Spiders in Connecticut

There are over 40 different types of spiders in Connecticut.

However, only a tiny fraction of these spiders can inflict painful bites. Even better, only one species’ bite is serious enough to harm humans.

Spiders get a bad rap for many reasons. But once you get to know these arachnids better, you’ll quickly realize that most of the reasons you fear them are unfounded. These critters are unaggressive creatures that are as wary of you as you are of them.

They avoid human interaction, which is why indoor species often build their webs in undisturbed places. And not even all of them build webs. Many species are comfortable hiding in crevices, only coming out to look for food.

When threatened, their first instinct is to run. They don’t bite people unless they’re left with no option, and only a few species explore this last resort. Many don’t bite, even when threatened.

Spiders are beneficial around the house, especially because they keep more sinister arthropods at bay. They do this by consuming insects that act as pests and vectors in your gardens and homes.

In this guide, you’ll learn about the different spiders in Connecticut and interesting facts about each species.

Spiders in Connecticut

1. Northern Black Widow

• 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 a shiny black arachnid with a bulbous abdomen and a reddish-orange hourglass marking on its underbelly. It’s one of three black widow species found in the United States.

Unlike its siblings, the hourglass marking on this species’ underbelly is broken in the center. Instead of a complete hourglass shape, the marking looks like two triangles instead.

All female black widows are larger than their male counterparts, and northern black widows are no different. Females of this species also live longer lives and tend to consume males after mating, hence the “widow” in their name.

Besides consuming their partners, black widows have also built up a reputation for being highly venomous. They are the only spiders in Connecticut capable of inflicting bites requiring medical attention.

The venom these spiders produce is several times more potent than a rattlesnake’s. Bites are very painful and can cause latrodectism, a condition marked by muscle rigidity, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, and profuse sweating.

In extreme cases, bites may lead to death. Children and adults with immunocompromised systems are the most vulnerable to such adverse outcomes. Thankfully, such an outcome is extremely rare.

Part of why people survive widow bites is that the spiders rarely inject people with a venom dosage high enough to cause death. But it’s impossible to tell what the outcome will be, so seek urgent medical attention if you suspect this spider has bitten you.

You should know that despite being highly venomous, black widows rarely bite people. They are unaggressive and will run when threatened, only biting as a last resort if unable to escape.

These spiders are common indoors in secluded corners and garages, where they spin sticky cobwebs to trap arthropod prey. When prey gets stuck, the spiders quickly sting their catch before eating.

2. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

• 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 arachnid with a black and yellow body.

Its yellow abdomen has a broad black stripe running down the middle. In most individuals, this central stripe bears a few pairs of yellow spots.

The rest of the abdomen is yellow with black spiral markings, while the carapace is covered in whitish or silvery hairs. Its long legs have alternating black and yellow bands.

You’ll usually find this arachnid in areas with rich vegetation. As its name suggests, it’s common in gardens around residential places. But this species is also abundant in woodlands and forests.

Black and yellow garden spiders are orb-weavers, so they build wheel-like webs with radial threads and spokes that spread out from the hub. The spiders sit upside-down in the hub, waiting for flying insects to crash into the web strands.

When insects hit the web, the spiders detect this through vibratory signals and run toward their targets. They quickly immobilize their victims with venom before consuming them or wrapping them up for later.

Black and yellow garden spiders are only aggressive toward prey, not humans. They’ll run if you threaten them, only biting when you prevent them from escaping. Thankfully, their venom is harmless.

These arachnids are good to have in your garden, so there’s no need to get rid of them if you notice them there. Their diet includes many types of garden insects that would otherwise be pests to you and your plants.

3. European Garden Spider

• 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 a brown or orange orb-weaver with an oval abdomen larger than its cephalothorax. This abdomen bears a central dark pattern with serrated edges that narrows towards the end of the abdomen.

You’ll notice a series of whitish dots in the middle of the broad dark pattern. These whitish dots form a cross-shaped pattern, which is why the spider is also called a cross orb-weaver.

European garden spiders are common in gardens and other places with vegetation. While you may be tempted to kill anyone you find in your garden, you probably shouldn’t. These spiders are beneficial to you and your garden because of their diet.

These arachnids consume many insects and small arthropods that would otherwise be pests to your plants or nuisance indoors. You can think of them as free biological pest control.

European garden spiders feed on insects by trapping them in large, wheel-shaped webs. The spiders sit in the center, waiting for flying insects to crash into the strands before hurrying over to kill and eat their victims.

These spiders are not aggressive to people. When threatened, they vibrate their webs vigorously to dissuade the threat from approaching. If this tactic fails, the spiders abandon their webs and run away until the threat passes.

It’s rare for these spiders to bite humans. Bites only happen as a last resort when the spiders are unable to escape threats. Even then, their bite is harmless.

You might experience mild pain or itching if you’re allergic, but their venom is weak.

4. Northern Yellow Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Eutichuridae
• Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium mildei
• Other Names: Long-legged Sac Spider, American Yellow Sac Spider
• Adult Size: 0.16 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The northern yellow sac spider is usually greenish-yellow or yellowish-green.

However, some individuals are somewhat between cream and white. The face of this arachnid is black, and its only distinct body pattern is a dark stripe at the top of its abdomen.

This arachnid is slightly more venomous than other spiders, but it’s nowhere as venomous as black widows. While most people have mild or no reactions to its venom, allergic people might develop slight fever and small sores in the bite area.

You’ll typically encounter this species indoors, hiding in crevices, closets, cellars, and other dark or secluded places. It’s nocturnal, so it can go months without you noticing its presence in your home.

Northern yellow sac spiders live in sac-like shelters when they’re inactive. That’s why they are called sac spiders. Unlike most spiders in Connecticut, these critters don’t spin conventional prey-trapping webs.

Northern yellow sac spiders are skilled hunters with speed and good eyesight. When hunting, they chase down or ambush their targets before subduing them with venom.

They may then consume their catch immediately or save them for later.

5. Banded Garden Spider

• 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 a close sibling of the black and yellow garden spider.

This species has a wide abdomen with bands of many colors, from yellow to white, brown, and orange. That’s why it’s called a banded spider.

You’ll find this arachnid in gardens, forests, tall grass prairies, woodlands, and other places with trees and plants on which it can anchor its web. It sits upside-down in the hub with its long, banded legs stretched outwards.

