Spiders in South Carolina

There are over 600 different types of spiders in South Carolina. Despite this number, only a few of these spiders have been properly identified or studied.

So there’s much we don’t know about the spiders in this state. Spiders in South Carolina are highly variable. While some are harmful, others are pretty harmless.

Many species in the state also have attractive bodies, while others are drab and dull-looking. Regardless, each one is precious to the ecosystem. It’s important you remember that regardless of how scary some spiders might seem, they play a vital role in maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

For instance, they provide natural pest control in your gardens. Spiders are predatory arachnids that feed primarily on other arthropods.

While they can eat a wide range of prey (including fish and slugs), most find insects irresistible. These fascinating creatures generally inhabit spaces that guarantee them moisture, food, and very few encounters with potential predators.

As a result, they tend to avoid human interaction, even when they wander into people’s homes. This article is a concise guide discussing the many different spiders in South Carolina.

It’ll teach you to interact better with these interesting creatures when you encounter them.

Species of Spiders in South Carolina

1. Twin-flagged Jumper

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Anasaitis canosa
• Other Names: Twin-flagged Jumper
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: Up to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

As the name suggests, the twin-flagged jumper is a jumping spider. Its pedipalps and the silk draglines it spins make its jumps easy. These pedipalps resemble a fifth pair of legs.

The twin-flagged jumping spider uses its pedipalps to sense the environment. Each one has a dark joint with a white patch.

To use these appendages, the spider coils each pedipalp under and then moves them in little circles. This motion makes the white joint patches resemble flags or handkerchiefs. 

The spider’s cephalothorax is predominantly black. However, you may also find 2 to 4 white markings on the carapace.

Its legs have a lighter hue with dark bands running across them. In addition, its abdomen has a white dash in the center encircled by faded white rings.

The abdomen of this arachnid ends at a tip. It also has light chevrons extending from the dash in the middle to the sides, breaking the white abdominal rings.

Unlike many spider species, the abdomen of a twin-flagged jumping spider is sometimes smaller than its cephalothorax.

You’ll usually find this spider in damp forests abundant in leaf litter or near man-made structures, such as fences and gardens. It doesn’t spin webs to trap prey. Instead, it hunts them down and immobilizes them with its venom.

This arachnid’s diet consists mainly of insects, which it sources from under rocks and forest floors. However, this spider’s search for food and shelter sometimes brings it indoors.

If you encounter one in your home, there’s no need to worry. The twin-flagged jumping spider is completely harmless. Bites are rare, and the spider’s venom is medically insignificant.

2. Woodlouse Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate
• Family: Dysderidae
• Scientific Name: Dysdera crocata
• Other Names: Woodlouse Hunter, Cell Spider, Sowbug Hunter, Slater Spider, Roly-Poly Hunter, Long-Fanged Ground Spider, Pillbug Hunter, Sowbug Killer, Orange Spider

• Adult Size: 0.4 to 0.6 inches
• Lifespan: 2 to 5 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Woodlouse spiders don’t even look like woodlice. Instead, they are named after their dietary choices. These fascinating predators feed almost exclusively on woodlice and slaters.

Unlike most spiders in South Carolina, these arachnids don’t spin webs to trap prey. They are hunters that savor the thrill of tracking down and stinging prey into submission. Their large fangs enable them to seize woodlice and pierce through the arthropod’s exoskeleton.

Woodlouse spiders sometimes look blood-red or orange, especially the legs and cephalothorax. These arachnids have no pattern to speak of, but their color and smooth but dull-looking bodies make them easy to recognize.

The cephalothorax of this species is almost as large as its oblong-shaped abdomen. However, its most interesting feature is probably the six eyes at the center of its head. Many inexperienced people have difficulty distinguishing it from the more venomous brown recluse spider.

Woodlouse spiders and brown recluses are entirely different species, and the resemblance between both species is largely insignificant. Woodlouse spiders lack the violin-shaped marking characteristic of recluses. Also, you should know that woodlouse spiders are nowhere near as venomous as brown recluses.

Although human bites are infrequent, bites from woodlouse spiders can hurt. Some people experience skin reactions like redness and itchiness. However, that’s all the effect this venom has. The symptoms quickly subside without causing any damage.

That said, if you get bitten by a spider but can’t tell for sure which species it is, you should seek urgent medical attention.

You’ll often find woodlouse spiders in forest areas abundant in woodlice. Although it’s possible to encounter this spider during the day, you have the best chance of finding it at night. Nighttime is when it usually goes out hunting for prey.

3. 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

If you live in South Carolina, or most parts of North America really, you probably have this arachnid species somewhere in your home. The common house spider is called so because it truly is common.

You can find this ubiquitous spider in attics, basements, crawlspaces, barns, and other infrequently cleaned parts of the house. They make their webs close to human habitations but are careful to avoid human interaction.

When you encounter these arachnids, you’ll most likely find several adults living in close quarters. Their webs are so closely built that many individual nests can look like just one large web.

Their abdomens are usually dull brown and have continuing patterns with splotches, short lines, and speckles. Their legs are long, thin, and banded. Sadly, they don’t have any particularly remarkable physical features.

Common house spiders are harmless and generally unaggressive. However, adult females may deliver a sharp venomous bite when threatened. This venom might induce some swelling and itchiness or even trigger antibodies. These symptoms are more common in people allergic to spider venom.

While the venom this species injects is a neurotoxin similar to the black widow, it is significantly less potent. The spider’s bite only hurts as much as a bee sting and has no lasting impact.

The venom of this spider is more effective at immobilizing prey. It feeds on various arthropods and insects, but it doesn’t hunt them down. Instead, it spins webs, waits for prey to get caught, then injects them with venom.

Due to the effectiveness of its venom at killing insect prey, some insecticides use venom extracted from this spider in their formulas.

4. Running Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Philodromidae
• Scientific Name: Philodromus spp.
• Other Names: Crab Spider
• Adult Size: 0.75 to 1.5 inches 
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Running crab spiders have gray to brown bodies. While the body lacks elaborate patterns, it is covered in small mottled markings that create an excellent camouflage pattern. Their second pair of legs are also often larger than the others.

If you’re a fan of Spiderman comics or Marvel and DC movies in general, you’re probably familiar with the concept of regeneration. This concept is explored in the Spiderverse, and with good reason.

Although Spiderman’s regenerative ability is often restricted to self-healing skin wounds, many real-life spiders are capable of regenerating entire lost limbs. Luckily, running crab spiders also have this ability.

Running crab spiders are hunters, so they don’t need webs to catch prey. However, they spin webs to make egg sacs and small shelters for themselves. These spiders are nonaggressive and only bite when given no choice.

