Spiders in Oklahoma

There are over 450 different types of spiders in Oklahoma. However, you’ll only encounter a handful of these arachnids in your everyday life. This guide will cover everything you need to know about the spiders in the state and how to identify them.

Although many people fear spiders, this fear often stems from not knowing much about them. Spiders aren’t as disturbing or dangerous as most people make them out to be. In fact, they can be quite beneficial to have around.o

These eight-legged creatures consume copious numbers of insects every year, helping keep their population under control. It not only reduces the number of these pesky pests at home, but it also keeps the ecosystem in optimal shape.

Contrary to popular belief, most spiders don’t bite people. With the exception of some species, you’d have to work really hard to make most spiders bite you. These critters prefer using their venom on viable prey like insects and other small arthropods.

Of the 450+ spiders in Oklahoma, only about four species can inflict medically significant bites. Luckily, these spiders are easy to identify and avoid.

Keep reading to learn more about these fascinating arachnids.

Species of Spiders in Oklahoma

1. Southern Black Widow

• 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

Thanks to pop culture and Hollywood, black widows are some of the most well-known spiders in the United States.

However, not many people know there are several species of black widows. Oklahoma alone has three black widow species.

The southern black widow is a black spider with a shiny body and a reddish-orange hourglass marking on its underbelly. This marking is what distinguishes black widows from similar-looking spiders.

Like most spiders in Oklahoma, the belly of this species is bulbous and larger than the cephalothorax. However, males are much smaller than females, and their bellies aren’t as bulbous.

Male southern black widows dedicate their lives to finding a female mate. After mating, females kill and eat their male partners.

That’s why they are called black widows. Even if females don’t eat them, males wither and die shortly after copulating with females.

Southern black widows are among the deadliest spiders in Oklahoma. They produce a neurotoxic venom that causes medically significant reactions in humans. In rare cases, bites from these spiders can lead to death.

Fortunately, southern black widows don’t bite humans unprovoked. They only bite when threatened. For example, due to accidental skin contact when you wear shoes harboring spiders. Even then, they rarely inject enough venom to kill humans.

You’ll find southern black widows indoors and outdoors. Indoors, they favor corners and build sticky cobwebs to trap small insects and arthropods.

They wait in their cobwebs and hurry over to kill small arthropods that wander into their webs and get stuck.

2. 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 the southern black widow’s close sibling. It also has a shiny black body with a bulbous abdomen and reddish-orange hourglass markings. However, the northern black widow’s hourglass marking is broken in the middle.

Instead of a complete hourglass, this species’ abdominal marking typically resembles two triangles facing each other. The space between both triangles is either black or stippled with tiny reddish-orange spots.

This spider produces the same neurotoxic venom as its southern sibling and can trigger latrodectism. Latrodectism features symptoms like pain, nausea, vomiting, delirium, fever, profuse sweating, and muscle rigidity.

Death can happen in extreme cases. However, this is rare. Older adults, children, and adults with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable groups to adverse outcomes.

Thankfully, these arachnids rarely bite humans. They only bite when threatened and unable to escape. Even then, they only inject small doses that are too little to cause death.

Northern black widows build messy cobwebs indoors, which they use to catch prey. When prey wanders into their cobwebs, the spiders rush towards it and deliver lethal bites. Insects and other small arthropods make up the bulk of their diet.

3. Western Black Widow

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

The western black widow is yet another black widow species in Oklahoma. This species has a black body with a large abdomen bearing a reddish-orange hourglass marking on its underside.

The hourglass marking in this species is often complete, resembling two connected triangles. But while the hourglass marking is clearly visible in most individuals, it’s reduced to reddish blotches in a few variants.

Like their relatives, western black widows spin tangled cobwebs for shelter and catching insects. They sit in their cobwebs, waiting for insects to wander in and get stuck. Afterward, the spiders swoop in to kill their victims.

These arachnids can be beneficial at home because they are efficient at killing unwanted insects. However, they pose a risk to humans because they can inflict medically significant bites.

Symptoms of this spider’s bite include pain, muscle stiffness or paralysis, fever, nausea, vomiting, and profuse sweating. Although highly uncommon, it’s possible to die from a black widow’s bite.

Children and people with weak immune systems are the most likely to suffer adverse outcomes. But fortunately, western black widows rarely bite people. And when they do, they only inject small venom doses incapable of killing most people.

4. Brown Recluse

• 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

You can identify the brown recluse by the violin-shaped marking on its brown carapace.

This violin-shaped marking starts behind the eyes, but only the midline of the violin marking runs the full length of the carapace. While most spiders in Oklahoma have eight eyes, recluses have only six.

The marking on the backs of brown recluses is why these arachnids are also called violin or fiddle-back spiders. While brown recluses aren’t the only spiders with this marking, they are the only species you’ll encounter in Oklahoma.

Brown recluses have a reputation for being highly venomous. They deliver bites that leave nasty ulcers that fester and take very long to heal. In many cases, these large ulcers develop from small bite regions that don’t seem like much at first.

The venom this species injects in humans is cytotoxic, so it kills off cells and tissues around the bite area. Unfortunately, the destruction of tissue often leaves scars behind even after the wound has healed.

But there’s good news. Brown recluses rarely bite people unless threatened and left with no other option.

Even then, they often deliver “dry” or warning bites that don’t contain venom. It’s impossible to tell which kind of bite a brown recluse will inflict, so it’s best to avoid contact with them.

These arachnids feed on insects and other small arthropods. But unlike black widows, they don’t spin webs to trap their victims.