Like other orb-weavers in Connecticut, this species depends on its web for food. It waits for flying insects to crash into the strands and get stuck. Afterward, the spider uses vibratory signals to locate and finish them off.

Banded garden spiders, like black and yellow garden spiders, are beneficial in gardens because of their high insect diet. They help control garden pests and keep annoying insects like flies and mosquitoes at a minimum.

There’s almost no downside to having them around besides the possibility of running into their webs sometimes. But the spiders are completely harmless.

Their venom is mild, and they don’t bite people unprovoked.

6. Red-spotted Ant-mimic Spider

• 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 is a fascinating arachnid with a shiny abdomen and reddish spots on the second half of its abdomen. It has some behavioral and physical adaptations to help it look like an ant, so you might mistake it for an ant if you don’t look closely enough.

For starters, this spider’s abdomen has a similar shape to the bellies of most regular ants. It also only walks on six of its eight legs. It walks with its first two legs held up to mimic the antennae of true six-legged ants.

The red-spotted ant-mimic spider and feeds on arthropods, but ants are its favorite targets. Fortunately for it, its mimicry helps it approach ants without suspicion before attacking, This mimicry also helps it evade predators that prey almost exclusively on spiders.

This arachnid is a hunter, so it doesn’t use webs to trap its victims. When close enough, the spider leaps at its targets. It seizes them and quickly immobilizes them with venom before settling down to eat.

You’ll usually encounter red-spotted ant-mimic spiders outdoors. They tend to live short distances from ant colonies, allowing them to hunt these insects anytime they want.

Although red-spotted ant mimic sac spiders can deliver painful bites, their venom is harmless to humans. The spiders also rarely bite people unprovoked, You have to threaten them to force them to bite you.

7. Eastern Parson Spider

• 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 hairy black or gray arachnid with a whitish marking on its back. This marking runs from its carapace to its abdomen and looks like the cravat or neckband 18th-century clergymen wore.

It’s called a parson spider because parson is another name for clergy members. Besides the white pattern, the spider’s body is uniform.

Eastern parson spiders are fast arachnids that run in a zigzag way, qualities that make them effective at escaping predators. These same qualities also make them adept hunters that don’t use webs to catch prey.

These critters ambush or chase down their victims instead of building webs to catch them. Once within reach, the spiders seize and inject their targets before consuming them.

Eastern parson spiders don’t attack people unprovoked. However, they can be pretty aggressive when threatened and won’t hesitate to bite. Their venom is harmless, but the pain from their bites can be excruciating.

Most sightings of these arachnids happen indoors. The spiders are nocturnal, coming out to hunt at night and retreating into crevices and closets before daybreak.

They avoid human interactions, so you can live with them for months without knowing.

8. Common House Spider

• 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 with a hairy, brown body. Its bulbous abdomen is mottled with dark brown or black spots, and its legs end in comb-like structures.

This arachnid is related to black widows. However, it’s nowhere as venomous. Its bite can be painful, but it won’t trigger any medically significant symptoms in humans. It also doesn’t bite people unless threatened and unable to escape.

You’ll encounter the most common house spiders indoors. They build tangled, sticky cobwebs in ceiling corners, window sills, furniture bends, and in other parts of the house.

Like most web-building arachnids, these critters rely on their webs for food. The spiders wait for insects or other small arthropods to get stuck in their sticky cobwebs.

They then quickly sting their targets with venom before eating.

9. Dark Fishing Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisauridae
• Scientific Name: Dolomedes tenebrosus
• Other Names: Raft Spider, Dock Spider, Wharf Spider
• Adult Size: 0.27 to 1 inch
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The dark fishing spider is a semi-aquatic arachnid with a hairy brown body covered in dark brown mottles. There’s a dark V-shaped marking in the middle of its carapace, and the second half of its abdomen bears several rows of W-shaped markings.

You’ll typically find dark fishing spiders around water bodies or in coastal forests and woodlands. However, these critters sometimes move beyond this range into drier areas and people’s homes.

As semi-aquatic spiders, dark fishing spiders are comfortable hunting on land and water. They don’t use webs to catch prey, preferring to stalk and pounce on their targets instead.

When hunting in water, these arachnids stand on the surface and listen for vibrations to detect prey under the water’s surface. They then dive in to quickly seize and immobilize their targets. They can stay submerged in water for several minutes before resurfacing.

Dark fishing spiders can appear intimidating because of their size and hairy bodies. But they aren’t aggressive towards people. Like most spiders in Connecticut, they don’t bite unless threatened. Bites are painful, but the venom is harmless.

Despite not being web-builders, these critters spin silk for other purposes. For instance, female dark fishing spiders spin silk sacs to wrap their eggs after hatching.

They then protect their eggs for as long as they can before spiderlings emerge.

10. Zebra Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Salticus scenicus
• Other Names: Zebra Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 0.25 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The zebra spider is a black or gray arachnid with white patches on its body. It’s called a zebra spider because these white patches on its body form irregular white stripes, creating a black-and-white pattern similar to that seen on real-life zebras.

This species is a jumping spider capable of leaping multiple times its height. It jumps by modifying the fluid pressure in its legs just before jumping. In addition, this critter spins a silk dragline every time it jumps to reduce injury risk if the jump fails.

Besides being skilled jumpers, zebra spiders have excellent vision. This quality, along with their speed and jumping prowess, makes them effective predators. That’s why they don’t spin webs to trap prey.

Zebra spiders scout prey to ambush before attacking. When their targets are within range, these spiders leap on them and sink their poisonous fangs into their victims’ bodies. They then consume their catch immediately or prepare them for later.

These arachnids are only aggressive toward prey, not humans. They run when threatened and will only bite people as a last resort when prevented from escaping. Thankfully, their venom is harmless to humans even when they’re forced to bite.

You can handle zebra spiders without any problems if you’re careful with them. The spiders tend to get excited and jump around often, but they make great companions for humans.

You’re more likely to come in contact with zebra spiders outdoors than indoors. They are common in fields, parks, and forests. Sometimes, these spiders wander indoors when searching for food.

Zebra spiders live in silk nests when inactive. These nests are very different in structure from conventional prey-trapping webs, and the spiders typically build them on the ground.

