Spiders in Utah

Did you know there are approximately 621 species of spiders in Utah?

According to the Utah State Parks department, you’re likely to run into one of these critters while on a hike, in your garden, or even in your home! It’s important to note that the figure above is simply an estimation as spiders do not adhere to man-made borders.

Spiders are very misunderstood creatures and having them around is a sign of a healthy environment. Not only do they eat smaller pest insects that feed on crops, but some can even harm your pets and family.

Even the spiders that are known to cause adverse effects when biting humans have other spiders that predate on them. This article includes profiles of fifty different spider species found in the Beehive State.

Spiders in general disfavor colder temperatures, so their distribution is limited by the colder, higher elevations and the seasons. When active, if you live in or are even visiting Utah, this guide can tell you more about the spider you moved outside from your bathroom, or even if you are looking to keep one as a companion.

As a preface, the list will start out with the venomous spiders for anyone who is looking to identify one in case of danger and will move on to the non-venomous ones.

Spiders in Utah

1. Western Black Widow

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Latrodectus hesperus
• Other Names: Western Widow, Black Widow
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.55 inches to 0.63 inches (14 mm to 16 mm); Male: 0.27 inches to 0.31 inches (7 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Females: 3 to 4 years; Males: 3 months
• Average Price Range: $20

Western Black Widows have a notorious reputation as being dangerous, commonly seen in Halloween decor and horror imagery. However, their propensity to bite is only activated when protecting their eggs.

Females would much rather run than engage with a human, but when needed, they will defend. The bite from a female is more potent than that of a male due to its larger fangs.

Antivenom would be administered depending on the symptoms displayed from a bite. When identifying the female Western Black Widow, it’s important to note the connected shape of her hourglass.

Some false widows look similar in shininess and color but will have modifications to the markings. Juvenile Western Widows will sometimes have orange or white striping on the dorsal side of their abdomen. Males are smaller and brown, with long spindly legs.

Common predators of the Western Black Widow are mice, due to the low placement of their webs. Some false widows — which are harmless to humans — are also known to make meals for their widow cousins.

Conversely, Western Black Widows mainly feed on arthropods but are also opportunistic cannibals, starting as young-eating siblings but continuing into adulthood during times of scarcity. The mating rituals of L. hesperus are well documented, and the ritual can last between ten minutes and two hours.

Many pheromones come into play, both when the female is sensing the population density of the widow community around her, and when it’s actually time to engage in copulation. The main strategy of males is to trap the female in her own web, but this also creates a limited opportunity for him to escape should he become injured during mating.

2. Hobo Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Agelenidae
• Scientific Name: Eratigena agrestis
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.43 inches to 0.59 inches (11 mm to 15 mm); Males: 0.31 inches to 0.43 inches (8 mm to 11 mm)
• Lifespan: 2 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

Hobo Spiders are part of the funnel web family, and as such, their webs are described as being pit-like.

Commonly formed in holes and various divots, the spider waits at the end of the funnel for its prey to accidentally fall in. Their webs are rather elastic, and the vibrations are what alert the hunter.

Identifying a hobo spider is considered a tricky task as they are easily mistaken for other members of their genus. Truthfully, the only surefire way is to send one off to a local college with an arachnologist on staff who would be able to make the proper observations.

Ways that they can be potentially identified (or at least narrowed down) are the lack of banding on the legs and a chevron pattern on the dorsal of the abdomen. When it comes to positive identification, those qualified would need to look closely at their reproductive organs.

The bite of a hobo spider and its effect on humans is a contested topic. While they were initially considered a species of concern by the CDC in the 1990s, their designation of “dangerous” was removed in 2017.

The initial case studies indicated that the bite causes necrosis in human skin, but it’s possible those bitten had sensitivities or allergies.

3. Desert Recluse

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Sicariidae
• Scientific Name: Loxosceles deserta
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.25 inches to 0.5 inches (6 mm to 13 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The distribution of the Desert Recluse is mainly kept to the southwest United States and Northern Mexico, and as such, is generally only found in the southwestern corner of Utah. It tends to try and stay away from densely populated areas, preferring native vegetation and, particularly, rat dens.