Their bites often cause pain and mild swelling, but these quickly wear off. However, there are reported cases of people experiencing headaches, inflammation, prolonged pain, vomiting, irregular pulse rate, etc.

Bites with such reactions are extremely rare, so the running crab spider isn’t considered medically significant. Only people strongly allergic to spider venom are at risk of adverse reactions.

You’re most likely to encounter running crab spiders in moist, coastal areas with plenty of trees and green vegetation. However, this doesn’t rule out residential buildings. Running crab spiders sometimes take shelter in man-made buildings for long periods.

5. Deadly Ground Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Xysticus funestus
• Other Names: Ground Crab Spider
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Firstly, the deadly ground crab spider is not as dangerous as its name implies. It should not even be a source of concern for pets or people. The spider is orange-colored and resembles a crab, which is why it has “crab” in its name.

This shy spider avoids interactions with humans and potential predators as much as possible. However, it might bite when threatened.

Its small fangs make it difficult for it to pierce human skin. But even when it does, the worst-case scenario typically involves pain and local swelling.

Though deadly ground crab spiders are generally small, females are about two times the size of males. Females also typically outlive males and are considered the more important of the two.

Deadly ground crab spiders are hunter spiders, so they don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, they track down small insects and arthropods on forest soil, especially in places rich in leaf litter.

In fall, their mottled body patterns serve as the perfect camouflage among fallen orange-colored leaves. This cryptic coloration enables them to easily attack unsuspecting prey without announcing themselves.

6. Magnolia Green Jumper

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

The magnolia green jumper is a small, bright green jumping spider. Its body and legs have bright green coloring and may even appear transparent sometimes. Adults have about 8 dots on their abdomen.

The abdominal markings on these spiders are tiny and difficult to see without using a magnifying glass. If you look closely at these jumpers, you’ll also notice orange or yellowish hairs around their eyes.

The magnolia green jumper is a hunter spider, so it doesn’t spin web traps. Instead, it actively pursues prey and stings them to death before eating. Insects and other arthropods make up the bulk of this arachnid’s diet.

This jumping spider spins silk draglines, which protect it from injury in case it falls while making dangerous jumps. It also spins silk cocoons to protect its eggs until they hatch. In addition, many magnolia green jumpers spin web shelters to rest in while inactive.

Magnolia green jumpers hardly bite humans or large pets. Their default reaction is to flee threats instead of attacking. In rare occasions where these spiders bite in self-defense, expect only slight swelling and pain in the affected area.

7. Broad-faced Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Trachelidae
• Scientific Name: Trachelas tranquillus
• Other Names: Broad-faced Sac Spider
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

You’ll often find the broad-faced sac spider outdoors under leaf litter, foliage, boards, and rocks.

You may even encounter it indoors, especially in windowsills and door crevices. Most indoor sightings of this species happen in fall as temperatures start dropping.

Like many spiders in South Carolina, the broad-faced sac spider doesn’t do well in cold temperatures. Individuals that stay outdoors during cold seasons often die before winter is over.

You’ll usually encounter these arachnids in slightly drier and warmer climes than other spiders in South Carolina. Although they seek shelter indoors during cold seasons, they generally don’t establish large reproducing colonies in people’s homes.

Broad-faced sac spiders construct webs that serve as hideouts during the day. These spiders are nocturnal hunters, so you’ll rarely see them during the day. Their webs aren’t used for catching prey.

These arachnids feed primarily on insects, although they eat other types of arthropods. After seizing prey, they consume the insect immediately after paralyzing it or drag it to a location they’re more comfortable eating at.

Female broad-faced sac spiders are larger than males. You can identify these spiders by their hard, reddish-brown carapaces and chelicerae. In addition, their bodies lack distinct patterns.

The abdomen has a pale yellow to light gray coloring with a slightly darker dorsal stripe. Their front pair of legs are thicker and darker. However, the other pairs are increasingly thinner and lighter, up until the last pair.

The “sac” in this species’ name comes from its habit of spinning sac-like webs for itself. It also spins egg sacs to protect its eggs until they hatch.

When not hunting live prey, you may find these spiders scavenging dead insects and other spiders. Broad-faced sac spiders are largely harmless. Although they inflict painful bites, their venom is not medically significant.

8. Triangulate Cobweb Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda triangulosa
• Other Names: Triangulate Bug Spider, Triangulate Comfoot 
• Adult Size: 0.75 to 0.63 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The triangulate cobweb spider is a brown-black spider with banded legs, and you can find sizeable populations in many parts of the US. Its most distinguishing features are two darker zig-zag markings that run down the abdomen.

These abdominal markings create a set of triangular shapes that run down the middle, hence its name. This arachnid also has a round, bulging abdomen, and males are more leggy and slender than females.

You may see them in the dingy corners of home windows and other buildings, where they spin their irregular webs. While their fangs are considered too small to puncture human skin, it’s not clear if they really do. But it doesn’t matter because their bites are harmless.

Their diet comprises mostly arthropods like pillbugs, ticks, and ants. They also consume other spiders in South Carolina, such as the brown recluse and the hobo spider. 

The egg sacs that triangulate cobweb spiders spin are white and spherical, made out of loosely woven silk. Females produce approximately 6 sacs throughout their lifespan. After hatching, spiderlings remain in the web for some time before dispersing.

9. False Black Widow Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda grossa
• Other Names: Cupboard Spider, False Widow, Dark Comb-footed Spider, Brown House Spider
• Adult Size: 0.25 to 0.40 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 6 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Also known as the “cupboard spider,” the false black widow is a cobweb spider from the same family as the infamous black widows. Both spiders even build similar-looking webs and have the same body shape and coloring.

Unlike black widows, however, this species does not inject humans with medically significant venom. Despite being comparably less deadly, the bite of this spider can be quite painful. It can also cause blistering and fever. But these effects don’t last long.

The color of this arachnid ranges from light brown to purplish and deep black, almost like black widows. However, you can identify a false black widow by examining its abdomen’s underside. If there’s no red hourglass shape, then it is a false black widow.

Female false black widows have large abdomens, while males are slightly smaller and have oblong-shaped abdomens. You’ll usually see these spiders resting in webs they’ve built in house corners and crevices.

These arachnids aren’t hunters. Instead, they spend most of their time in their webs, waiting for prey to wander into them. Their diet primarily consists of arthropods, including insects and other spiders. Interestingly, they also sometimes consume true black widow spiders.

Unlike orb-weavers and many spiders in South Carolina, false black widows do not weave beautiful webs that can be displayed in the open. Their webs are more likely to be tangled or irregular, containing disorganized strands of sticky silk.

It is reassuring to note that these spiders are rather timid, often avoiding humans and large house pets. Bites only occur in unavoidable circumstances, such as when you press your skin against them.