Females also spin silk sacs to hold their eggs after laying.

11. Long-palped Ant-mimic Sac Spider

• 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 a black arachnid with brownish or yellowish hair on its carapace. Its abdomen and hind legs bear lateral bands of the same color, while the second half of its first two leg pairs are brown.

Like the red-spotted ant mimic spider, this species has behavioral adaptations that help it mimic ants and approach them without detection. It walks on only six of its eight legs, holding its first two legs up to mimic the antennae of true ants.

Although this critter feeds on other arthropods, ants are its preferred prey. But it doesn’t use webs to catch them the way orb-weavers and other web-building spiders do. Instead of webs, this species relies on its mimicry and speed when hunting.

After infiltrating ants successfully, this spider finds a target and pounces on it, quickly immobilizing its victim with venom. It may eat its catch immediately or drag it away to eat later.

The venom of this spider, while toxic to ants, is harmless to humans. Their bites might hurt, but you won’t develop any serious symptoms. Fortunately, these spiders don’t seek out people to bite. They’ll only bite you if you’re aggressive toward them.

You’ll find long-palped ant mimic sac spiders outdoors in places like forests. In most cases, these spiders camp near anthills or other ant colonies to maintain closeness to their favorite prey.

Although long-palped ant mimic sac spiders don’t build webs to catch prey, they spin silk shelters for themselves. Their shelters are sac-shaped, which is why they’re called sac spiders.

12. Ground Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Trochosa terricola
• Other Names: Wolf Spider
• Adult Size: 0.28 to 0.55 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The ground wolf spider is a brown spider with a light brown stripe running down the middle of its carapace. A dark brown stripe borders this light stripe on each side, and its mottled abdomen has a light cardiac marking.

The abdomen of female ground wolf spiders is reddish, while males have much darker front legs. Like other wolf spiders, the eyes of both sexes are arranged in three rows. There are four eyes on the first level and two on each of the second two levels.

You’ll find ground wolf spiders outdoors. They are partial to arid places with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation, often hiding under rocks and other debris. However, these spiders are also common in woodlands and residential areas.

Ground wolf spiders feed on various arthropods, especially insects. These arachnids are skilled hunters, so they don’t use webs to trap prey. Instead, these hunters chase down or ambush their victims before subduing them with a venomous bite.

The venom in these spiders’ bites isn’t medically significant to humans, and the spiders don’t bite people unless threatened. However, if one bites you, the bite area might hurt as much as a bee sting.

Although these spiders don’t spin webs, females use silk to spin egg sacs. They hold their eggs in the protective silk sacs and carry them everywhere until spiderlings hatch from them.

Like all wolf spiders, ground wolf spiders have well-developed maternal instincts. They protect their eggs fiercely before spiderlings emerge, then they carry their spiderlings on their backs until the spiderlings mature enough to strike out on their own.

13. Dimorphic Jumping Spider

• 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 jumping spider is a fascinating arachnid with males that appear in two distinct morphs. It’s not clear why there are two male morphs, but most dimorphic jumping spider populations have both morphs in fairly even numbers.

There’s no clear difference between the morphs outside their physical appearances. One morph is black with three black tufts and white legs. This morph is the black or tufted morph.

The second morph has a gray body with legs bearing oblique black and white stripes. This morph has orange pedipalps, but it has no tufts. It’s called the gray, striped, or tuftless morph.

Female dimorphic jumping spiders don’t have multiple morphs. Their carapace is brown, while their abdomen is often rusty brown with a black band running on either side. In addition, you’ll notice a white stripe between their eyes.

Like all jumping spiders, these arachnids are skilled jumpers capable of reaching heights several times theirs. They lack extensor muscles in their legs, so they rely on effectively modifying the pressure in their legs to make high jumps.

These spiders also have excellent eyesight, which they often use to scout prey before hunting. These critters don’t trap prey in webs. Instead, they stalk and pounce on their victims, subduing them with venom before eating.

Their venom, while lethal to small insects, is not medically significant to humans and large pets. The spiders are also nonaggressive, so they won’t bite you unless you hurt them. Their bites are painless, but allergic people might experience mild discomfort.

You’ll typically find dimorphic jumping spiders outdoors on fences and tree trunks in parks and fields. Sometimes, they wander indoors in search of food or to escape harsh outdoor weather conditions.

14. Long-bodied Cellar Spider

• 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 a tiny brown arachnid with mottled legs and six eyes.

It also has incredibly long legs that do a good job of masking its size. If you only take a quick glance, you might think the spider is much larger than it really is.

This spider is common indoors, where it often builds tangled webs in cellars to catch prey. It’s called a cellar spider because of its preference for cellars. However, this critter builds webs in other parts of the house, especially the corners of ceilings and walls.

Long-bodied cellar spiders hang upside down on their web, waiting for prey to get tangled in the strands. The spiders have poor eyesight, so they rely on vibratory signals to detect when the web has caught prey.

When prey gets trapped, the spiders first vibrate their webs vigorously to further tangle their catch in the webs. They then hurry over to immobilize their catch with venom before eating.

The venom of the long-bodied cellar spider is too weak to harm humans, and the spider doesn’t bite people unprovoked. However, it’s common to hear myths about this spider.

A popular myth is that cellar spiders are among the most venomous species in the world, only that their fangs can’t penetrate human skin.

15. Arrowhead Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Verrucosa arenata
• Other Names: Arrowhead Spider, Triangulate Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: 0.15 to 0.55 inches
• Lifespan: Up to 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The arrowhead orb-weaver is a reddish-brown spider with an unusual abdomen.

Instead of being spherical as with most orb-weavers in Connecticut, this species’ abdomen is shaped like a triangle or arrowhead. That’s where its name comes from.

You’re likely to encounter this arachnid in woodlands and grasslands as well as gardens and human-made structures in residential areas. It spins large, orb-like webs with radial threads and sits in the hub.

Like most orb-weaving arachnids in Connecticut, the arrowhead orb-weaver uses its web to catch prey. It uses vibratory signals to detect when its web has caught prey, then it rushes toward the prey to immobilize it with venom.

Arrowhead orb-weavers feed on various arthropods. However, their diet skews towards flying insects. That’s because they construct their webs vertically, so flying insects can crash into the sticky strands.