While it is part of the Recluse family, Sicariidae, and they have a fearsome reputation, they are a non-confrontational spider. If pressured, they will bite humans.

The females and males carry the same amount of venom, but the female venom is more potent. Strangely, the venom seems to cause the most damage to humans, rabbits, and guinea pigs but does very little lasting damage to rodents like mice and rats.

However, even in humans, unless there is an allergic reaction, most reactions to their bites are mild.

4. Golden Huntsman

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Sparassidae
• Scientific Name: Olios giganteus
• Other Names: Giant Crab Spider, Barking Spider, Wood Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.55 inches to 1.89 inches (14 mm to 48 mm); Males: 0.43 inches to 1.18 inches (11 mm to 30 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $20

When identifying the O. giganteus, the features that set it apart from its genus-mates are the dark chelicerae (or the pincer-like appendages by their mouths) and a heart-shaped marking on their backs.

Their leg span can make them an unmissable six inches in size, and their legs themselves are referred to as laterigrade. This means that their legs protrude from their bodies horizontally, rather than vertically, which gives them a crab-like appearance.

As their name might suggest, Golden Huntsman Spiders are hunters, and opt to stalk their prey rather than wait for them to be trapped in a web. Because of their size, they are rather dexterous and run quickly with little consideration for the terrain.

Their webbing is exclusively used to weave egg sacs. Protecting the egg sac is when the females are most combative.

While their bite is not necessarily deadly to humans, the size of their fangs can make the bite more painful. The bite itself has been described as about the same or worse than a bee sting.

In reference to the nickname Barking Spider, there were reports written about a barking spider in local Texas newspapers in the 1970s. We now know that the spider described was the Golden Huntsman and that spiders do not make noises humans can hear.

5. Carolina Wolf Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Lycosidae
• Scientific Name: Hogna carolinensis
• Other Names: Wolf Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.87 inches to 1.3 inches (22 mm to 35 mm); Males: 0.71 inches to 0.79 inches (18 mm to 20 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: $10 to $45

The Carolina Wolf Spider is the largest wolf spider found in North America and is well distributed throughout.

Most research on this species has been specifically performed on ones coming from desert terrains. It is interesting to note that how far these spiders are willing to travel from their den is influenced by the terrain around them, and sharp differences in topographical changes will limit their range.

While they have a large distribution, some of their anatomical and behavioral features lend themselves to the aforementioned desert environment. As an example, they have an internal thermoregulation system, which is good for the large temperature differences between the desert’s night and day.

Another example is that when impregnated the females will “sun” their egg sacs under the desert moon, standing slightly outside the safety of their burrow. The Carolina Wolf Spider can create their burrow but is also seen to inhabit pre-made ones.

While they can either create their own, or modify the ones they find, they do not have any particular anatomy for digging, so it is oftentimes easier for them to find one created by a mouse or snake. Their burrows are modified and reinforced for their needs and are found to have sticks, animal droppings, stones, or other detritus decorating the entrance.

The exact reasoning for these accents is unknown but hypothesized to be a warning system or deterrent for other spiders. The territory of a Carolina Wolf Spider expands about a meter around its burrow, and members of the same species tend to not interact outside of mating, child-rearing, and the occasional female-on-female cannibalism.

It has also been observed that if the mother dies while the offspring are still spiderlings, they will take over her den until they can make their own.

6. Green Lynx Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Oxyopidae
• Scientific Name: Peucetia viridans
• Other Names: Lynx Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.47 inches to 0.87 inches (12 mm to 22 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $5 to $40

Green Lynx Spiders are named as such because of their agile hunting techniques. Their natural camouflage and long legs allow them to hide in plain sight when stalking prey that comes to feed on blossoms.