They prefer ambushing their victims and subduing them with venom. Because of their venom’s potency, victims often die before the spiders even begin consumption.

Like true recluses, these arachnids love staying in their comfort zone and only venture out when needed. Sightings of brown recluses are often exaggerated due to mix-ups with similar-looking brown spiders.

5. Oklahoma Brown Tarantula

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theraphosidae
• Scientific Name: Aphonopelma hentzi
• Other Names: Ordinary tarantula, Missouri TaranBtula, Texas Brown Tarantula
• Adult Size: 1.5 to 2 inches
• Lifespan: 10 to 30 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The Oklahoma brown tarantula is a giant, hairy arachnid with a dark brown body. In some variants, the legs have light brown bands, and the carapace bears reddish flecks.

You’ll typically find this species outdoors in dry, rocky areas. It’s a nocturnal arachnid that spends most of its day resting in silk-lined burrows instead of conventional webs. At night, it emerges from its nest to prey on small arthropods like crickets.

Tarantulas don’t spin webs to catch their prey. Instead, they are active hunters that prefer chasing down and subduing their victims. Once within reach, the spiders attack and deliver a vicious sting that immobilizes their catch.

Despite how intimidating these spiders seem, their bites have no medical significance in humans. You can’t die from a tarantula bite, and you won’t experience any serious symptoms except you’re allergic to spider venom. Bites don’t hurt more than bee stings.

Tarantulas are among the best-known spider types because people love keeping them as pets. The Oklahoma brown tarantula is no different. Like other tarantulas, this species is not aggressive and rarely bites humans unless threatened.

6. Yellow Garden Spider

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

Yellow garden spiders are common in gardens, hence the name. But you’ll also find these arachnids outside parks, around residential buildings, or in forests, bushes, and other vegetation-rich areas.

These spiders spin large, concentric webs with radial and circular threads that meet in the center. Like many orb-weavers, yellow garden spiders rely on their webs for food. So they sit in the center and wait for prey to crash into their silk traps and get stuck.

When their webs trap insects, the spiders receive alerts as vibratory signals via the web strands. They then rush over to the source of the vibration to immobilize their victims. Insects make up the bulk of their diet, but these spiders eat various non-insect arthropods.

You can identify this species by its yellow and black body. The carapace is covered in whitish hair, while the abdomen has a broad dark line in the middle. In most individuals, this dark region bears pairs of round, yellow markings.

The rest of the abdomen is yellow with spiral black markings. Like many orb-weavers, the legs of this species have alternating light and dark bands. The spider often sits upside-down on its web with its black and yellow legs stretched outwards.

Yellow garden spiders can be beneficial to have around because of their diet. They also scarcely bite people except when threatened. Even if one bites you, its venom is too weak to cause any trouble.

7. Rabid Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Rabidosa rabida
• Other Names: Wolf Spider
• Adult Size: 0.43 to 0.83 inches
• Lifespan: Up to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

You would think the rabid wolf spider was a threatening species going by its name alone, but it is not. This arachnid is anything but threatening, at least to humans. It doesn’t bite people unprovoked, and its venom is medically insignificant.

The rabid in this spider’s name comes from its erratic, slightly-crazy way of walking around. Otherwise, it’s a pretty regular wolf spider. It hunts its prey instead of building webs to catch them, and females are incredibly protective of their young.

They carry their egg sacs everywhere attached to their spinnerets until the eggs hatch into spiderlings. When threatened, they fiercely defend their eggs or come back later if forced to drop the eggs. They also carry their spiderlings on their backs shortly after hatching.

You’ll usually find rabid wolf spiders outdoors, although you may also find them indoors. They favor forests and woodlands, and they prefer hiding under leaf litter and debris instead of building conventional webs.

You can identify this species by its tan body. The carapace has two broad brown stripes bordering the tan midline and two thin brown lines at the far edges. In addition, you’ll notice eyebrow-like markings behind the topmost eye pair on the broad brown stripes.

8. 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 jumping spider gets its name from its ability to make incredibly high jumps, up to 50 times its height. This feat is even more impressive if you consider how short this arachnid’s legs are when compared to other spiders in Oklahoma.

What these legs lack in length, they make up for in strength. The bold jumper modifies the pressure in its powerful back legs and forcefully extends them when making daring jumps. It also spins a silk dragline to steady it while in the air.

Although this species spins silk draglines, it doesn’t spin silk webs to catch prey like orb-weavers and cobweb spiders. Instead, it prefers tracking down its victims before leaping on them and subduing them with venom.

This hunter relies on its agility and quality eyesight when hunting. Fortunately, it belongs to the spider family with the best vision in North America. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the eye pair responsible for its excellent vision bulges outward like binoculars.

Besides its eyes, you can identify the bold jumper by its black body and three reddish-orange markings on the lower half of its abdomen. The legs have hairy white bands, and their fangs are metallic green.

Bold jumpers are common outdoors, although they sometimes wander into homes. Instead of typical webs, they construct small silk nests for themselves. They spend most of their time on vertical surfaces or forest and woodland grounds.

Female bold jumping spiders weave silk sacs to hold their eggs. They then place these eggs in their nests and guard them fiercely until the eggs hatch into young bold jumping spiders.

9. 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 the yellow garden spider’s less stunning sibling. Its legs have light and dark bands, and its carapace has whitish hair. But unlike its sibling, the abdomen has several colors.

Most banded garden spider variants have white, yellow, brown, orange, and black lines on their abdomen. These form alternating bands as they run from side to side, which is why the species is called a banded spider.