This species is not aggressive toward people, and it almost never bites even when provoked. Its venom is not medically significant, so you’ll be fine even if it bites you.

While bites are usually symptomless, you might experience mild symptoms if you’re allergic to spider venom.

16. Missing Sector Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Zygiella x-notata
• Other Names: Silver-sided Sector Spider, Missing Sector Spider, Silver-sided Orb Web Spider, Winter Spider, Missing Sector Orb Spider
• Adult Size: 0.16 to 0.43 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The missing sector orb-weaver is a brown arachnid with a broad leaf-like pattern running down the middle of its abdomen. It also has silver markings on the top and sides of its abdomen, which is why it’s also called a silver-sided sector spider.

This spider builds wheel-shaped webs like most orb-weavers. However, its web is easy to distinguish from those of other orb-weavers in Connecticut. That’s because one sector of the web is always absent. It’s like a full pizza serving with one missing slice.

Missing sector orb-weavers are originally native to Europe. Since their introduction to the United States, these spiders have spread to establish significant populations in coastal states like Connecticut.

It’s common to find many missing sector orb-weavers in the same place. They anchor their webs to tree branches or artificial structures around homes.

Like other orb-weavers, missing sector orb-weavers rely on their webs for food. These spiders sometimes retreat to structures near their webs. However, they remain connected to the hub via a signal threat that vibrates when the prey gets trapped.

As soon as this species’ web trap prey, it rushes toward its victim to subdue it with venom. It might eat its catch immediately or wrap it in silk to eat later.

This arachnid is not aggressive toward people, and it doesn’t bite people unprovoked. Even if one bites you, the spider’s venom is too weak to cause any significant symptoms.

You might experience mild skin reactions if you’re allergic, but nothing serious.

17. Variegated Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Gnaphosidae
• Scientific Name: Sergiolus capulatus
• Other Names: Stealthy Ground Spider, Ground Spider
• Adult Size: 0.25 to 0.5 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The variegated spider is a ground spider from the same family as the eastern parson spider.

Its carapace and legs are brown, but most of its legs have hairy black bands. Unlike its carapace, its hairy abdomen is black with three or more white lateral bands.

Variegated spiders often live in the same habitats as velvet ants, and some biologists have suggested that the body pattern of these spiders is a mimicry of velvet ants. Velvet ants are flightless wasps that with venom potent enough to harm many spiders.

You’ll often find variegated spiders roaming on the ground in prairies and woodlands. Unlike most spiders in Connecticut, these spiders don’t build webs for shelter. They live in silk-lined retreats on the ground, from which they frequently emerge to hunt prey.

These arachnids tend to target prey of the same size as them or larger. They stalk their victims, making brief contacts to evaluate their prey’s response before launching a full attack.

Variegated spiders have venom potent enough to immobilize their victims. However, this venom is not medically significant to humans.

Bites hurt, but the pain fades away on its own. It’s also uncommon for variegated spiders to bite people without provocation.

Like many hunters, variegated spiders spin protective sacs to hold their eggs. Females guard their eggs fiercely until the eggs hatch into spiderlings.

18. Bold Jumping Spider

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

The bold jumper is a hairy black spider with flecks of white hair on its legs.

The lower half of its abdomen has three reddish-orange dots, and its fangs are metallic green. Compared to most spiders in Connecticut, this species’ legs are short.

Despite being short-legged, the bold jumper is capable of jumping several times its height. Some sources estimate that it can leap up to 50 times its height. This feat is possible because the spiders’ short back legs are stout and strong.

When jumping, the spider changes the pressure in its back legs before forcefully extending them to launch itself into the air. It uses a silk dragline to steady itself and reduce the risk of injury in case a jump goes wrong.

In addition to making impressive jumps, the bold jumper also has excellent vision. It combines its agility and quality eyesight when hunting to effectively ambush and pounce on its targets. Like every true hunter, this species doesn’t trap its victims in typical webs.

Bold jumpers don’t build conventional webs, but they spin silk nests to rest in while inactive. You’ll usually find these nests in woodlands, parks, and fields. While these critters spend their lives outdoors, they sometimes wander indoors during harsh weather conditions.

Female bold jumpers also spin silk sacs to wrap their eggs after laying them. They then place the sacs in nests and stand guard until the eggs hatch into spiderlings.

Like most spiders in Connecticut, bold jumpers aren’t aggressive toward people. These active critters are rather playful and will let you hold them if you’re friendly.

But even if these spiders were aggressive, they wouldn’t be threats because their venom is harmless.

19. Black Laceweaver

• 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 laceweaver is a reddish-brown spider with a dark face and hairy gray abdomen. The top half of its abdomen has a light brown or yellow marking in the middle that roughly resembles a skull in some variants.

You’ll typically find this critter around human-made structures. It is partial to moist, dark environments indoors and outdoors, often hiding in wall corners and crevices or under logs and debris.

This species spins cribellate webs for shelter and to trap prey. It’s called a laceweaver because the wooly texture of its sticky silk threads feels like lace.  It often spins its webs on vertical surfaces around its shelter, weaving a funnel-like path into its crevice.

Black lace-weavers are nocturnal, so they often emerge at night to sit on their webs and catch prey. But if prey gets stuck during the day, it’s common for these spiders to come out and pick it off before night.

If you encounter these spiders in your home, there’s no need to panic. These critters aren’t aggressive, so they won’t bite you unless you threaten them. But there’s no reason to worry about this since their venom is harmless.

While female black laceweavers are common all year round, you’re more likely to encounter males during mating seasons when they go searching for female mates. After mating, females lay their eggs in silk cocoons and guard them until they hatch.

Depending on various factors, spiderlings may or may not eat their mothers shortly after hatching.

20. Striped Fishing Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisauridae
• Scientific Name: Dolomedes scriptus
• Other Names: Wharf Spider, Dock Spider
• Adult Size: Less than 1 inch
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The striped fishing spider is a light brown arachnid with several colors on its body, such as tan and gray. Its legs are mottled with dark brown markings and a light line runs through the center of its carapace.

Like many fishing spiders, this species’ abdomen has rows of W-shaped markings on its abdomen. It’s called a striped fishing spider because a broad white stripe runs along the spider’s sides, from its carapace to the end of its abdomen.

You’ll typically find this spider around water sources like streams and rivers. It often clings to docks and wharves, which is why it’s also called a dock or wharf spider. Outside water bodies, this species is common in coastal forests and woodlands.