Once it’s time to take action, they nimbly scurry through brush and grasses, even jumping between perches for advantageous positioning. Its hunting grounds and general habitat includes fields and prairies but also do not shy away from home gardens or yards.

With regards to their habitat, they will settle in crop fields. While they have their usefulness in consuming pest insects that infest these crops, they also target and consume helpful pollinators like wasps and bees.

This is in part because they are extremely protective of their egg sacs and a means of defense is that they will spit venom from their chelicerae. Despite their danger to insects around them, they are not known to bite humans.

In the rare times, it does occur, the bite is painful but not considered dangerous.

7. Shamrock Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araneus trifolium
• Other Names: Shamrock Orb Weaver, Pumpkin Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.79 inches to 0.91 inches (20 mm to 23 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Shamrock Spider is part of the orb weaver family and is often confused with its close relative, the Pumpkin Spider.

The confusion arises when the Shamrock spider is more orange or beige, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence. When they are not in one of their more green shades, the way to tell them apart from their cousins is the white spots on their abdomen and white striping around their leg joints.

As it is an orb weaver, they build a considerable web, being observed as up to two feet in diameter, or 71 centimeters. The Shamrock Spider rebuilds its web every evening, consuming the old webs before re-establishing.

They can be observed hanging from the center of their web, but occasionally hide in leaves nearby. When they are hiding, they use a tether web to be able to feel the vibrations of anything that might get caught.

8. Utah Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Bassaniana utahensis
• Other Names: Utah Bark Crab Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches – 0.31 inches (4 mm – 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The Utah Crab Spider is one of three bark crab spiders that reside in North America.

While B. floridana resides in the easternmost areas of the continent, B. versicolor and B. utahensis have an overlap in the southwest. Because of their similarities and areas of overlap, B. versicolor and B. utahensis have been observed crossbreeding.

The Utah Crab Spider is noted as having an unsurprisingly crab-like appearance, with a flat body, and a long front set of legs. The dark, mottled brown markings lend to its bark description, and the coloration lends well to blending into trees and ground cover.

Females are slightly larger than males and are observed throughout the year. Males are most active between May and October, passing away once they’ve mated.

9. Two-Spotted Cobweb Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Asagena americana
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.19 inches (3 mm to 5 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

Two-Spotted Cobweb Spiders are red and brown comb-footed spiders, meaning they are in the same family as the widow spiders.

The family is characterized by the bristles on their back set of feet (also called tarsus.) The other characteristic is that as cobweb spiders, the majority of the family’s webs are disorganized and messy.

Their webs are usually created in areas with debris, such as under rocks, logs, or leaves. While they have a wide distribution in the United States, they tend to concentrate in woody areas, deserts, and grassland.

Their bulbous abdomen is another characteristic of their family. As named, they generally have one or more pairs of white spots on their dorsal side.

On occasion, there will be extraneous spots. The truly unique aspect of the Two-Spotted Cobweb Spider, however, is the male’s ability to mimic the sound of cricket for mating purposes.

10. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Argiope aurantia
• Other Names: Corn Spider, Golden Garden Spider, Writing Spider, Zipper Spider, Zigzag Spider, Steeler Spider, McKinley Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.75 inches to 1.10 inches (19 mm to 28 mm); Male: 0.20 inches to 0.35 inches (5 mm to 9 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $10 to $20

The Black and Yellow Garden Spider, with its many nicknames, is a common spider throughout the Western hemisphere. While many of its English names reference the yellow and black striping, the Latin name “Argiope” translates to “silver face” and “aurantia” translates to “gilded.”

While this spider primarily is found in grasslands, they prefer to build webs that have coverage from wind. Therefore, they are commonly set up in tall, sturdy vegetation, or near houses and barns.

Their webs feature stabilimentum, which are strands of extra thick silks. While the true reasons for stabilimentum are unclear, the leading theories include camouflage, prey attraction, or even deterrent.

Adult Black and Yellow Garden Spiders usually add a few strands of stabilimentum, but juveniles will create circles. When courting females for mating, males will build a small web near, or even in, the female’s web.