10. Rabbit Hutch Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda bipunctata
• Other Names: False Black Widow
• Adult Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 6 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The rabbit hutch spider is another false black widow spider in South Carolina.

In many ways, it resembles true black widow spiders, with which it shares a similar size and shape. But it lacks the red hourglass marking found on the underside of true black widows.

This arachnid’s coloring is brown, and the abdomen is not often as glossy as what is found on other spiders in the same family. It has a thin, light stripe that curves around the front of the abdomen before running down its center.

Like many spiders in South Carolina, the rabbit hutch spider is a tiny spider. Still, females are noticeably larger than males.

Females rabbit hutch spiders also typically outlive males. While females are observed year-round, males are more common in fall and summer.

There are very few reported cases of bites from this species. While some people say this arachnid’s fangs cannot penetrate human skin, others have reported experiencing bites that left them with mild, localized pain. In any case, the venom of this species is medically insignificant.

The rabbit hutch spider feeds primarily on arthropods. Its diet comprises mostly woodlice and other smaller insects, which it traps using its tangled webs. 

11. Spitting Spider

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

The spitting spider is a hunter species, so it doesn’t need webs to capture prey. Instead, it hunts down prey, paralyzes them with venom, then consumes them on the spot or wraps them up for later.

While this is all typical hunter spider behavior, what’s fascinating about the silk spider is how it does its hunting. This peculiar arachnid doesn’t catch prey by injecting them with venom. Instead, it “spits” venomous silk strands from its head when close to prey, hence the name.

The silk strands this spider shoots from its head are originally liquid. However, the venom solidifies into individual strands in contact with air. The spider usually doesn’t stop shooting these strands at prey until it’s sure its victims are completely immobilized.

Thankfully, the venom of this species is harmless to humans. Since the spitting silk spider doesn’t bite, it poses zero threat to humans. It can even make for an interesting companion if you like.

This spider’s striking appearance gives it plenty of appeal. The body is yellowish-brown or light brown and covered in several dark patterns. It also has a large dome-shaped cephalothorax and abdomen that are difficult to miss.

In some spitting spiders, the cephalothorax appears significantly larger than the abdomen. This is unusual, as the reverse is often the case among spiders in South Carolina and most of North America.

Another distinguishing feature of this species is the presence of only 6 eyes. With a few exceptions, nearly all spiders in South Carolina have 8 eyes. The eyes in this species appear stacked, with two pairs on the upper part of its head and the final pair slightly below.

12. Giant Lichen Orb-weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araneus bicentenarius
• Other Names: Giant Lichen Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: Up to 1 inch
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The giant lichen orb-weaver is one of the most well-known orb-weaving spiders in South Carolina. While it’s not the biggest orb-weaving species, this species is quite large. But, like most spiders, males are much smaller than females.

The abdomen of this species is usually light green with reddish-brown blotches, and the legs are greenish. Each leg has a black band and a reddish-orange base. However, this spider’s most distinguishing feature is its large, roundish abdomen, which makes it one of the heaviest orb-weaving spiders in South Carolina.

Giant lichen orb-weavers build webs that may span a diameter of 8 feet or more. These webs are orb or spiral-shaped and used for trapping prey. Since these orb-weavers aren’t hunters, you’ll often find them waiting patiently for prey at the fringes of their webs.

When an arthropod gets stuck on its webs, the spiders swoop down and deliver a venomous sting to paralyze or kill it. Afterward, the orb-weavers get to work consuming their prey.

Although the venom of these spiders can kill prey, it’s harmless to humans. These spiders are not aggressive, so bites are rare.

However, if a giant lichen orb-weaver bites you, there’s no need to panic. Any painful symptoms you feel will quickly subside and leave no lasting damage.

Giant lichen orb-weavers are nocturnal spiders, so you’ll most likely come across them at night. Besides spinning webs for resting or trapping prey, these spiders also spin silk egg sacs to protect their young.

Spiderlings have similar color patterns to adults. They have pale green bodies and leave their webs a few days after being hatched.

13. Southern Black Widow

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Latrodectus mactans
• Other Names: Black Widow
• Adult Size: 0.19 to 0.38 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Black widows are arguably the most infamous spiders in North America, made popular by pop culture and Hollywood.

If pop culture was your introduction to these arachnids, you probably never learned that there isn’t just one type of black widow. There are, in fact, 3 distinct types.

South Carolina is home to different types of black widows, including the southern black widow. These spiders have pitch-black glossy-looking bodies and large, roundish abdomens.

The most notable feature of these spiders is the presence of a red hourglass-shaped marking on their bellies. Unlike some other black widow spiders in South Carolina, the hourglass shape in the southern black widows is unbroken.

Female black widows are larger than males, often outliving them by several months or even years. These spiders are called black widows because females typically kill and feast on their male partners after mating.

This mating ritual is often the only thing most people know about black widows. It’s also common knowledge that these spiders can inflict highly venomous bites.

In some cases, they inject venom toxic enough to kill humans. But this is extremely rare.

The venom of this species is a neurotoxin that triggers symptoms like nausea, breathing difficulty, tremors, sweating, and a weak pulse. If a southern black widow bites you, seek urgent medical attention to prevent these symptoms from causing lasting damage.

Despite their reputation, black widows are nonaggressive spiders. Bites are rare because these spiders avoid close human interaction. They will often only bite in self-defense when they feel threatened with no way out.

Southern black widows feed primarily on arthropods. They trap prey by building tangled sticky webs that hold victims long enough for the spiders to inject them with venom.

14. Cellar Spider

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

The cellar spider has many names. Interestingly, its most common nickname—daddy longlegs—didn’t even originally belong to it. The real daddy longlegs are false spiders called harvestmen.

Cellar spiders have been the center of speculative stories for years. For example, many people say these spiders have one of the deadliest venoms in the world but are harmless to humans only because their fangs can’t penetrate human skin. Such claims are untrue.

Cellar spiders do, in fact, bite. But contrary to popular belief, their venom is not medically significant. You’ll likely feel nothing when this spider bites you. Still, allergic reactions may trigger mild itching or pain in some people. 

The venom of these arachnids is only potent at subduing arthropod prey. While you may not enjoy seeing them around, they keep the populations of insects and more venomous spiders in check.

You’ll usually find cellar spiders in South Carolina homes. These critters typically live in moist, dark cellars.

But they may also inhabit building corners, shelves, and even attics. They make their homes in cobwebs with light strands haphazardly woven together.

The name daddy longlegs makes sense when you observe these spiders. Despite their small sizes, they often look much larger than they actually are because their legs are up to 6 times longer than their bodies.