These arachnids also spin concentric, orb-like webs to catch prey. They sit in the center waiting for food and rely on vibratory signals to alert them when prey enters their webs. When insects get stuck, the spiders hurry to deliver a lethal bite before eating.

Banded garden spiders are common in gardens and residential areas, but they are also common in forests and shrublands. In gardens and around the home, these critters play vital roles in pest management and are beneficial.

These arachnids rarely bite people unprovoked, and their venom is harmless to humans. At most, you might experience mild pain or discomfort after a bite. But even this is uncommon.

10. Green Lynx Spider

• 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 green. It has long, spiny legs and loves to hang out on green plants and leaves in vegetation-rich places. In such places, its green body provides it with excellent camouflage when hunting.

This arachnid is an active hunter, so it doesn’t use webs to trap its victims. The lynx in its name comes from its tendency to leap on its victims like a lynx cat when hunting. Afterward, it injects its catch with venom and consumes them.

In a way, lynx spiders are like jumping spiders. They can make impressive jumps and use silk draglines to steady themselves mid-air. But lynx spiders have relatively weaker eyesight, and even their best jumps aren’t as impressive as a jumping spider’s leaps.

Green lynx spiders aren’t aggressive arachnids, so they are safe to be around. However, nursing females can get aggressive when threatened and will not hesitate to defend themselves.

11. Spined Orbweaver

• 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 orb-weaver is a brown and white or black and white arachnid with pointy protrusions on its back. These protrusions or spines line the top edges of its abdomen and are responsible for the spider’s name.

In most variants, the legs and cephalothorax are brown or black. The spines are usually dark while the rest of the abdomen is white with dark blotches. It’s also possible to encounter spined orb-weavers that are completely brown or black.

As is common with most spiders in Oklahoma, female spined orb-weavers are larger than males. Their bellies are more spiny and disproportionate to their body size. Females also live longer than males and are more common outside mating seasons.

Spined orb-weavers live in areas rich with vegetation, such as woodlands and forests. They spin orb-shaped webs to catch small insects and sit there waiting for food. When the web catches an insect, the spiders hurry over to paralyze it with venom.

These arachnids are safe to be around because they don’t bite people. You’ll have to work pretty hard to force one to bite you. And even then, the venom it’ll inject will be too mild to cause any serious symptoms.

12. Orchard Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Tatragnathidae
• 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 green legs and a slanted abdomen. Its greenish carapace has a dark line running through the center, and the belly has white, yellow, green, and black markings.

In most variants, the top and front parts of the abdomen are white with a black pattern resembling the veins of a leaf. The back has yellow speckles and the primary colors are black and green at the rear and underside.

Orchard spiders get their name from their tendency to inhabit orchards. However, you’re likely to find these critters almost anywhere there’s good vegetation, from forests and shrublands to prairies.

They build large, wheel-shaped webs to trap insects and sit on their webs waiting for prey. Like most orb-weavers, these spiders have poor vision. They make up for this limitation by using vibratory signals to locate prey on their webs before attacking.

Orchard spiders are harmless arachnids, so there’s no need to fear if you encounter one. Besides having mild venom, the spiders rarely try to bite people unless threatened.

13. Striped Lynx Spider

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

The striped lynx spider is a relative of the green lynx spider. It has the same body shape and spiny long legs. However, this species isn’t green. Its body is whitish with brown stripes on its face, carapace, and abdomen.

You’ll typically find striped lynx spiders among vegetation, especially grasses and green plants. They are indiscriminate predators that consume both insect pests and beneficial insects.

They are called lynx spiders because of their hunting behavior. These spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, they ambush and leap on their victims like lynx cats before subduing them.

Striped lynx spiders are good jumpers capable of leaping a few times their height, but they aren’t as skilled as jumping spiders. And although their eyesight is good, it is still weaker than jumping spiders’.

While these arachnids don’t spin typical silk webs, they use silk for other purposes. For example, they spin silk sacs to protect their eggs. They also spin silk lines for support while jumping or resting on vegetation.

Striped fishing spiders are harmless to humans in the sense that their venom isn’t medically significant. They don’t bite people unprovoked. But when threatened, nursing females might inflict painful bites.

14. 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 relative of black widows. They all belong to the same family of cobweb spiders known for building messy cobwebs. Despite being related to black widows, the triangulate cobweb spider is nowhere as deadly.

This spider’s bite can hurt and cause redness, especially if you’re allergic to spider venom. However, the toxin it produces doesn’t cause any medically significant reaction. Bite symptoms will quickly resolve on their own.

The triangulate cobweb spider has the same shape and shiny skin as its widow relatives. But its body is brown, and the abdomen has pairs of wavy dark brown lines running down on all sides.

The middle points where these wavy lines meet form triangular patterns, hence the spider’s name. The triangles are relatively lighter and usually punctuated by tiny whitish or cream spots.

Triangulate cobweb spiders are common indoors, where they spin tangled cobwebs to catch prey. These cobwebs are super sticky and are more effective at trapping arthropods than orb-shaped webs.

When prey wanders into a triangulate cobweb spider’s cobweb, the spider detects it via vibratory signals and heads toward its victim. It immobilizes it with venom and consumes it on the spot or removes it from the cobweb to consume later.

15. Long-legged Sac Spider

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

The long-legged sac spider’s body color is somewhere between yellow and green. However, some variants are more whitish or brownish. They all have dark faces and lack body patterns besides the short dark line at the top of their abdomen.