He then alerts her to his presence by strumming radials of her web and often dropping a safety web in case she becomes hostile.

11. Triangulate Cobweb Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda triangulosa
• Other Names: Triangulate Bud Spider, Triangulate Combfoot
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.15 inches to 0.24 inches (4 mm to 6 mm); Males: 0.07 inches to 0.15 inches (2 mm to 4 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: $5 to $10

Triangulate Cobweb Spiders, as their name implies, build seemingly disorganized webs. These many strands are helpful as this spider has notably bad eyesight and uses the vibrations carried on the silks to gauge information on prey or intruders.

When healthy, their webs are sturdy and do not break easily. They’re commonly built in the dark corners of man-made structures.

Triangulate Cobweb Spiders are notable for feeding on common pests such as fire ants, pill bugs, stink bugs, and even other spiders that are considered harmful to humans. Despite taking on the likes of brown recluses, their venom is not considered harmful to humans except in instances of allergies.

They might be considered a poor choice in roommate regardless, as their webs usually contain the leftovers from their meals, either in the web or scattered below. When identifying a triangulate cobweb spider, their coloration ranges from browns to oranges.

Their bulbous abdomen is adorned with purple or reddish squiggly lines, lending to the “triangulate” part of its name. They have thin legs and are covered in a small layer of fuzz.

12. Red-Spotted Ant-mimic Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Corinnidae
• Scientific Name: Castianeira descripta
• Other Names: Redspotted Antmimic (alternate spelling)
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.19 inches to 0.51 inches (5 mm to 13 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: UN/A

The Red Spotted Ant Mimic is a hunting spider and therefore does not build a web to catch prey in. Its uses for the web are exclusive to building egg sacs and a nest.

This spider’s main prey is ants, and as a hunting spider, stalks them before going in for their meals. It gets close by walking with the front set of legs held up above its head, which is thought to mimic antennae and also make it appear as if it only has six legs.

Because of the Red Spotted Ant Mimic’s black and red coloring, to the uninformed, it can appear to be a widow. However, there are many structural differences, such as the red being on the dorsal side of the abdomen as opposed to the widows having their markings on the ventral site.

The abdomen is also not as round or shiny. While these differences might be obvious to anyone familiar with spiders, it is still comforting to know that the venom of the Red Spotted Ant Mimic is not considered medically significant.

13. Woodlouse Hunter

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Dysderidae
• Scientific Name: Dysdera crocata
• Other Names: Woodlouse Spider, Sowbug Hunter/Killer, Pillbug Hunter, Slater Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.43 inches to 0.59 inches (11 mm to 15 mm); Males: 0.35 inches to 0.39 inches (9 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: 2 to 5 years
• Average Price Range: $8 to $10

The Woodlouse Hunter is the sole member of its Dysderidae family in North America. They prefer warmer climates and are originally from the Mediterranean.

Because they prefer warmer climates when in colder temperatures, they’ll commonly be found in packed foliage, or under rocks, planters, and logs. As its name might imply, the Woodlouse Hunter is a dangerous predator of woodlice (which are also sometimes referred to as pillbugs, sowbugs, or roly-polys.)

However, it shows no particular affinity for these crustaceans, and will also commonly be seen eating earwigs, millipedes, crickets, and silverfish. The Woodlouse Hunter feeds on crustaceans, invertebrates, and sometimes other spiders, they have large chelicerae in comparison to other spiders in their size range.

Because of the size of their fangs, a bite from one might be more apparent and painful to humans, but their venom is not harmful.

When identifying, they defy the norm with the males being more visually exciting to look at. The males come in shades of reds, oranges, and beige, while the females are gray with a red or orange stripe down the dorsal of their abdomens.

14. Apache Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Phidippus apacheanus
• Other Names: Red Velvet Jumping Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.27 inches to 0.55 inches (7 mm to 14 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.43 inches (5 mm to 11 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $20 to $45

The Apache Jumping Spider is rather large for its Salticidae family, most of them being on the smaller side.