Cellar spiders are abundant in nearly all parts of the US. However, what’s interesting is that they weren’t originally native to North America.

They were imported from Europe many years ago and were considered a threat to native spider species for a long time.

15. Brown Widow

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

The brown widow spider is a close relative of black widow spiders. Although the species is common in North America, you can trace its origins back to Africa where it is called a button spider.

This spider’s presence in South Carolina and most of the US has become even more pervasive. In many places, it has pushed the more venomous native western black widow out of its habitat.

Like its black widow relatives, it has a venomous bite that can cause strong reactions and symptoms. However, it is not considered as dangerous. While its venom is unlikely to kill you, consider seeking medical care if you experience severe or prolonged symptoms after a bite.

The brown widow has an orange or light red hourglass shape on its belly, similar to true black widows. In addition, you’ll find several red, brown, and black markings on its abdomen. The legs are light brown and bear several black rings. 

Besides obvious color differences with black widows, you can differentiate a brown widow from close relatives by observing its egg sacs. Unlike the others, this species’ egg sac is usually spiky or tufty.

It spins webs that appear tangled and disorganized for shelter and to trap prey. Often, you’ll find the spider hanging upside-down in the web’s center. This positioning makes the hourglass shape on its abdomen visible.

Brown widows consume large numbers of arthropods. When prey gets caught in their webs, the spiders rush towards it to deliver a lethal sting before digesting it.

16. Flower Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Misumena vatia
• Other Names: Goldenrod Crab Spider
• Adult Size: 0.20 to 0.39 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

You’ll often find flower crab spiders in South Carolina gardens, prairies, and flower fields. These hunters often hide in flowerheads, waiting for prey to come along. Usually, their prey includes butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects.

What makes flower crab spiders special is that they can change their color to match surrounding flowers. Although color changes can take longer to happen, the camouflage it provides makes it easy to catch prey by surprise.

Flower crab spiders alternate between white and yellow, depending on their environment. Their abdomens and carapaces are whitish and have broad bands running down both sides. Depending on the individual, these bands may be black, reddish-orange, blue, or even purple.

Their first three leg pairs also have spines and are whitish. However, unlike females, males have greenish-yellow carapaces and purplish legs. Males are also much smaller than females and less important socially.

Flower crab spiders are nonaggressive spiders, so they won’t attack you unprovoked. If you get bitten by one, don’t panic. You might experience localized pain and redness, but the venom isn’t toxic enough to harm you. 

17. Hacklemesh Weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Desidae
• Scientific Name: Metaltella simoni 
• Other Names: Hacklemesh Weaver
• Adult Size: 0.3 to 0.5 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

There are many spiders in the US known as hacklemesh weavers, which often causes confusion. These spiders also often look very similar, so it’s important to take note of the species’ name when discussing this spider.

People familiar with mouse spiders may also mistake this species for mouse spiders. That’s because both mouse and hacklemesh spiders have similar black or gray, velvety hair on their abdomens.

Unlike other this species is often mistaken for, the hacklemesh spider isn’t entirely black. While the front part of the cephalothorax is black, the rest of the cephalothorax and legs are chocolate brown. The legs also have sparsely spaced black spines.

If you hold it closely, you’ll notice a middle groove on the shiny cephalothorax that stops just before the abdomen. Males have yellowish herringbone patterns on their back, while females have whitish spots on their gray/black abdomens.

This species was originally native to South America. However, since its introduction to the US nearly a century ago, it has spread to become an established species in North America.

Hacklemesh weavers don’t inflict medically significant bites. While they aren’t aggressive, some will bite when provoked. Thankfully, the only effect is mild inflammation and pain comparable to a bee sting.

These spiders catch prey using webs instead of hunting them down. Their webs are disorganized but effective at trapping prey.

Immediately prey gets stuck in their webs, these spiders locate it using vibratory signals and paralyze it with their venom before eating.

18. Eastern Parson Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Gnaphosidae
• Scientific Name: Herpyllus Ecclesiasticus
• Other Names: Eastern Parson Spider
• Adult Size: 0.4 to 0.8 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The eastern parson spider is one of the most commonly encountered hunter spiders in South Carolina. It was originally native to the eastern part of the US, but it has spread and established sizeable populations in nearly every state.

The “parson” in this spider’s name comes from its most distinctive feature, which is a white or gray marking found on its abdomen. This marking stands out because it closely resembles the traditional neckband worn by Catholic clergy (called parsons) in the past. 

This arachnid typically has a black or gray body covered in short hairs, and its legs are reddish-brown. The abdomen ends in two short spikes that resemble those possessed by grass spiders.

You are likely to encounter the eastern parson spider outdoors, where it lives under rotting logs and rocks. Since it’s nocturnal, it often hides during the day and goes in search of food at night. When temperatures drop in winter, the spider may find its way indoors, seeking warmth.

The eastern parson spider is a hunter, so it doesn’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, it uses its silk glands to produce egg sacs for its young or to create shelters for itself during the day.

This species is speedy and aggressive, so it will bite without hesitation if it feels threatened. Its bites are quite painful and sensitive people are known to have allergic reactions. However, this pain subsides quickly and leaves no lasting damage.

19. Bowl and Doily Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Linyphiidae
• Scientific Name: Frontinella pyramitela
• Other Names: Bowl and Doily Spider
• Adult Size: 0.10 to 0.16 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Bowl and doily spiders are minute, but they weave rather interesting and complex webs. These webs consist of an inverted dome-shaped web that resembles a bowl beautifully suspended above a horizontal sheet web that resembles a doily.

The spider often hangs around under the bowl, waiting for prey to wander into it. When prey enters the bowl, the spider quickly delivers a venomous sting from outside the bowl before rushing in to consume the prey. The web is non-sticky, so they must act fast.

Due to the web’s delicate nature, the spider often spins them in humid forest areas. You’re more likely to come across these spiders in the late summer months when their webs play host to both sexes.

Males display competitive behavior, often fighting each other for mating rights. They are also smaller than females and often live for shorter periods.

Bowl and doily spiders generally have large, bulbous, and shiny abdomens with dark brown or black coloring at the top. In addition, they have thick, white vertical lines resembling inverted commas along their sides. But these lines often turn yellowish toward the underside.

The carapace of this species is usually reddish-brown, while the legs are light brown and thin. Bowl and doily spiders come in various colors, so don’t be surprised if you see individuals with slightly different coloring.

Their bite is harmless to humans and pets. In some cases, getting stung by these spiders can hurt. But the effect of the venom is mild, so symptoms quickly wear off.

20. Green Lynx Spider

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

The body of the green lynx spider ranges from bright green to yellow, and its translucent legs are mostly covered with multiple thin black hairs or spines. In addition, the abdomen has green, yellow, or white chevron markings and 6 dark spots in the center.