Long-legged sac spiders are predatory arachnids that prefer stalking prey before attacking. They don’t build typical webs to catch prey, but they spin silk sacs to rest in when inactive. These silk sacs are why they are called sac spiders.

These critters live both indoors and outdoors. However, most sightings happen indoors. These spiders are nocturnal and partial to dark places like closets and crevices, so they can go undetected at home for a long time.

Long-legged sac spiders don’t inflict medically significant bites. But while most bites are symptomless, allergic people sometimes have serious reactions to their venom. It’s best to rid your home of these critters if you discover them.

The spiders are considered unaggressive, but there have been reports of some individuals biting unprovoked while walking on exposed human skin.

16. 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 another harmless black widow relative. Its body is brown and its hairy abdomen bears several dark spots that make it easy to identify. Like its relatives, this arachnid’s abdomen is bulbous, and females are larger than males.

You’re more likely to encounter this species indoors than outdoors, hence its name. It spins messy cobwebs in ceiling or wall corners and sits inside waiting for prey. When insects stumble into its cobweb, the spider quickly goes over to sting its victims.

While common house spiders live alone in their cobwebs, it’s common for many individuals to build their nests inches apart from each other. This makes it hard to tell one nest apart from the next from a distance.

Female common house spiders live longer than males, so they’re the sex you’re likely to find in cobwebs outside mating seasons. They spin silk sacs to hold their eggs until they hatch into spiderlings.

17. 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 is a reddish arachnid with long fangs and a tan or brownish abdomen. Although it eats various arthropods, it feeds primarily on woodlice. That’s where its name comes from.

You’ll find woodlouse hunters in forests, bushes, and shrublands. They live on the ground and tend to hide under debris and rotting logs near woodlouse populations. This proximity gives them easy access to food whenever they’re hungry.

Woodlouse hunters are active predators that don’t use webs to catch their victims. Instead, these spiders chase down or ambush their victims before consuming them. They have good eyesight and sharp fangs that make piercing their victims’ bodies easy.

Unlike most spiders in Oklahoma, woodlouse hunters have six eyes instead of eight. These eyes have a distinct circular arrangement. Their eyes are useful for differentiating them from similar-looking species like broad-faced sac spiders.

Although these critters don’t spin webs to catch prey, females spin silk sacs to hold their eggs. They protect their eggs as long as they can before spiderlings emerge and move out.

Woodlouse hunters are harmless arachnids, despite their intimidating fangs and appearance. They don’t bite people unless threatened. And though their bites hurt, their venom is not medically significant.

18. Dark Fishing Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisauridae
• Scientific Name: Dolomedes tenebrosus
• Other Names: Dock Spider, Wharf Spider,  Raft Spider
• Adult Size: 0.27 to 1.02 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The dark fishing spider is a semi-aquatic arachnid with a hairy black body and W-shaped markings on the second half of its abdomen. These dark markings alternate with light brown ones.

You’ll find that most dark fishing spiders are in coastal areas, on wharves, docks, and riverbanks. They are also common in coastal forests and bushes with ample moisture. However, you might also encounter some in drier habitats or people’s homes.

Dark fishing spiders are skilled hunters that don’t use webs to catch their victims. They can hunt on land and water, so they eat both terrestrial and aquatic insects. Arthropods are their mainstay, but they sometimes eat non-arthropod prey like fish and slugs.

When hunting in water, these critters stay on the surface film and listen for vibrations underneath. If they suspect a potential prey is under the surface, the spiders dive in to subdue it. They can stay submerged for several minutes before resurfacing.

Fishing spiders often sit with all their limbs outstretched, emphasizing their size. While they can appear intimidating, the spiders are virtually harmless. They don’t bite humans unprovoked, and the venom they produce doesn’t cause any serious symptoms.

19. White-banded Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Misumenoides formosipes
• Other Names: Yellow 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 between its eyes. Interestingly, this species is also called a red-banded crab spider. That’s because its eyes are sometimes marked with red.

While specifics vary, most individuals are whitish or yellowish with slightly greenish bands on the sides of their carapace. The abdomen is broader at the rear and usually has yellowish brown spots in the center converging into a V shape.

Female white-banded crab spiders spend virtually all their lives in flowerheads. They can switch their color between white and yellow to match their surroundings. When hunting, this provides them with camouflage and helps them sneak up on prey.

As true hunters, these arachnids don’t use webs to catch their prey. They ambush their victims and seize them with their strong limbs before stinging them into submission. They then consume their spoils or stash them up for later.

Since females tend to be sedentary, they do all their hunting in flowerheads. Males are more active and tend to roam around in search of prey. They chase down or ambush their victims before eating.

Males don’t have the same fluid coloration as females. They can’t switch colors, their first four legs are dark brown, and they have golden bellies.

Regardless of the sex, however, these arachnids resemble the crabs that earned them their name. Like crabs, they have flattened bodies and can walk in all directions without turning.

Their first two leg pairs are also curved and extend outward on the sides, like crabs. Their abdomen is also narrower near the carapace and wider at the rear, resembling a rounded triangle or oval shape.

20. Arabesque Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Neoscona arabesca
• Other Names: Spotted Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: 0.20 to 0.28 inches
• Lifespan: 1 Year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The arabesque orb-weaver’s color ranges from orange to tan, brown, yellow, and rusty brown. However, virtually all variants have two dark lines on their large abdomen. These lines slant toward each other towards the rear.