They can be identified by their electric green chelicerae and the large dorsal stripe that can range from red to yellow. Juveniles can be hard to tell from adult P. apacheanus, but their legs tend to be paler than when they are fully grown.

Mating between females and male happens in fall or occasionally early winter. Males have a specific courtship ritual, starting with holding the upper half of their body up high and swinging their abdomen from side to side.

He approaches the female in a zig-zag pattern, stopping every few steps to gauge her reaction. His front pair of legs raised up above his head, moving up and down as well as in and out, making a circle above his head.

Once he is close enough, he will touch his forelegs to the female once or twice. The Apache Jumping Spider is unique in its family in that the female will perform an acceptance dance, holding her forelegs up and bending her abdomen to the side. Sometimes she moves from side to side.

Apache Jumping Spiders only create webs to hide from inclement weather, deposit their egg sac, hibernate, or retreat at night. These tent-like structures are usually created under rocks, logs, or plants.

Despite their name implying a skittish nature, they are naturally curious, often meeting humans face to face. This is why they have the potential to make good pets, and their recent internet virality.

15. Dark Comb-footed Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda grossa
• Other Names: Cupboard Spider, False Widow, Brown House Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.24 inches to 0.41 inches (6 mm to 10.5 mm) Male: 0.15 inches to 0.39 inches (4 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: Female: Up to 6 years; Male: 1 to 1.5 years
• Average Price Range: $9 to $15

The Dark Comb-Footed Spider is a closely related but non-venomous relative to the genus Latrodectus, or Black Widows, and as such is commonly referred to as a False Widow. It’s important to note that many similar-looking spiders are also called False Widows.

The major differences are the colorations and the absence of the hourglass on the ventral side of the abdomen. Dark Comb-Footed Spiders are usually purple, brown, or reddish, as opposed to black.

They are just as shiny. Males tend to look like brown garden spiders, with long bodies, and less shiny. Despite the close relation, S. grossa is known to eat Black Widows.

When well-fed, Dark Comb-Footed Spiders can lay three or more egg sacs a year. Being well-fed is relative, however, as they can go months without eating as long as there is water available.

Once the eggs show signs of hatching, the mother obsessively watches for hours to days. The spiderling is independent once hatched.

The Dark Comb-Footed Spider will bite when threatened but prefer to run. Their venom is considered medically significant but is not known to cause death.

On top of cosmetic damage, there can occasionally be muscle spasms, sweating, fever, and fatigue. The antivenom used for Latrodectus bites shows promising treatment in these instances.

16. Starbellied Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Beginner 
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Acanthepeira stellata
• Other Names: Starbellied Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.27 inches to 0.59 inches (7 mm to 15 mm); Males: 0.19 to 0.31 inches (5 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $20 to $30

Star-bellied Orbweavers are aptly named for their spiked abdomen. They have a wide North American distribution and are considered a relatively common orb weaver.

Like their family, they build webs that they then hang upside down on. This web provides them with the vast majority of their food.

Many spiders that build webs lack strong eyesight and rely on vibrations to let them know of prey or intruders. They build their webs vertically off the ground and seem to have no preference for man-made versus natural structures.

These webs will be four feet (or 122 centimeters) or so off the ground, and be one foot (30 centimeters) in diameter. They will be spotted most often between spring and early fall.

The Star-bellied Orb Weaver is non-confrontational in the presence of predators and will play dead if threatened. Because of this, they rarely bite humans.

In rare instances of a bite, it’s considered nonvenomous, both to people and large pets.

17. Arabesque Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Neoscona arabesca
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.20 inches to 0.28 inches (5 mm to 7mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $28 to $30

Arabesque Orbweavers have a worldwide distribution and are considered one of the most, if not the most, common orb weavers. They are named after the patterns displayed on their abdomens.