The abdominal spots are sometimes nearly invisible, so you might miss them. But you can differentiate this species from similar-looking spiders, such as the magnolia green jumper. Unlike the magnolia jumper, this species has hexagonal eye arrangements and black spines on its legs.

As is typical of spiders in South Carolina, male green lynx spiders are slimmer and smaller than females. They also have significantly shorter lifespans.

While green lynx spiders aren’t particularly aggressive towards humans, females are more willing to bite when threatened. You’ll experience pain and mild swelling where the green lynx spider bites you, but the venom is not medically significant.

These spiders do not spin webs to catch prey. They are hunters, often chasing prey and biting them into submission. They also use their silk strands to pull prey over long distances.

21. Dark Fishing Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pisauridae
• Scientific Name: Dolomedes tenebrosus
• Other Names: Dark Fishing Spider
• Adult Size: 0.25 to 1 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Dark fishing spiders can walk over water. They have water-repellent hairs covering their body, which prevents them from drowning.

However, these spiders sometimes deliberately dive underwater to catch prey or to escape predators.

These arachnids typically feed on arthropods, such as aquatic insects and tiny crustaceans. However, some dark fishing spiders also eat relatively larger prey, such as tiny fish and tadpoles they have injected with venom.

Although they don’t build webs for catching prey, they still spin silk for other purposes. For example, females spin silk cocoons to protect their eggs. They also build nursery webs around these sacs to cater to their young after hatching the first few days.

You’ll often find these arachnids in coastal forests or near the bank of flowing rivers. You can identify them by their dark brown bodies and the chevron markings on their backs. In addition, their legs have alternating reddish bands.

These fascinating spiders have a similar mating ritual to black widows. After mating, females often try to eat their male partners. Sometimes they’re successful, sometimes they’re not.

At any rate, males generally die before females even if they escape being consumed by them. Males are also relatively smaller.

Dark fishing spiders don’t pose any threat to humans. Bites are uncommon. But if you get bitten, you’ll only experience mild pain and possibly swelling. The venom is not medically significant, but allergic people may experience slightly prolonged symptoms.

22. Northern Black Widow

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Latrodectus variolus
• Other Names: Northern Black Widow
• Adult Size: 0.5 to 1.5 inches
• Lifespan: 3 months-3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The black widow is one of the most well-known spiders in the world, thanks to pop culture references and movies. The spider is glossy black, with a characteristic red hourglass shape on the underside of its abdomen.

There are multiple black widow spiders in South Carolina. Although they have strikingly similar appearances, you can distinguish the northern black widow from the southern one by examining their hourglass marking.

Unlike southern black widows, the red hourglass shape in northern black widows is incomplete. It’s broken up in the middle, so it looks like two parts of an hourglass or opposite triangles.

Northern black widows show age and sex-based differences in appearance. Spiderlings have red markings on the back of their abdomens, alongside yellow and white stripes on the sides. Adult females, however, lose or retain only traces of the white and yellow markings or red spots.

As males reach adulthood, they lose their markings, stop eating and live with only the purpose of mating. Their abdomens shrink while they seek out female mates. They scarcely survive mating because females consume them soon after.

Northern black widows spin sticky, tangled webs, which they hang upside-down in as they wait for insects to get trapped in the webs. Their posture in the webs also makes it easy to see the red hourglass shape on their undersides.

Northern black widows are not naturally aggressive spiders.

However, they will bite to defend themselves or their egg sacs. Like their southern siblings, northern black widows are among the most venomous spiders in South Carolina and the rest of North America.

The neurotoxic venom they inject can trigger breathing difficulties, nausea, muscle cramps, headaches, and even result in death if not treated promptly. Children and elderly people with immunocompromised systems have the highest risk of adverse reactions.

23. Northern Yellow Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Eutichuridae
• Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium mildei
• Other Names: Long-legged Sac Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

You can find northern yellow sac spiders in South Carolina and most parts of the US. These spiders were once considered medically significant. However, that has largely changed because there is no evidence that their venom causes any serious damage to humans.

These spiders contain similar cytotoxic venom to brown recluses but are far less toxic. Still, their bites can be very painful and may cause skin irritation, such as local inflammation or open sores.

Many people mistake northern yellow sac spiders for brown recluses. But northern yellow sac spiders have yellowish or greenish bodies. The abdomen is almost always yellow or tan with a tinge of green.

These arachnids are covered in tiny short hairs. Besides a dark abdominal stripe, northern yellow sac spiders have no remarkable pattern. The cephalothorax and mouthparts are typically dark brown, and the legs are darker than the body.

Northern yellow sac spiders are inactive in the day. At night, they often wander into man-made structures, such as offices and homes. They favor corners, windowsills, and wall crevices.

They spin sac-like webs to hide in during the day, hence their name. But these webs aren’t used for catching prey. Northern yellow sac spiders are hunters that ambush prey and inject them with venom. 

These spiders also spin protective silk cocoons to protect their eggs. Females guard these eggs from potential predators until they hatch and the spiderlings can fend for themselves.

24. Long-palped Ant Mimic Sac Spider

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

Long-palped ant mimic sac spiders are called so because they behave like ants, not because of any physical resemblance. These spiders are fond of walking with their first pair of legs held up like antennae. In doing so, they seem like six-legged ants.

This peculiar behavior is an adaptation that is likely developed to help them get closer to ants and easily attack them. Besides ants, these sac spiders consume other kinds of arthropods including flies and beetles.

Long-palped ant mimic sac spiders have four or more white abdominal stripes. In addition, the cephalothorax of this species is brown, black, or whitish-gray. They start out with translucent brown legs that fade to solid black and brown as they mature.

Although long-palped ant mimic sac spiders don’t build webs to catch prey, they spin silk cocoons to protect their eggs. They also spin nests to keep these egg sacs until they hatch. Adults live in sac-like webs, which is why they are called sac spiders.

Despite their large size and aggressive speed, these arachnids usually flee from potential threats without attacking. Bites rarely occur, but when they do, the only symptom is localized pain that hurts about the same as a bee sting.

25. Red-spotted Ant Mimic Spider

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

Red-spotted ant mimic spiders look more like ants than long-palped ant mimic sac spiders.

This resemblance is part physical and part behavioral. They have shiny black ant-shaped bodies with bulbous abdomens bearing reddish-brown markings.

These arachnids also pretend to be six-legged ants with antennae by holding up their first pair of legs. Since these spiders don’t build web traps, they rely on tricks like this to get close to ant prey before stinging them to death.

This hairless spider is sometimes confused with black widows because of the red markings on its abdomen. Although this species is nowhere as venomous as black widows, the wise thing to do is avoid both species if you can’t differentiate them.