The striped fishing spider is a semi-aquatic arachnid capable of hunting on land and water. On land, the spider stalks its victims before attacking and subduing them with its venom.

When hunting in water, this spider stands on the surface film listening for vibrations from potential prey underneath. It dives in to seize and subdue its victim when it detects their presence, and it can stay submerged for long periods before resurfacing.

Striped fishing spiders feed on various arthropods and non-arthropods. They sometimes capture and kill vertebrate prey like small fish, slugs, and tadpoles. But while this species’ venom is sometimes lethal to prey, it is harmless to humans.

You might experience pain and redness if these spiders bite you, but the symptoms will disappear without treatment. If you’re worried about the pain, you’ll be glad to know that striped fishing spiders rarely bite people unless threatened.

21. Giant Golden Silk Orbweaver

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

The giant golden silk orb-weaver is one of the largest orb-weavers in Connecticut.

It has a long, yellow abdomen with several columns of white markings and a black carapace covered in whitish hair. In most variants, the carapace has black dots arranged in a skull pattern.

This species is nicknamed “banana spider” because of the resemblance of its long, yellow abdomen to bananas. You shouldn’t mistake it for the South American banana spider, a species known for hiding in banana bunches and inflicting medically significant bites on humans.

Compared to its South American namesake, the golden silk orb-weaver is pretty harmless. It doesn’t bite people unprovoked. And though its bite might hurt if you’re allergic to spider venom, you won’t develop any significant symptoms.

You’ll find the giant golden silk orb-weaver in forests hanging upside-down on its web. It’s called a golden silk orb-weaver because the silk threads it spins are golden yellow. In addition, most of the spider’s body is golden yellow except for its leg joints, which are reddish-brown with tufts.

Like other orb-weavers in Connecticut, this species uses its web to trap prey. It detects when this happens using its vibration sensors and rushes toward its targets to immobilize them with venom.

It consumes them immediately or wraps them in silk to eat later.

22. Broad-faced Sac Spider

• 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 has a reddish carapace and a tan or light brown abdomen. Its first leg pair is deep red, but the intensity of the redness reduces steadily as you count to the last pair of legs.

This species looks very much like a woodlouse hunter. However, it has eight eyes instead of the six woodlouse hunters. Its eyes are also in two widely spaced columns, not in a circular arrangement like woodlouse hunters.

Broad-faced sac spiders are skilled hunters that don’t build webs to trap their targets. Instead, these spiders savor the chase. They pounce on their victims and subdue them with venom before eating.

In addition to hunting live prey, broad-faced sac spiders scavenge dead and decaying arthropods. This varied diet helps them survive periods of food scarcity.

You’ll find broad-faced sac spiders outdoors in bushes and woodlands. However, these critters sometimes wander indoors. They often hide under rocks, leaf litter, floorboards, or inside crevices capable of holding them.

Broad-faced sac spiders don’t bite people unprovoked. And although their venom is not medically significant, bite sites are prone to infection. That’s because germs left on the spider’s mouth from decaying insects it consumes might contaminate the bite area.

Broad-faced sac spiders are called sac spiders because of the sac-like shelters they build for themselves.

23. Tan Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Platycryptus undatus
• Other Names: Tan Jumper
• Adult Size: 0.33 to 0.51 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The tan jumping spider comes in various colors from tan to brown or black.

Regardless of the exact color, all tan jumping spiders have a whitish or gray marking running down their backs. This marking resembles a leaf or series of chevrons and runs from the carapace to the abdomen.

You’ll usually encounter tan jumping spiders outdoors in fields, parks, and forests. They love staying on vertical surfaces, so you might notice them on tree barks or walls and fence posts.

These arachnids don’t build conventional prey-catching webs. However, they use silk to spin shelters out of dead leaves and other debris. This is where the spiders rest while inactive.

Like all jumping spiders, the tan jumping spider can jump many times its height. It does this by extending its strong back legs and using silk draglines to control its movement while in the air.

This spider also has keen eyesight, an attribute that makes it an effective hunter. When hunting, the spider ambushes its targets and leaps on them once within reach. It pierces their body with its fangs and immobilizes them before eating.

Fortunately, the venom this spider injects into its victims is not medically significant to humans. In addition, the spider doesn’t bite people unless threatened.

It’s one of those arachnids that are easy to play with and keep as pets with no problems.

24. White Micrathena

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Micrathena mitrata
• Other Names: Micrathena Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: Up to 0.2 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The white micrathena is an orb-weaver with a large abdomen bearing two or more pointed protrusions at the rear. Its cephalothorax and legs are brown or black, and its abdomen is white with several brown or black markings.

You’ll find this spider in Connecticut gardens, forests, tallgrass prairies, and other places with good vegetation. It spins an orb-like web with sticky spiral threads to catch flying insects and sits on it, waiting for prey to crash into the web.

When prey gets caught, the spider detects it through vibration sensors. It rushes toward the source of the vibration to finish off its catch and eat it. Sometimes, it wraps its victim in thick silk and stashes it away to consume later.

This arachnid only attacks prey it can subdue. It doesn’t confront threats and potential predators that intrude on its web. If the spider is threatened or unable to subdue intruders, it seeks shelter elsewhere and only returns when the threat is gone.

The venom this species produces is harmless to humans and most animals larger than it. Its timid nature makes it highly unlikely to bite you.

But even if it did, you won’t experience any serious symptoms besides slight discomfort in the bite area.

25. Goldenrod Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Misumena vatia
• Other Names: Smooth Flower Crab Spider, Red-spotted Crab Spider, Flower Spider, Flower Crab Spider
• Adult Size: 0.12 to 0.75 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

You’ll find most goldenrod crab spiders outdoors in forests, woodlands, and other vegetation-rich places. These spiders often sit in flowerheads, from where they hunt insects and other small arthropods.

Males are adventurous and tend to roam around in search of prey or female mates. Females, however, are mostly sedentary. They spend most of their lives in the same flowerhead, ambushing insects that come to pollinate the flowers.

These critters are capable of changing their colors to match the flowers in their surroundings. Although they can only switch colors between yellow and white or pale green, this ability provides them with excellent camouflage.