Arabesque, as defined in the art world, are patterns that have a rhythm and natural flow, commonly derived from nature. The patterns on the spider are most apparent after molting, and fade as they age. Unique to their Araneidae family, N. arabesca is fuzzy.

Like their orb-weaving cousins, the females build vertical webs to catch prey at night. These are rather small in comparison, reaching diameters of six to eighteen inches (fifteen centimeters to forty-six centimeters).

The center of the web is left open, and the web is held together with eighteen to twenty spokes. While the female sits in the center to watch for food, males hunt on the ground.

During the day, both sexes hide in leaves and detritus.

18. Daring Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Phidippus audax
• Other Names: Bold Jumping Spider, Bold Jumper
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.15 inches to 0.71 inches (4 mm to 18 mm); Males: 0.15 inches to 0.59 inches (4 mm to 15 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: $9 to $55

The Daring Jumping Spider is a charismatic species (as with most Jumpers) that is currently seeing an uptick in hand-rearing due to their personalities that make them easy to observe and handle. When identifying, they are mostly black with white stripes on the legs and white spots on the abdomen.

Their chelicerae are iridescent blues and greens. Interestingly, the members of this species in Florida have reds and oranges replacing white, which is a coloration generally only reserved for juveniles.

Daring Jumping Spiders are hunting spiders and therefore do not build webs for capturing prey. Their silks are reserved for building shelters and nurseries, weaving egg sacs, and making quick getaways from predators.

As jumping spiders hunt by pouncing, they are commonly seen on flat surfaces and in flat terrain such as fields, lawns, and on fences. They see their prey in 3D like humans, being able to gauge depth to accurate launching.

19. Agrarian Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Cheiracanthiidae
• Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium inclusum
• Other Names: American Yellow Sac Spider, Black-footed Yellow Sac Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.19 inches to 0.39 inches (5 mm to 9 mm); Males: 0.15 inches to 0.31 inches (4 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The Agrarian Sac Spider is a yellow garden spider native to North America. They are commonly found in gardens, trees, and shrubs, but do not necessarily shy from the indoors.

Despite their small body, their legs can reach up to an inch (or twenty-five millimeters) in span, with their front pair of legs longer than the rest. Their feet tend to be dark brown or beige, hence their alternative name.

They will sometimes have a dark yellow or orangish stripe down the dorsal side of their abdomen. The Agrarian Sac Spider is nocturnal and does not have very good eyesight despite the eight eyes.

Often, when spiders do not have good eyesight, they use vibrations from their webs to gain feedback on their environment. However, this spider only builds a nest during the day and hunts at night.

It takes them about ten minutes from start to finish. It’s believed they sense vibrations that travel on surfaces or dirt to find prey.

Agrarian Sac Spiders are known to travel by ballooning. This involves the spider excreting a long single strand of silk, which is then picked up by the wind.

Sometimes it simply sticks to a nearby surface, which the spider travels along. In other cases, the string will float with the spider still attached allowing them to travel.

This mechanism is used to run from predators and catch airborne prey.

20. Northern Yellow Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Cheiracanthiidae
• Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium mildei
• Other Names: Black-Footed Spider, Long-Legged Sac Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.27 inches to 0.39 inches (7 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: Under 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

No, this isn’t a repeat. The Northern Yellow Sac Spider is the native European counterpart to the closely related C. inclusum.

Despite being from Europe, it has a wide reach in the United States as well, thought to come over with English colonists. To tell the difference between the two, the C. mildei has a color range from yellow to green.

In addition to dark feet, their faces tend to be darker as well. Their skin is slightly translucent and their abdomen can change color depending on their last meal.

During the day, the Northern Yellow Sac Spider hides in web-based nests. These can be created in plant matter, or nooks in man-made structures.

They do not use their webs for hunting. In contrast to C. inclusum, it’s believed C. mildei has fairly good eyesight, as their eyes have tapetum lucidum tissue. This tissue is common in vertebrates and, simply put, reflects light that has entered the eye to the photoreceptors, increasing visibility.