Red-spotted ant mimic spiders often spin silk egg sacs for their young. They also spin nests for spiderlings to stay in until they can care for themselves.

26. Daring Jumping Spider

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

The daring jumping spider is one of the best jumping spiders in South Carolina. Its name comes from its daringly high jumps, which can be up to 50 times its body length. It has strong back legs that make these jumps easy.

Although its legs are short compared to other spiders in South Carolina, the daring jumping spider is efficient at regulating the pressure in its back legs. This action catapults it to its destination.

This species also spins strong silk draglines to protect it while making dangerous jumps. One end of this safety line is anchored to the surface the spider leaps from, softening the blow of accidental falls.

Many people mistake this species for male regal jumping spiders due to their similar physical appearance. However, daring jumping spiders have metallic green fangs, while regal jumping spiders don’t.

Bold jumpers are typically hairy and black with whitish spots on their abdomens. These markings are yellowish in spiderlings. But they fade to white as the spiders mature. Their abdomens are also larger than their cephalothoraxes.

As hunter spiders, they only spin webs to use as safety lines when jumping, to create eggs sacs, or to build nests to rest at night. They ambush prey without using webs, injecting them with venom before eating.

Daring Jumping spiders are timid, so their first instinct is to flee when people get too close to them. While bites sometimes happen, their venom is largely harmless. Only in rare cases do people develop symptoms beyond local pain and inflammation.

27. Zebra Jumping 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 jumping spider’s name comes from its black and white abdominal stripes.

Black is the base color, while the white stripes are actually swathes of white hair. There are usually 3 to 4 of these stripes on the spider’s abdomen.

The underside stripes are complete, while those on the back are narrower or broken. Males have more elaborate stripe patterns than females. In addition, males have larger chelicerae that extend almost horizontally.

The abdomen is slightly bigger than the carapace, and it has shorter legs than the average spider. These legs are powerful and help it make impressive leaps.

Since zebra jumping spiders are hunters, they don’t spin webs to trap prey. But they spin silk draglines to ease their jumps and build nests to rest in when inactive. Females also spin silk egg sacs to house their eggs until they hatch.

You’ll often come across this spider in buildings, where they typically stay on walls and window panes. But they avoid human interaction. Outdoors, you’ll come across them in forests, meadows, and gardens.

They are active predators with a diet consisting mainly of insects and tiny arthropods. However, these spiders can also catch and subdue prey several times their body size. They have excellent vision and keen senses, which make hunting easy.

28. White Micrathena

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Micrathena mitrata
• Other Names: Micrathena Mitrata
• Adult Size: 0.15 to 0.39 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The white micrathena is an orb-weaving spider with a large, bulging white abdomen covered with spines and black markings. The spines are on the back of the abdomen and are arranged in two stacked pairs.

The black markings range in color from black to reddish-brown or solid brown, and they are clustered at the center of the abdomen. Its underside is also mostly black with some bright markings.

This spider’s cephalothorax is brown and many times smaller than its abdomen. The legs are also small.

White micrathenas are one of the few orb-weaving spiders in South Carolina that don’t spin vertical webs. Instead, they produce flat, circular, and ornate webs. This unique setup allows them to target smaller flying insects, such as mosquitoes and gnats. 

These spiders are harmless to humans, and their venom only causes mild discomfort. Sadly, people often destroy their webs because they are considered annoying. But it’s nice to remember that they can neither harm you nor your pets. Instead, they help you get rid of pests.

29. Brown Recluse

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

The brown recluse is one of the most venomous spiders in South Carolina. Its venom is cytotoxic and bites often require medical attention. Without prompt treatment, what often starts out as a small bite irritation can grow into a large, expanding ulcer.

While this spider’s bite will not kill you, it usually leaves behind an ugly scar. There’s also the risk of bacterial infection in untreated wounds. If you suspect this spider has bitten you, seek medical help immediately. Don’t wait until you have symptoms.

Despite its infamous reputation, the brown recluse is not an aggressive spider. It only bites in self-defense, such as when you threaten or crush it. Sometimes, it’s kind enough to inflict bites without venom. But you should still seek help because it’s difficult to tell which is which.

Although brown recluse spiders occur in many states in the US, they aren’t easy to find. These spiders scarcely wander around in open spaces, which is why they are called recluses.

The brown recluse has a brown or tan body, and some individuals may also have a touch of gray on their bodies. It also has an oblong abdomen that’s slightly larger than the carapace.

Many reports of brown recluses are false positives because people mix them up with other spiders. But brown recluses are easy to identify. Unlike most spiders in South Carolina, brown recluses have only 6 pairs of eyes.

However, the most distinctive feature of these spiders is the violin-shaped marking on their backs. This marking is why brown recluses are sometimes called violin or fiddle-back spiders.

Brown recluses are nocturnal hunters, so they don’t need web traps. They only spin webs to house their eggs or to create shelters for themselves. As a result, the webs they spin are usually small and lack elaborate patterns.

30. Carolina Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Hogna carolinensis
• Other Names: Giant Carolina Wolf Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 1.5 inches 
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Did you know South Carolina has an official state spider? While the Carolina wolf spider is not unique to the state, South Carolina officially adopted it in 2000 following the recommendation of a third-grade student.

This spider has a hairy, mottled body and a wide abdomen only slightly larger than its cephalothorax. It has long, hairy legs covered in several dark spots. The carapace has a dark chevron pattern with a light stripe in the middle.

Carolina wolf spiders are predatory hunters, preferring to hunt and kill prey with venomous bites instead of building web traps. Insects make up the bulk of their diet, although they sometimes eat other arthropods, including highly venomous spiders.

The venom of this species is not toxic enough to harm humans. But this isn’t a license to be careless around it. Though it leaves no lasting impact, a bite from the Carolina wolf spider usually hurts. The pain is comparable to a bee sting.

Carolina wolf spiders are generally unaggressive, but females can be fiercely protective of their young. They carry their eggs around in their fangs until they hatch, then they let their spiderlings ride on their backs for a short period before striking out on their own.

Like most spiders in South Carolina, females of this species are bigger than males. They also tend to live longer and hold more social importance.

31. Trapdoor Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Halonoproctidae
• Scientific Name: Ummidia spp.
• Other Names: Mygalomorph Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 1.6 inches
• Lifespan: 5 to 20 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Trapdoor spiders are so named because they build underground tunnels, which they secure using a properly hinged trapdoor. This trapdoor is made out of silk webs and debris. The color of these spiders ranges from a deep dark brown to a relatively light reddish-brown.

These arachnids also have a shiny, round carapace. In addition, the carapace is hard and hairless. But the abdomen is relatively brighter and covered in short hairs. 