In young individuals, the pattern on the abdomen is more distinct. This pattern resembles the floor designs characteristic of Moorish Arabs, hence the “arabesque” in the species’ name.

You’ll find arabesque orb-weavers in forests and gardens, where they spin wheel-shaped webs. They hide in retreats made out of silk and dry leaves during the day. However, they emerge at night to sit on their webs and wait for prey.

These spiny-legged arachnids rely on vibratory signals to detect prey on their webs. When they do, the spiders swoop in for the kill. They consume their catch on the spot or stash it away to eat later.

Arabesque orb-weavers are harmless spiders. They don’t bite people unprovoked and tend to run when threatened. Even if one were to bite you, there’d be no reason to worry. This species’ venom is not medically significant.

21. Carolina Wolf Spider

• 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 spider in America. Besides being the largest spider in the country, it is the only spider that doubles as a state symbol. This big critter has been South Carolina’s official state spider since the year 2000.

Carolina wolf spiders are widespread in North America. And although they live in a wide range of habitats, including forests and woodlands, you’re more likely to find them in drier places.

These arachnids are ground-dwelling hunters that don’t build webs to catch prey. They run down their prey like wolves, relying on their agility and keen eyesight when hunting.

But unlike wolves, these spiders aren’t pack animals. They are solitary hunters.

This species does not bite people unless threatened or mishandled. It is wary of human touch and tends to avoid being carried. But if one bites you while holding it, there’s no need to worry. Its venom is weak and only triggers mild pain or itching.

You can identify the Carolina wolf spider by its brown body and the two broad dark brown or black stripes on its carapace. Its coloration provides it with good camouflage of forest floors.

While this species doesn’t spin silk webs to snare prey, it spins silk for other reasons. For example, females spin silk sacs to hold their eggs after laying them. They carry these egg sacs everywhere until the eggs hatch into spiderlings.

22. Furrow Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Larinioides cornutus
• Other Names: Furrow Orb Spider, Furrow Spider, 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 large abdomen. The back of this abdomen bears a dark leaf-like marking with wavy edges. These edges resemble the furrows a plow makes after tilling the ground, hence the spider’s name.

This arachnid’s other name, foliate spider, comes from the resemblance of the pattern on its back to leaves (foliage). Besides this pattern and its banded legs, the spider is pretty nondescript.

You’ll find furrow orb-weavers in forests and other vegetation-rich areas, where they spin large concentric webs. They are also common around man-made structures, such as under porches and eaves.

Like other orb-weavers, this species depends on its web for food. It hides in a nearby retreat during the day but comes out to sit on its web at night. When prey hits its web, the spider hurries over to immobilize it with venom before eating or wrapping it up.

Furrow orb-weavers run when threatened and don’t bite humans unprovoked. Even if one does bite you, its venom is harmless to humans.

23. Dimorphic Jumper

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

Dimorphic jumpers differ from other jumping spiders in Oklahoma because males exist in two morphs. These morphs are visually distinct. However, there’s no evidence that the morphs differ in any nonphysical sense.

It’s also unclear why there are two male morphs. It’s currently impossible to accurately predict which morph a juvenile male will assume as an adult. With what we currently know, both morphs seem roughly evenly distributed in dimorphic jumper populations.

One morph is black with white legs and three tufts on its head. This morph is called the black or tufted morph. On the other hand, the second morph is gray and tuftless. Its legs have black and white stripes. It’s called the gray, striped, or tuftless morph.

Female dimorphic jumpers aren’t dimorphic. These tan arachnids have a whitish face and red or black lines running along the sides of their hairy abdomen.

Like other jumping spiders, dimorphic jumpers are skilled hunters with excellent vision. They can also leap to heights several times their size. When hunting they rely on their eyesight and agility to catch and subdue their victims.

These hunters don’t spin webs to catch prey. However, they spin small silk nests for shelter. Females also spin silk cocoons to hold their eggs. They guard the egg sacs until the eggs hatch into spiderlings. Sadly, they die shortly after the eggs hatch.

Dimorphic jumpers are restless arachnids that often hop from place to place. Though you might encounter them indoors, they are more common outdoors in parks, gardens, and forests. These arachnids are harmless to humans.

24. Spotted Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Neoscona crucifera
• Other Names: Barn Spider, Hentz Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: Up to 0.75 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The spotted orb-weaver is a tan or brown spider with bristles on its long legs, carapace, and abdomen. Its abdomen has a wavy dark pattern on each side of the midline. In the middle, there’s what seems like an upside-down spruce tree that’s indistinct in most adults.

You’ll find spotted orb-weavers in forests, gardens, parks, and woodlands. They build large orb-shaped webs that sometimes span two feet or more. Like most orb-weavers, they rely on their webs for food.

Spotted orb-weavers often spend the day in a retreat at the edge of their webs. They fashion this retreat out of dried leaves and silk, presumably to hide from daytime predators. At night, they sit on the webs and consume insects stuck to the web strands.

These spiders’ spiny appearance can be intimidating. However, the species is entirely harmless. Its venom is not potent enough to trigger serious reactions in humans. It also rarely, if ever, bites people unprovoked.

25. 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 brown spider with mottled legs. A broad, dark brown midline runs from the carapace to the end of the abdomen. In most individuals, a light brown or yellow line hems in the midline on both sides.

This species is related to fishing spiders and is also semi-aquatic. It can walk on water and stay submerged for several minutes when hunting or trying to evade predators. Like fishing spiders, it has a varied diet composed of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.