Even when this spider changes its color in response to its surrounding flower, the color of the spider and flower may appear not to match the human eye. But that’s because humans and arthropods see color differently.

This spider’s color change between yellow and white can take anywhere from six to 25 days. Scientists have observed this process in many female crab spiders. However, males and juveniles seem to lack this ability.

Female goldenrod crab spiders are white or yellow with reddish markings on the outer edges of their abdomen, while males are darker with a reddish carapace. The first two leg pairs of males are reddish-brown, while the last two are yellow.

This species is called a crab spider because its body is short, wide, and flattened like real-life crabs. Like crabs, its first two leg pairs are also curved and larger than the rest. The spider typically walks with these legs held wide open to seize prey.

Goldenrod crab spiders immobilize their targets with venom after seizing them. While these critters often attack and subdue prey larger than them (such as bumblebees and skippers), their venom is harmless to humans.

26. Bridge Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Larinioides sericatus
• Other Names: Gray Cross Spider, Bridge Spider, Bridge Orb Spider
• Adult Size: 0.31 to 0.55 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The bridge orb-weaver gets its name from its affinity for bridges. You’ll usually find this spider around bridges and other human-made structures, especially well-lit ones in urban residential areas.

One reason this spider loves bridges and well-lit structures is that insects and other arthropods it preys on love them too. Insects often congregate around light sources, especially when these light sources are near water.

You’ll often find many bridge orb-weavers in the same location, but these arachnids aren’t a social species. They share the same location mostly because of the abundance of insects in these locations, but competition is stiff among these spiders.

Like other orb-weavers, bridge orb-weavers spin wheel-shaped webs to trap prey. They sit in the hub, waiting for insects to get caught. When insects hit the web, the spiders detect it via vibratory signals and hurry over to immobilize and eat their catch.

Juveniles spend more time in the hub during the day. Adults, however, are more cautious. Most adult bridge orb-weavers hide in retreats during the day or stay on the fringes, only occupying the hub at night when fewer spider predators are active.

Bridge orb-weavers are closely related to furrow orb-weavers and share similar body patterns. However, bridge orb-weavers have a gray cross-like pattern in the middle of their abdomen that helps differentiate them from similar species.

This cross pattern is why these arachnids are also called gray cross spiders.

27. Triangulate Cobweb Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda triangulosa
• Other Names: Triangulate Comb-foot, 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 brown spider with a shiny bulbous abdomen and legs that end in comb-like structures. Its abdomen has many wavy dark brown lines running down it.

This species is called a triangulate cobweb spider because the light spaces between the wavy dark lines are shaped like triangles. In most variants, these spaces are peppered with whitish spots.

Triangulate cobweb spiders live in various habitats, but you’re most likely to find them indoors. They build tangled, sticky cobwebs to trap prey in wall and ceiling corners, window sills, cellars, garages, and other undisturbed places.

These spiders sit inside cobwebs, waiting for prey to come in and get stuck. When this happens, the spiders rush toward their victims to immobilize them with venom. They then consume their catch immediately or remove them from the cobwebs to make room.

Triangulate cobweb spiders are black widow relatives, so their venom is lethal to prey. But unlike widows, their venom is not medically significant to humans. You might develop pain and swelling after a bite, but these symptoms fade without treatment.

It’s also uncommon for triangulate cobweb spiders to bite people. These arachnids are unaggressive unless threatened and prevented from escaping.

28. Orchard Spider

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

The orchard spider is a colorful orb-weaver with an abdomen that slants downward at the rear and upwards near the carapace. Its abdomen has several broad and thin stripes with white, yellow, orange, black, and green colors.

The front of the abdomen is mostly white, while the rear is mostly black, green, and orange. You’ll also notice a central dark stripe on its carapace and thin spines on the spider’s green legs.

This species is called an orchard spider because it’s pretty common in orchards, but you can find it in almost any type of garden and forests or woodlands. It spins a horizontal, wheel-like nest with widely spaced spiral threads and sits in the hub, waiting for prey.

Like many orb-weavers, this spider senses when its web has caught prey using vibratory signals. It then hurries over to its catch and immobilizes it with venom.

Sometimes, the spider consumes its prey on the spot. Other times, it wraps its victim and silk and drags it closer to the web’s hub to eat later.

This arachnid’s venom is only effective against small arthropods. It’s harmless to humans. Besides being harmless, this spider is unaggressive toward people and won’t bite unless threatened.

29. Garden Ghost Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Anyphaenidae
• Scientific Name: Hibana gracilis
• Other Names: Ghost Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 0.5 inches
• Lifespan: 1 Year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The garden ghost spider’s color ranges from almost white, pale brown to regular brown. Its pedipalps are black or dark brown, and a dark line runs near either edge of its carapace.

This spider’s legs are spiny and end in dark tips. In addition, its hairy abdomen bears several brown spots. These brown spots are helpful in differentiating it from other spiders it’s often mistaken for.

You’ll typically find garden ghost spiders in forests, gardens, and other vegetation-rich places. These arachnids are skilled hunters that don’t build webs to catch prey. During the day, they hide in a transparent sac-like shelter and only emerge at night to hunt.

Garden ghost spiders have good eyesight, which they use to scout prey before attacking. They stalk their targets and ambush them once within range, subduing them with venom before eating.

The venom of these arachnids is effective against small arthropods. However, it is harmless to humans. You might experience pain and mild discomfort, but these symptoms fade without treatment.

30. Bowl and Doily Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Linyphiidae
• Scientific Name: Frontinella pyramitela
• Other Names: Sheet-weaver
• Adult Size: 0.12 to 0.16 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The bowl and doily spider is a brown arachnid with a shiny carapace and white vertical markings on the sides of its abdomen. These markings resemble commas and turn yellowish as they curve under the spider’s belly.

You’ll find the bowl and doily spider in woodlands and shrublands, where it builds webs parallel to tree trunks. It’s easy to recognize this spider’s nest from a distance because of its unique structure.

This spider’s nest is a large, two-part structure. The top is a bowl-shaped nest anchored to tree branches at the top.

This bowl sits on a flat or doily-like sheet web anchored to the trunks of nearby trees. The spider’s name comes from the structure of this nest.

Like most web-builders, the bowl and doily spider depends on its nest for food. Its web is not sticky, but it’s efficient.