Trapdoor spiders are extremely fast hunters, preferring to ambush and seize prey instead of spinning web traps. For this purpose, they have two large fangs to hold prey properly. After killing prey, these spiders may consume prey on the spot or drag them to their shelter.

This species is only aggressive towards prey, so you’re safe around it. Bites are rare and the venom is harmless. However, you might experience mild pain or discomfort, especially if you’re allergic to spider venom.

32. Southern House Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Filistatidae
• Scientific Name: Kukulcania hibernalis
• Other Names: Southern House Spider
• Adult Size: Up to 2 inches
• Lifespan: Up to 8 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Southern house spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. But if you spare them a second glance, you’ll notice these spiders lack the violin pattern that defines brown recluses. Southern house spiders also aren’t near as venomous as brown recluses. 

These arachnids have a dull, dark brown appearance. The abdomen is mostly grayish-brown, while the legs alternate between grayish-brown and solid dark brown. The body is covered in short, fine hairs.

While females are sometimes larger than males, most southern house spiders are about the same size regardless of sex. Females are also much harder to come across, compared to males.

Southern house spiders belong to a spider family known as crevice weavers. That’s because these spiders prefer spinning their webs in crevices on the ground, instead of out in the open like other species. These spiders rarely venture out of their crevices, and so are hardly encountered.

There’s no need to panic when you encounter this species in your home. They are unaggressive, and their venom isn’t harmful to people. However, you might experience mild pain and swelling if you get bitten.

Like other spiders in South Carolina, this species is carnivorous. Insects make up the bulk of their diet, but they can consume pretty much any small arthropod it kills.

33. Dimorphic Jumper

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

Dimorphic jumping spiders are an interesting arachnid species. Unlike most jumping spiders in South Carolina, male dimorphic jumping spiders occur in two distinct forms or “morphs”.

The first form is called the black or tufted morph. That’s because this form has a black body with three black tufts on its head. However, the legs are usually white. The second morph lacks tufts, and it’s called the gray morph because its body is gray with white stripes.

The gray morph’s pattern often causes people to mistake it for the similarly patterned zebra spider or gray wall jumping spider. However, you can tell gray morphs apart by their distinct orange pedipalps.

Female dimorphic jumpers lack the kind of variation males exhibit. Their bodies are brown, while the abdomen and legs bear white reddish markings.

Like any jumping spider, this species can leap several times its height. It has strong back legs and uses a silk safety line when jumping to prevent accidents in case a jump goes wrong.

Although dimorphic jumping spiders sometimes spin web shelters for themselves, they don’t use these webs to trap prey. They are ground hunters, savoring the thrill of chasing prey before consuming them.

Dimorphic jumpers are fast, a skill they often use to evade potential predators. They typically run away when a person gets too close, but they might bite if they can’t escape. Fortunately, their venom is harmless. If you’re allergic, you might experience minor pain and swelling.

34. Golden Silk Orb-weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Trichonephila clavipes
• Other Names: Banana Spider, Golden Silk Spider, Giant Golden Orb-weaver Spider

• Adult Size: 1 to 1.5 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Golden silk orb-weavers are some of the most beautiful spiders in South Carolina. These colorful spiders have elongated abdomens shaped like bananas, which is why they are also called banana spiders.

These orb-weavers come in many colors. You’ll find many variants with dark brown carapaces and orange-brown abdomens speckled with pale spots. Their legs are long alternating yellow and brown bands, with feathery tufts at the joints.

Golden silk orb-weavers are famous for their large, yellow silk webs. These orb-shaped webs have irregular patterns, and their tensile strength is considered up to 8 times that of steel.

Like most spiders in South Carolina, female golden silk orb-weavers live much longer than males. Males are also up to 6 times smaller than females, so you might not notice them unless you observe the webs carefully.

These spiders kill insects and other arthropods that wander into their webs with venom before consuming them. These spiders rarely bite humans except provoked to do so. If you get bitten, you’ll feel pain. But their venom is harmless to humans.

It’s common to run into these spiders’ sticky webs when you go hiking through South Carolina forests in fall or late summer.

35. Triangulate Orb-weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Verrucosa arenata
• Other Names: Arrowhead Spider, Arrowhead Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: Up to 0.8 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Also called arrowhead orb-weavers, these spiders are named after the triangular shape of their abdomens. The abdomen of this species also has a yellow, white, or pink arrowhead-shaped patch in the middle.

Besides this yellow patch, the triangulate orb-weaver is an otherwise brown spider covered in bristly hairs. These bristles dissuade some predators from attacking it, but many still prey on it.

In turn, this spider preys on other smaller arthropods, including spiders it can subdue. It spins large webs and patiently waits for bugs to get stuck before delivering a lethal bite. If it doesn’t act fast enough, bigger prey may escape before it attacks.

Triangulate orb-weavers are harmless to humans. They are unaggressive and bites only trigger mild pain or discomfort that quickly wears off. The venom doesn’t have any lasting impact.

Most orb-weaving spiders in South Carolina hang upside-down in the center of their webs. However, triangulate orb-weavers don’t. You’ll typically find them hanging upright in the middle.

These orb-weavers thrive in open spaces and often anchor their webs between tree branches. They usually spin these webs in the mornings and early evenings.

36. Rabid Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Rabidosa rabida
• Other Names: Wolf Spider
• Adult Size: 0.5 to 0.8 inches
• Lifespan: 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Rabid wolf spiders are skilled predators. These nocturnal hunters don’t spin webs to catch prey.

Instead, they chase and subdue prey with venom before consuming them. Sometimes, they wrap their prey in silk to prevent them from escaping or to make transporting them easy.

There’s no reason to fear these spiders. Despite the rabid in their name, these spiders are anything but rabid around humans. They scarcely bite. When they do, it’s often because they feel threatened and have no escape route.

The venom these spiders inject is harmless to humans. However, you might experience pain comparable to a bee sting. Females are more likely to bite you when trying to protect their young.

Female rabid spiders spin silk cocoons around their eggs and carry them around in their fangs. When the eggs hatch, their spiderlings ride on their backs for some time before leaving to start their own lives.

The rabid wolf spider is tan with white and brown stripes on its carapace. The abdomen also has a brown mid-stripe bordered by a tan stripe on each side.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the brown mid-stripe is speckled with white spots at the rear.

Like most spiders in South Carolina, the rabid wolf spider has 8 eyes. But the topmost pair in this species has white markings shaped like eyebrows. This feature is often used to differentiate it from similar species.

37. Yellow Garden Spider

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

Yellow garden spiders are orb-weavers that build intricate nests for shelter and catch prey. They feed mostly on flying insects and build their webs in vegetation-rich areas. It’s common to find these spiders in house gardens and damp forests.