American nursery web spiders don’t catch their prey in webs. Instead, they stalk their victims and pounce in one quick move to subdue them. When successful, they either consume their catch on the spot or save it for later.

You’ll often find these spiders in coastal areas and places with moist vegetation, especially shrublands and grasslands. However, they sometimes wander out of their natural range.

These arachnids get their name from their maternal behavior. Although they don’t spin typical webs, females spin silk sacs to hold their eggs. They then build a silk web on leaves to act as a nursery for their eggs.

Females place their egg sacs in this nursery and stand guard until the eggs hatch. After the eggs hatch, spiderlings emerge and leave their nurseries about a week later.

26. Tan Jumping Spider

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

The tan jumping spider is a tan, dark brown, or black arachnid with a white or grayish pattern on its back. This pattern runs from the carapace to the end of the abdomen and resembles a long leaf with chevrons near the rear.

Like other jumping spiders, this species can leap many times its height. It does this by relying on its strong legs and steadying itself with silk draglines. These draglines also reduce the risk of injury when jumps go wrong.

This spider doesn’t spin webs to catch its victims. However, it sometimes shoots draglines at its targets to prevent them from escaping while it leaps at them. It jumps on top of its victims and quickly incapacitates them with a bite before eating.

Tan jumping spiders are common outdoors, in forests, parks, and woodlands. You may also find them in residential areas. They often stay on vertical surfaces like tree barks and fences when active.

These spiders retreat into small nests they build for themselves to rest in when inactive. The spiders build these nests from silk and dead leaves.

Tan jumpers aren’t aggressive towards people, and they are safe to handle. They won’t bite unless mishandled. And even then, their bites don’t cause any medically significant reactions.

27. Wetland Giant Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Tigrosa helluo
• Other Names: Wetland Wolf Spider
• Adult Size: 0.39 to 0.67 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The wetland giant wolf spider is a brown arachnid with a dark carapace. In many variants, the carapace and abdomen have black or grayish hues. Its most distinctive feature is the yellow midline that runs from between its eyes to the end of its carapace.

You’ll usually find wetland giant wolf spiders in wet areas, hence their name. They are common in marshes, swamps, and coastal forests or woodlands. These spiders are mostly active at night and tend to hunt alone.

These solitary hunters don’t spin silk snares for their targets. Instead, they stalk or ambush their victims and quickly sting them into submission. They rely on their wit, agility, and excellent eyesight when hunting.

Despite being called giant wolf spiders, these arachnids aren’t really giant spiders. They aren’t the biggest in their genus, and there are many spiders much larger than them in Oklahoma.

These spiders are unaggressive toward people, so bites are uncommon. However, they might bite if mishandled and threatened. You might develop pain and swelling in response, but their venom is not medically significant.

28. Star-bellied 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 light or dark brown spider with broad white streaks on its body. Several crown-like protrusions line the upper edges of its massive abdomen, giving its belly the appearance of a star.

This spider’s unique appearance is where its name comes from. It also makes it easy to distinguish from other spiders in Oklahoma. Like many orb-weavers, female star-bellied orb-weavers are larger than males.

You’ll find star-bellied orb-weavers among vegetation. They spin webs that are relatively small compared to other orb-weavers, about a foot wide. When active, the spiders sit in the center of the web, waiting for insects to hit it and get stuck.

Star-bellied orb-weavers have bad eyesight, so they rely on vibratory signals to detect prey. The web vibrates when insects hit it, alerting the spiders to their location. Afterward, the spiders rush over to subdue them with a bite.

These arachnids are unaggressive toward people. They don’t bite, and their venom is not medically significant.

29. Long-bodied Cellar Spider

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

Long-bodied cellar spiders are small brown arachnids with six eyes and stippled legs.

These spiders have long legs that are sometimes up to six times their body length. As a result, the spiders often appear much larger than they really are.

Daddy longlegs is another name for this species. And though the spiders’ long legs justify the name, long-bodied cellar spiders gained the name by accident.

People often mistook cellar spiders for the original daddy longlegs (a family of spider-like arachnids with very long legs), but the name stuck because it fit cellar spiders too.

You’ll encounter most cellar spiders indoors. They often spin their webs in cellars, hence their name. However, these critters are also common in other parts of the house. They build their webs in ceiling corners, wall corners, and the corners of furniture.

These critters depend on their webs for food and sit in their nests waiting for prey to come in. To make up for their poor eyesight, long-bodied cellar spiders rely on the vibrations of their web strands to detect prey and intruders.

If their webs catch prey, the spiders hurry over to kill it before eating. But if the intruder is a predator, the spiders vibrate their webs vigorously so that they become hard to see through the web strands. They abandon their webs if this fails to intimidate the intruder.

Many people believe that cellar spiders are extremely venomous only that their fangs cannot penetrate human skin. This belief is erroneous. While it’s unclear if their fangs effectively pierce human skin, their venom is completely harmless to humans.

30. 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

There is nothing deadly about the deadly ground crab spider. This orange to brown spider is common among leaf litter on the ground in forests and shrublands, where its mottled body easily blends into the background.

It feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods it finds on the ground or on tree bark. This species is a skilled hunter that doesn’t use webs to trap its victims. Instead, it ambushes and injects them with its poisonous fangs.

Deadly ground crab spiders resemble real crabs. Their first two leg pairs are larger and longer than the rest. In addition, these legs are curved and spread outwards like those of true crabs.

Despite their name, these spiders are harmless to humans. They rarely bite unless threatened. When they do, the bite area will feel sore, but their venom is not medically significant.