Flying insects often crash into the tangled mass of silk suspending the bowl. The impact causes them to fall into the bowl, where this spider waits to immobilize and eat them.

It’s common to see a single nest harboring a male and female bowl and doily spider outside mating seasons. But this arrangement isn’t always a smooth one since both sexes often compete fiercely to consume prey caught in their webs.

Bowl and doily spiders are tiny, non-threatening spiders. These spiders usually don’t bite people, even when provoked. But even if one bites you, the species’ venom is too weak to cause harm.

31. Woodlouse Hunter

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

The woodlouse hunter’s name comes from its dietary choices. Like many spiders, the woodlouse hunter feeds on arthropods. However, it preys almost exclusively on woodlice.

You’ll typically find this spider on the ground in forests and bushes. It hides under debris like logs and stones, camping near sites crawling with woodlice. This proximity to woodlice makes hunting them easy for the spider.

Like other hunter spiders in Connecticut, the woodlouse hunter doesn’t trap its targets in webs. It prefers chasing or ambushing them to subdue them with venom. This spider has long, sharp fangs with which it pierces its victims’ bodies after seizing them.

Despite its sharp fangs, the woodlouse hunter is harmless to humans. That’s because the spider’s venom is medically insignificant. In addition, the spider isn’t aggressive toward people and will only bite as a last resort in self-defense.

You can identify this spider by its reddish-brown body and the circular arrangement of its six eyes. Its abdomen may be pale brown or grayish, depending on the variant you encounter.

32. Spined Micrathena

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Micrathena gracilis
• Other Names: Castleback Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The spined micrathena is a fascinating orb-weaver with a white and black or white and brown body. Its cephalothorax and legs are brown or black, while the abdomen is often whitish with dark markings.

It’s called a spined micrathena because the top edges of its large abdomen are lined with pointed crowns or spiny protrusions. These protrusions are typically as dark as the cephalothorax, and some scientists believe they function in dissuading predators.

Male-spined micrathenas are smaller than females and possess far fewer sharp protrusions. Their abdomens are more slender, and the bodies of many variants are uniformly black or brown.

You’ll find these arachnids in areas with rich vegetation, such as woodlands and tallgrass prairies. Like other orb-weavers, these spiders build large, wheel-like webs to catch prey.

Spined micrathenas sit on their webs, waiting for insects or other arthropods to get trapped. When their webs catch prey, the spiders rush to immobilize it with venom. They may consume their victims immediately or wrap them in silk to eat later.

Despite how intimidating their peculiar appearance makes them, spined micrathenas are harmless spiders. Their venom is not medically significant, and they don’t bite people unprovoked.

33. Six-spotted Fishing Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisauridae
• Scientific Name: Dolomedes triton
• Other Names: Dock Spider, Raft 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 around streams, rivers, and other water sources.

It’s also common in coastal forests and woodlands. Although less common, you might encounter this in drier habitats or indoors.

Like other fishing spiders, this species is a skilled hunter capable of hunting on land and in water. It doesn’t use webs to catch prey when hunting on land. Instead, it chases down or ambushes its victims, subduing them with venom before eating.

When hunting in water, this spider often stands on the surface film to prey on aquatic insects. It often uses the vibrations on the water surface to pinpoint potential prey before diving in to subdue its target.

The six-spotted fishing spider can stay submerged in water for several minutes before coming up. This ability is advantageous, especially when it dives in to subdue prey larger than itself.

The venom of this spider is potent at killing or paralyzing small arthropods and even some small vertebrates like tadpoles and fish. However, it isn’t potent enough to harm humans. Still, its bite can be painful.

The good news is that this arachnid is generally non-aggressive toward people, despite its intimidating size and appearance. It only bites in self-defense when threatened or attacked.

You can identify the dark fishing spider by the presence of six spots on its sternum (the underside of its carapace). Although it also has two columns of light spots on its abdomen, those aren’t the spots it’s named after.

This species is typically brown or yellow, and it has a white stripe running down its body on each side. These stripes often cause people to mistake them for the striped fishing spider.

34. Furrow Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Larinioides cornutus
• Other Names: Furrow Orb Spider, Furrow Orb-weaver, Foliate Orb Spider, Foliate Orb-weaver
• 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 a broad leaf-like pattern running down the center of its abdomen. It’s called a furrow orb-weaver because the wavy edges of this leaf pattern resemble the furrows left on the soil after plowing it.

You’ll find this spider in bushes and tallgrass prairies, but you’ll also encounter large populations in residential areas. This species builds its webs between branches in gardens, under house porches, and between handrails, among other places.

Like many orb-weaving spiders in Connecticut, furrow orb-weavers use their webs to catch prey. These arachnids often hide in nearby retreats during the day and emerge at night to sit on their webs and catch prey.

Furrow orb-weavers can tell when prey crashes into their webs by listening for vibratory signals. They follow the source of the vibration to their victims, after which the spiders quickly immobilize their catch and consume or wrap them up for later.

Furrow orb-weavers are harmless spiders with weak venom. They rarely, if ever, bite humans, even when threatened.

35. Lined Orbweaver

• 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 pale green body with spines on its legs and a dark line running down the center of its carapace.

Its abdomen is whitish with black or dark green and yellow markings. Depending on the individual, the pattern on this spider’s abdomen may be elaborate or faded.

You’ll find this arachnid in woodlands, forests, and prairies. Like other orb-weavers, it builds large wheel-shaped webs with spiral and radial threads that meet at the center. But this spider’s web stands out from those of other orb-weavers in the state.

The lined orb-weaver’s web has a hub reinforced with a circle of thickened silk that makes it easy to identify. This thickened silk circle is called a stabilimentum.

According to some biologists, the stabilimentum helps increase the web’s resistance to damage. Some studies also suggest that the stabilimentum dissuades birds from crashing into the web while also reflecting UV light that attracts insect prey toward it.

Lined orb-weavers can detect when their webs have caught prey using vibratory signals. When this happens, the spiders quickly rush toward victims and subdue them with venom before eating.

The venom of these spiders, while toxic to prey, is harmless to humans. The spiders also don’t bite people unprovoked.

36. Cave Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Tetragnathidae
• Scientific Name: Meta ovalis
• Other Names: Cave Orb Spider, Eastern Cave Long-jawed Spider
• Adult Size: 0.31 to 0.39 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The cave orb-weaver belongs to the same family as orchard spiders, but its appearance and habitat choice contrast with most members of its family. As its name suggests, this spider typically lives in caves.

