. While deaths from recluse bites are often the result of secondary infection of bite sites, there are a few records of people dying shortly after being stung by a recluse.

Recluse bites are more severe because they leave lasting scars on the victim, while people who survive black widow bites don’t suffer any lasting damage.

Are there brown recluses in Alabama?

Yes. There are brown recluses in Alabama. However, these spiders aren’t encountered as frequently as other species because of their shy, reclusive nature.

Are there jumping spiders in Alabama?

Yes. Alabama is home to a wide variety of jumping spider species, from bold jumpers to emerald jumping spiders.

Are there black widows in Alabama?

Yes. There are black widows in Alabama. The two species in the state are the northern black widow and the southern black widow.

Are there tarantulas in Alabama?

There’s currently no record of tarantula populations in Alabama, so it’s safe to say the spiders aren’t native to the state. Tarantula species you encounter here might be imports or hitchhikers from other states.

Is it legal to own a pet spider in Alabama?

Spiders aren’t on the list of prohibited pets in Alabama, so you can own pet spiders in Alabama without facing any legal problems. You only need to make sure that you aren’t taking endangered species out of the wild.

Most spiders in Alabama have secure populations, so it’s unlikely you’ll run into any trouble. When choosing spider pets, it’s best you go for species with mild venom that don’t cause serious symptoms when they bite.

How many species of spiders are there in Alabama?

There are over 90 spider species in Alabama. The exact number is unclear, so you’ll see this number change depending on the source you consult. Regardless of the number, only about 40 to 50 something of Alabama’s spiders are common.

What are the most common spiders in Alabama?

Cobweb spiders and orb-weavers are among the most common spiders in Alabama. You’ll see these arachnids around homes and in gardens. Indoors, cobweb spiders are more common. Orb-weavers prefer living outdoors, around house structures and vegetation-rich places.

Wrapping up

Alabama is home to dozens of beautiful spiders, the majority of which are totally harmless. Though it’s common to find some highly venomous species in the state, these spiders never bite people unprovoked.

The spiders in Alabama are vital to the ecosystem. They also help gardeners and homeowners keep harmful or annoying pests at bay because of their dietary choices. This benefit comes at no cost to the environment.

If you’re a fan of spiders, you’ll find many great species to adopt in Alabama. These critters are easy to care for and are pretty low maintenance compared to more conventional pets.

Hopefully, this guide has taught you to better appreciate the different types of spiders in Alabama.

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