31. Southern House Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Filistatidae
• Scientific Name: Kukulcania hibernalis
• Other Names: Giant Crevice Weaver, Southern Crevice Spider
• Adult Size: 0.35 to 0.75 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 8 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Male southern house spiders are brown or yellow, while females are darker. Females range from dark brown to gray or black.

However, both sexes have velvety hair on their bellies. Males have slender bellies that contrast with the bulbous abdomens of females.

People often mistake the southern house spider for the brown recluse. And that’s because both species have similar looks. However, southern house spiders don’t have the violin-marking characteristic of recluses.

Southern house spiders are common in and around man-made structures, like window sills, ceilings, barns, and bridges. They often hide in crevices during the day and spin a tangled sheet web around their retreat. At night, they wait for prey on their webs.

The webs these spiders build aren’t sticky. But they have a velcro-like texture that attaches to the claws and other parts of their arthropod victims, preventing them from escaping. When the webs catch prey, the spiders swoop in to attack.

Southern house spiders are unaggressive towards people, and their venom isn’t medically significant. However, their bites can be painful. Handle them with caution if you’re allergic to spider venom.

32. Banana Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Trichonephila clavipes
• Other Names: 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 banana spider is a yellow orb-weaver with a long abdomen that’s bent slightly like a banana, hence its name. Don’t mistake it for the Brazilian banana spider, an aggressive wandering spider species native to South America.

Both species look nothing alike, and the Brazilian banana spider gets its name from its tendency to hide in banana bunches and bite people. Its bites are very painful, and its toxin is medically significant.

The orb-weaving banana spider doesn’t bite people unless threatened and prevented from escaping. While its bites can be painful, its venom isn’t medically significant. The pain and redness of its bite fade quickly without treatment.

Banana spiders have columns of white markings on their yellow abdomen, while their carapace is covered in whitish hair. The carapace has black dots that form a skull-like pattern.

This arachnid also has long legs with alternating yellow and reddish-orange bands. The reddish bands wrap around the joints and bear feathery tufts.

Like all other orb-weavers in Oklahoma, banana spiders build large, orb-shaped silk webs to catch prey. The strands of these spiders’ webs are golden-yellow. That’s why the spiders are also called golden silk orb-weavers.

These arachnids typically sit upside-down in the middle of their golden silk webs, waiting for prey. They detect insects caught in their webs via vibratory signals and hurry over to sting their victims.

You’ll find these spiders outdoors among vegetation. Each web usually contains only one adult female. However, it’s common to see males on the web during mating seasons.

Males are tiny compared to females and often stay on the fringes of the web instead of the center. It’s easy to miss them if you don’t look at the webs closely enough.

33. Marbled Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araneus marmoreus
• Other Names: Pumpkin Spider
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.7 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The marbled orb-weaver is a beautiful orange or yellow spider. It has a large, round abdomen bearing marble-like markings.

These markings often include yellow, orange, black, red, and brown lines or swirls. The color composition varies with the individual.

Another name for marbled orb-weavers is “pumpkin spider.” This name is because their large belly is usually yellow or orange and round like a pumpkin.

You’ll find marbled orb-weavers in vegetation-rich places, such as gardens, forests, and woodlands. They spin large concentric webs to catch prey and wait for flying insects to get stuck.

Marbled orb-weavers have poor eyesight. As a result, they rely on vibratory signals to locate insects that land on their webs. They then rush toward their victims to kill and consume them.

These spiders don’t bite humans unless threatened, and even such bites are uncommon. In addition, the venom they produce is not strong enough to harm humans. At most, you might develop an itch or mild pain with redness in the bite area.

34. Giant Lichen Orbweaver

• 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

Giant lichen orb-weavers are gray or brown spiders with a massive round abdomen. This abdomen is covered in greenish markings that give it the appearance of a surface covered with real-life lichen. In addition, their legs have alternating light and dark bands.

These arachnids are among the heaviest spiders in Oklahoma, and they build large, orb-shaped webs. These webs sometimes span up to eight feet in diameter. Like other orb-weavers in the state, giant lichen orb-weavers rely on their webs for food.

Giant lichen orb-weavers sit on their webs when waiting for prey, but they avoid the center. These primarily nocturnal spiders tend to stay at the edge of their webs. However, they remain connected to the hub by a silk thread.

When their webs catch prey, this signal thread vibrates and alerts the spiders. The spiders then hurry over to sting their victims. Sometimes they eat their catch immediately. Other times, they save their victims for later.

Despite their size, giant lichen orb-weavers are harmless spiders. They run instead of fighting when threatened, and the venom they produce is harmless to humans.

35. 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’s name comes from the shape of its belly. This brown spider has a large belly that’s shaped like a triangle or arrowhead. In addition, the top of its belly has a yellow triangular pattern with veiny reddish-brown lines.

You’ll find arrowhead orb-weavers in forests, woodlands, and prairies. They spin large, concentric webs to trap prey and sit on the strands, waiting for flying insects to get stuck. When their web catches prey, the spiders hurry over to inject it with venom.

Arrowhead orb-weavers consume their victims on the spot or wrap them up to eat later. When faced with predators on their webs instead of prey, the spiders often run instead of defending themselves.

These arachnids aren’t aggressive towards people, and it’s hard to make them bite you. They run when threatened, probably because the venom they produce is harmless to humans even when they bite.

Like most spiders in Oklahoma, female arrowhead orb-weavers are larger than males. They also live much longer lives and are the more encountered of the two sexes.