Unlike most members of its family, this species spins vertical webs. It anchors its web to its cave’s ceiling, then sits on the threads. It’s common for the spider to stay away from the center while waiting for prey to hit its web.

When this spider’s web catches prey, the spider quickly moves to subdue its victim with venom. It may consume its capture immediately or wrap it in silk to consume at a later time.

This spider is dark brown with spines and black bands on its legs. A dark line runs down the center of its carapace, and its abdomen has black markings on the sides with brown or yellowish spots in the middle.

37. Deadly Ground Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Xysticus funestus
• Other Names: Ground Crab Spider, Bark Crab Spider
• Adult Size: 0.18 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The deadly ground crab spider, despite its name, is a relatively harmless arachnid. It doesn’t bite people unprovoked and its venom is not medically significant. But its bites might hurt.

With arthropod prey, this spider is ruthless. It doesn’t catch its victims using the web. Instead, it prefers to chase or stalk its targets before seizing and injecting them with venom.

This spider’s first two legs are larger and longer than the rest, like real-life crabs. These legs are curved, and the spider often holds them out while walking to make seizing prey easy.

In addition to having strong front legs, deadly ground crab spiders have excellent vision and are swift runners—qualities that make hunting easy for them. But there’s more.

These arachnids have mottled brown bodies that provide them with excellent camouflage when hunting or evading predators. The body blends with the soil on forest floors, among dried leaf litter on the ground, and on tree barks.

The spiders have the same flattened appearance and oval abdomen as other crab spiders in their family. Their bellies are thinner near the cephalothorax than at the rear.

38. American Grass Spider

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

The American grass spider is a brown or yellowish funnel weaver with spiny legs and two dark brown stripes running down its carapace. Its abdomen also has two stripes running down it along with several dark brown spots and light chevrons.

You’re most likely to encounter this arachnid in prairies and woodlands, where it spins a funnel-shaped web on grass blades and low-hanging plants. Its web has a wide entrance that narrows into a funnel, where the spider stays while waiting for prey.

This web isn’t sticky, but the texture makes it easy for prey legs to get stuck. When prey wanders into the web, the spider detects it and quickly rushes out to subdue its victim with venom.

Although this spider looks intimidating, it’s not harmful to humans. The spider will not bite you unless you push it to the edge.

And even then, its venom is not potent enough to trigger any medically significant symptoms.

39. American Nursery Web Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisaurina
• Scientific Name: Pisaurina mira
• Other Names: Nursery Web Spider
• Adult Size: 0.35 to 0.7 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The American nursery web spider is a cousin of fishing spiders. Both arachnids belong to the same family and are often mistaken for each other, but the difference is clear if you know what to look for.

This species is typically brown with mottled legs and a broad, dark brown stripe running down the center of its carapace and abdomen. Broken light lines run down either side of this dark stripe.

This arachnid is common near rivers and coastal vegetation. Like its cousins, this species is also semi-aquatic and can stay underwater for several minutes before resurfacing. It often does this to escape predators or trap prey.

American nursery web spiders are skilled hunters that don’t use webs to trap prey. They stalk victims, pounce on them, and finish them off with venom before eating. Thankfully, these spiders aren’t aggressive toward humans and their venom isn’t medically significant.

Although these arachnids don’t spin webs to catch prey, they spin silk sacs to hold their eggs after laying them. Females carry their egg sacs with them everywhere but typically place them in leaves once the eggs are close to hatching.

They are called nursery web spiders because females build nursery webs out of leaves and silk for their eggs.

40. False Black Widow

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda grossa
• Other Names: False Widow,  Dark Comb-Footed Spider, Brown House 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 a brown spider with a shiny bulbous abdomen.

In some variants, you’ll notice a whitish line curving around the top of the spider’s abdomen. This species is related to real black widows, and people often mix up both species.

Brown false black widows are easier to differentiate from true black widows. However, you often need to closely examine dark false black widows to differentiate them from true black widows.

The main physical difference between both species is that false black widows lack the reddish-orange hourglass marking characteristic of true black widows.

In addition, you’ll notice that dark false black widows usually aren’t black. They are dark purple or brown.

You’ll encounter most false black widows indoors. These arachnids build sticky cobwebs in undisturbed parts of the house, such as ceiling corners, window sills, attics, and wall corners.

False black widows use their cobwebs to trap small insects and arthropods, including true black widows. When intruders get stuck, the spiders hurry over to immobilize their victims before eating or keeping them aside to eat later.

Unlike their highly venomous relatives, false black widows are relatively harmless spiders. Their bites can be painful, but their venom doesn’t cause any significant symptoms.

41. Starbellied Orbweaver

• 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 light brown or cream streaks on its body. Its massive abdomen is covered in crown-like protrusions, giving the abdomen the appearance of a star.

This spider is common in areas with good vegetation, such as gardens and forests, or woodlands. Like many orb-weavers, this species builds orb-shaped webs to catch flying insects and other arthropods.

When active, you’ll see this spider sitting on its web as it waits for prey to get caught in the strands. It uses vibratory signals to detect contact with its web, then hurries toward the vibration source to kill and eat its catch.

If the source of the vibration is a predator or arthropod it cannot subdue, the star-bellied orb-weaver typically runs instead of fighting. It abandons its web to seek shelter elsewhere.

The star-bellied orb-weaver is not aggressive to humans and pets, and its venom is too weak to cause harm.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably still have questions about spiders in Connecticut. Read on to get answers to your most pressing questions.

Wrapping up

Although Connecticut has one highly venomous spider, the majority of the spiders found in the state are harmless to humans. These arachnids are as fascinating as they are diverse, and most don’t even bite people at all.

Not all the spiders in your home constitute a nuisance by spinning webs in your ceiling corners or window sills. Many indoor spiders don’t build webs and are fine going about their business without any human interaction.

There’s no need to panic if you see spiders in your home since most species aren’t aggressive. If you’re worried the one you find might be venomous, see if you can identify it first before condemning it to death.

More spiders in other nearby states

• Spiders in Massachusetts
• Spiders in New Jersey
• Spiders in New York
• Spiders in Pennsylvania

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