Interestingly, in Africa and the Middle East, The Northern Yellow Sac Spider is a lead predator of S. littoralis, or the African Cotton Leafworm, a type of moth. They consume the larvae as well as scatter them from their host plants.

In addition to their violence against moths, they are a species known to bite humans. The venom is not generally fatal, but a bite can result in swelling and soreness.

21. Eastern Parson Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Gnaphosidae
• Scientific Name: Herpyllus ecclesiasticus
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.31 inches to 0.51 inches (8 mm to 13 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.27 inches (5 mm to 7 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: N/A

The Eastern Parson Spider is named for the white, beige, or brown markings on their backs. It’s said these resemble a cravat from high society or even the neckband worn by clergy members.

When identifying, they can sometimes have red or brown legs. They appear to be fuzzy and have two short spikes on the rear end of the spinnerets.

It is nearly identical to H. propinquus, which is found to the west of the Rocky Mountains, and the only identifiable difference is the sexual reproductive organs. H. Ecclesiasticus, subsequently, is found to the east of the Rockies.

They are hunting spiders, using the cloak of night to stalk prey. As hunting spiders, they do not build webs in the traditional sense.

Mostly found in woodlands, it can be found during the day taking shelter under logs and rocks. However, they are not necessarily shy and are frequently spotted indoors.

Eastern Parson Spiders will bite if feeling trapped, whether in clothing or bedding. However, their bite isn’t considered dangerous except when someone is allergic.

It has, however, been compared to a bee sting.

22. Trashline Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Cyclosa turbinata
• Other Names: Humped Trashline Orb Weaver, Trashline Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.07 inches to 0.27 inches (2 mm to 7 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: N/A

The Trashline Orbweaver traditionally was distributed through mainland North America but has recently been spotted on islands such as Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands, and the Caribbean, among other areas. It’s thought to have traveled by hitching rides on luggage and freight ships, but it is also known to travel by ballooning.

When in the wild, Trashline Orbweavers are most likely found near the edges of forests, preferring live oak and hollowed sycamore trees. Even though they have a preference, their ability to travel forces them to be adaptive.

As such, they have been spotted on a variety of vegetation such as cotton plants, prickly pear, and bluebonnets, and in environments ranging from sand dunes to pastures.

Trashline Orbweavers are most active at night. This is in part because their main predators are wasps, which are diurnal.

Trashline Orb Weavers are known to play dead when their prey response is stimulated and tend to “play” longer during the day. When the spider is forced to forage for their own food during the day, they stay closer to the ground, where the wasps are less likely to be.

The namesake of the spider, Trashline, comes from the structure of debris it builds into its web. When the “trashline” is built properly, the spider is able to blend in with the refuse and avoids being hunted by its predators.

23. Cat-Faced Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araneus gemmoides
• Other Names: Jewel Spider, Plains Orb Weaver
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.51 inches to 1 inch (13 mm to 25 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.31 inches (5 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Cat-Faced Spider is named as such because of the two points on the upper dorsal of its abdomen, which resemble a silhouette of a cat’s face. Their colors range greatly and are affected by season, health, and where the spider is in its cycle of shedding.

Cat-Faced Spiders are a common orbweaver and are considered helpful as they prey on pest insects. They build their webs in both natural landscapes and man-made structures.

They have been noted to build webs by light sources, supposedly to be able to catch insects that are attracted to said light, like moths. Because they do set up near man-made structures, there are instances where they bite when feeling threatened. Luckily, their venom is not considered harmful to humans.

As an orb weaver, Cat-Faced Spiders hang upside down when present but often hide off in nearby shrubbery, using vibrations carried on their webs to know when to emerge for a meal. Another use for their silk is creating egg sacs.

After the egg sac is completed, the female will die within a few days. The egg sac then overwinters and the spiderlings hatch with the rising spring temperature.

The babies will often cannibalize each other, and the survivors balloon off to new territory.