36. Zebra Jumping Spider

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

The zebra jumping spider is a hairy black arachnid. It has hairy white patches or stripes on its body that give it an overall pattern similar to zebra stripes.

Like other jumping spiders, the zebra jumping spider can leap several times its height. It does this by extending its strong back legs and spinning silk safety lines to keep it steady. These lines also prevent injury when jumps go wrong.

You’ll find most zebra jumping spiders outdoors on the ground or on vertical surfaces like walls, trees, and fence posts. They sometimes wander indoors, especially during cold seasons or when searching for food.

Zebra jumping spiders, like their relatives, prefer ambushing prey. They have excellent eyesight and don’t build webs to catch their victims. When an insect or other arthropod is close enough, the spiders leap on it and immobilize it with their toxin.

Fortunately, these critters don’t show this level of aggressiveness towards people. Zebra spiders are pretty docile around humans and don’t bite unless threatened. Bites are extremely rare, and their toxin is harmless to humans.

Despite not spinning webs to catch prey, zebra spiders build small silk nests to use as shelter. Females also spin silk sacs to hold their eggs.

They fiercely guard these eggs in their nests until spiderlings emerge. Sadly, they die shortly afterward.

37. 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

Red-spotted ant mimic spiders are black arachnids with reddish spots on their abdomen. These arachnids feed primarily on ants and have developed adaptations to resemble their primary victims.

From a distance, it’s easy to mistake red-spotted ant mimic spiders for true ants. That’s because their bodies have similar shapes to ants. In addition, these spiders mimic ant behaviors. For example, these arachnids often tap their bellies on the ground like ants.

These arachnids also tend to walk on only six of their legs, despite being eight-legged. They walk with their first leg pair raised up to mimic a true six-legged ant’s antennae. Fortunately for them, these mimics help them get close enough to ants undetected.

Red-spotted ant-mimic spiders don’t spin webs to catch their victims. When within reach, the spiders seize their prey and immobilize it with venom before eating. What they cannot eat immediately, they reserve for later.

You’ll find most red-spotted ant-mimic spiders outdoors. They live in silk sacs, which they often build a short distance from ant colonies. This strategy gives them easy access to food when hungry.

38. 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 named after the structure of its nest. Its nest is a two-part silk structure composed of a bowl-shaped web sitting on a flat, doily-like sheet web. From a distance, the construction resembles a  bowl and doily.

Unlike most spider webs, this nest is not sticky. However, it’s effective at trapping insects. That’s because there’s a tangled mass of transparent silk above the bowl that insects mistakenly run into while flying.

Insects that collide with the silk mass drop down into the bowl, where the spider is ready to attack. Sometimes bowl and doily spiders wait on the sheet web outside and sting their victims through the web before rushing in to consume their catch.

You’ll find bowl and doily spiders in forests and woodlands, where they often anchor their webs to tree trunks and branches. Their nest hangs parallel to the tree trunk and typically hosts one or two bowl and doily spiders.

Bowl and doily spiders are brown arachnids with slightly large bellies. However, their bellies aren’t usually as bulbous as orb-weavers.

You can identify these spiders by the yellowish-white comma-shaped markings running vertically on their sides.

39. 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

Eastern parson spiders are swift ground spiders that chase down prey instead of building webs to trap them. Besides being fast, these spiders move in a zigzag pattern that makes it hard for predators to catch them.

You’ll find eastern parson spiders outdoors. However, they are also common indoors.

These hunters often hide in crevices, under furniture, and in other dark, undisturbed parts of the house. Their nocturnal nature helps them go undetected for long periods.

These arachnids are usually black or dark gray. You can identify them by the whitish pattern that runs through the center of their carapace and abdomen.

Eastern parson spiders get their name from the white pattern on their backs. That’s because this pattern resembles the neckband Catholic clergymen (also called parsons) wore in the 18th century.

Eastern parson spiders don’t bite people unprovoked, but they can get pretty aggressive when threatened. If you don’t give them room to escape, they won’t hesitate in biting you. Their bites, while medically insignificant, can hurt quite a bit.

Although eastern parson spiders don’t build conventional silk webs, females spin silk cocoons to hold their eggs. The spiders are protective of the eggs for as long as they can.

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 black widow relative often mistaken for true black widows. It has a glossy body and the same bulbous abdomen true widows have. However, most variants are brown.

Some false widows look black, and those are harder to differentiate from true black widows. However, close examination often reveals that dark false widows are really just dark brown or dark purple. They also lack the hourglass marking of true black widows.

You’re likely to encounter these critters indoors, where they spin messy cobwebs to catch prey. They consume various insects and arthropods, including true black widows. So, if you can stand their webs, they make good natural pest controls.

False black widows are relatively harmless when compared to true widows. While their bites can induce pain, you won’t experience any significant symptoms. Their venom is not medically significant and symptoms quickly disappear.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Wrapping up

Oklahoma is home to an incredible number of spiders, each species unique in its own right. You’ll find everything from cobweb spiders to wolf spiders, jumping spiders, orb-weavers, and sheet web weavers.

Spiders are a pretty diverse group, behavior, and appearance-wise. While a few species look odd enough to give most people the creeps, many species are beautiful. Many spiders also have hunting or mating habits that are fascinating to observe.

Most spiders are harmless and won’t bite people unprovoked unless threatened or mishandled. So there’s no need to panic and rid your house of these critters unless they truly make you uncomfortable.

Spiders in other nearby states

• Spiders in Colorado
• Spiders in Missouri
• Spiders in New Mexico
• Spiders in Texas