You can identify the yellow garden spider by its yellow, oval abdomen. The middle of the abdomen has a black band with several pairs of yellow teardrop-shaped spots. You’ll also notice thick black rings on the otherwise yellow sides.

The carapace of this orb-weaver is grayish with a layer of silvery hairs. The first half of each leg is yellow, while the remaining half is solid black.

Yellow garden spiders spin large webs, with some being as wide as 6 feet. The middle of these webs is reinforced with a line of thickened silk known as a stabilimentum. While its function is unclear, it’s suspected to discourage birds from damaging their webs.

As is typical of orb-weavers, yellow garden spiders hang upside-down in the middle of their nests. They’ll often run if you disturb their webs, so bites are rare. But they’ll bite if you hold them too tightly.

Luckily, the venom of yellow garden spiders is harmless. It can cause mild symptoms like pain and local inflammation, but these go away on their own pretty quickly.

38. Spiny-backed Orb-weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Gasteracantha cancriformis
• Other Names: Spiny-bellied Orb-weaver, Smiley Face Spider, Crab-like Spiny Orb-weaver, Crab Spider, Jewel Box Spider, Jewel Spider
• Adult Size: 0.1 to 0.4 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The spiny-backed orb-weaver is hard to mistake for any other species. This peculiar arachnid has a large abdomen covered in 6 spiny crowns. Although the function of these hairy crowns is unclear, they’re likely defensive against predators.

Besides the crowns, this spider has yellow to white patterns on its reddish-black abdomen and several black eye-shaped markings. Together, the whitish pattern and eye-shaped spots look like a smiley face.

It’s easy to miss this spider’s black and hairy carapace, almost completely tucked under its abdomen. The legs are also black.

Male spiny-backed orb-weavers are much smaller than females. Their abdomens are gray with white spots, and they only have about 4 or 5 crowns.

Spiny-backed orb-weavers don’t live long, regardless of sex. These spiders reach sexual maturity early. But, unfortunately, females often die before their eggs hatch. Males die even earlier.

Like most orb-weavers, this species traps prey by spinning orb-shaped webs. Spiny-backed orb-weavers spin their webs every evening.

When the webs trap prey at night, the spiders inject them with venom and eat. The next morning, they dismantle the webs to rebuild in the evening.

Spiny-backed spiders have an exotic look, which can make people wary of touching them. But there’s nothing to fear about these creatures.

They rarely bite. But even when they do, the most adverse reactions never exceed local swelling and mild pain.

39. Spotted Orb-weaver

• 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 dark brown spider with a large, round abdomen. The body is covered with thick white bristles, and the abdomen has a spotty pattern. However, this pattern is barely visible in most adult spotted orb-weavers.

This arachnid’s cephalothorax is brown with a faint light pattern. While the legs are mostly reddish-brown near the body, the other half of each leg is an alternating pattern of dark and light rings.

The spotted orb-weaver spins orb-shaped webs like other members of its family. It uses these webs to trap prey before injecting them with venom. Usually, its victims are small insects like flies.

Like most orb-weavers, this arachnid rebuilds its nest every day. It eats the silk in the morning and rebuilds in the evenings. You’ll often find it hanging in the center of its web.

Spotted orb-weavers are generally unaggressive, only biting when threatened with no escape. Fortunately, their venom is harmless to humans. But their bite will likely cause mild pain, especially if you’re allergic to spider venom.

40. Red-femured Spotted Orb-weaver

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Neoscona domiciliorum
• Other Names: Barn Spider, Hentz Orb-weaver
• Adult Size: 0.3 to 0.63 inches
• Lifespan: 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The red-femured spotted orb-weaver is closely related to the ordinary spotted orb-weaver. However, it is more pleasing to look at. Its beauty is largely because the spotted pattern is more visible.

This arachnid has a large black abdomen with several white spines and markings, especially on the sides and near the carapace. The middle of this abdomen has a wide, bilaterally symmetrical cross-like band with white spots.

The carapace of this spider is covered with whitish hairs, and the legs are spiny. The first half of its legs (femur) is red, which is why it’s called a red-femured spider. The other half is an alternating white and black pattern.

Red-femured spotted orb-weavers spin intricate orb-shaped webs about 2 inches wide. While these webs serve as shelter, they also function as traps for arthropods. The spider receives vibratory signals whenever the web catches prey, and the spider quickly swoops in for the kill.

Like most spiders in South Carolina, this species is not aggressive towards people. It’ll only bite when threatened. Even then, the bite only causes mild pain and the venom has no lasting effect.

41. American Grass Spider

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

American grass spiders are sheet web weavers or funnel-web weavers. They are called so because they often spin horizontal sheet-like webs with an inverted funnel-shaped web on top. Usually, this funnel is anchored to the mouth of their shelter.

While the webs these spiders spin aren’t sticky, they are effective at catching prey. American grass spiders often hide in the funnel webs, waiting for prey to wander onto the sheet. Immediately after an insect lands, these swift predators pounce on it.

Like most spiders in South Carolina, these American grass spiders are venomous. However, they are nonaggressive and their venom is harmless. Allergic people might experience mild pain of about the same intensity as a bee sting.

From their name, you can tell these spiders favor vegetation-rich places. So prairies and grasslands are the best places to look for them. But you might also find them in home gardens.

There are several grass spider species in the US. Unfortunately, they are difficult to tell apart without professional guidance. The good news is that American grass spiders have general physical qualities you can use to broadly identify them.

These spiders have brown abdomens with rear pikes. In addition, the abdomens feature a pattern of broken light stripes between black or dark brown lines. The abdomen is typically wider than the cephalothorax.

The carapaces of these spiders often have only one light stripe in the middle. This stripe is sandwiched between black or dark brown stripes, which are also bordered by light stripes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have unanswered questions about the spiders in South Carolina? Read on to learn more about these fascinating creatures.

Wrapping up

South Carolina has many interesting spiders. Ant mimic spiders, for example, are quite fascinating. Although some spiders in the state share similar traits, each species is unique in its own way—either in appearance or behavior.

It’s important you learn how to recognize many of these spiders, especially venomous species like widows and recluses. Sometimes, there is a rare occasion where this knowledge is the thin line between a minor bite and a potentially lethal one.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of spiders, there is a great benefit to having them around. They are important ecosystem players, and they help you control the population of more annoying pests.

Hopefully, you find this list relevant when you encounter spiders in or outside South Carolina. Knowing how to correctly tell spiders apart won’t just give you an ego boost on your next adventure.

It can also save your life.

More spiders in nearby states

• Spiders in Georgia
• Spiders in North Carolina

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