24. California Flattened Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Platycryptus californicus
• Other Names: Saltique de Californie
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.35 inches to 0.43 inches (9 mm to 11 mm); Males: 0.24 inches to 0.31 inches (6 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The California Flattened Jumping Spider is native to North America and well established in the west. It is most active during the day and can be identified by the leaf-like pattern on the dorsal side of its abdomen and the light layer of fuzz on its entire body.

This spider is considered exceptionally small for its family and easily missed. Its coloration and texture allow it to blend easily into tree bark.

As a tiny but mighty creature, The California Flattened Jumping Spider is helpful in ridding homes and gardens of the extra small pests that might otherwise be harder to get rid of, such as fruit flies and gnats. These are hunting spiders and pounce on their prey. As hunters, they don’t generally build webs.

25. Goldenrod Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Misumena vatia
• Other Names: Flower Crab Spider, Flower Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.24 inches to 0.35 inches (6 mm – 9 mm); Males: 0.12 inches to 0.15 inches (3 mm to 4 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Goldenrod Crab Spider is found throughout the northern hemisphere – mainly North America and Europe – and seems to have a penchant specifically for milkweed and goldenrod plants.

It is noted to be seen on other flowers, such as buttercups and ox-eye daisies. They choose these patches of flowers to better be able to capture prey that is attracted to pollen, such as bees.

Females tend not to wander off from their chosen patches, whereas males will travel farther to search for mates. Spiderlings will attempt to look for new territory, but this is risky as there is no guarantee of flower patches exist outside of their birthplace.

As crab spiders, these species can walk sideways, forwards, and backward. When identifying Golden-Rod Crab Spiders, it’s important to note that they can take on a variety of colors.

Females are normally white or yellow, with bright contrasting stripes along the sides of their abdomen. It’s possible for them to appear green, pink, or white with patterns.

These colors will reflect their surroundings and are dependent on visual cues, but can also be influenced by their prey. Their color change happens slowly and happens with molting.

Both males and females molt several times, but females molt even more due to their larger size. It is unclear if males can change colors as well.

26. Banded Garden Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Argiope trifasciata
• Other Names: Banded Orb Weaving Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.59 inches to 1 inch (15 mm to 25 mm); Male: 0.15 inches to 0.24 inches (4 mm to 6 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Banded Garden Spiders are helpful, pest-eating spiders native to the western hemisphere. As large spiders, their webs can reach similarly impressive lengths and have been observed reaching diameters of six and a half feet (or two meters).

Banded Garden Spiders are known to use stabilimentum to adorn their webs, and are a spider that uses it consistently. Their webs are most easily observed in the later summer and early fall, which is when they are most primed to be hunting on their own after maturing.

Females hang upside down in their webs, pairing their legs and creating somewhat of an “X” formation with their bodies. Despite eating a range of usual garden pests, keeping one in captivity proves difficult as they can not build their webs without sufficient space.

Males create their own, smaller webs in proximity to females’ webs. When hunting, they use vibrations from tether silk to alert them of prey.

They inject their prey with toxic saliva, but their bite is considered harmless to humans. It may cause a rash or cosmetic damage in extreme cases.

27. Spitting Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Scytodidae
• Scientific Name: Scytodes thoracica
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.24 inches (3 mm to 6 mm)
• Lifespan: Females: 2 to 4 years; Males 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

S. thoracica comes from the family Scytodidae which are all spitting spiders, but this one is the most common, and is found all over the world.

It is specifically concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere but prefers warmer climates. Because of its preference for warmth, it is found mainly in man-made structures, and exclusively in man-made structures the further north they are found.

S. thoracica is sometimes quoted as being “nature’s strangest hunter.” They are nocturnal and stalk their prey with their six eyes.

Once they have a target, the spider will gauge the distance and spit a web in a zig-zag pattern over its prey. Now, this web is not just any webbing. S. thoracica had an abdominal silk gland, and a secondary silk gland in their cephalothorax, which is connected to their venom glands.

Therefore, their silk is venomous and immobilizing to their prey.

28. Riparian Sac Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Clubionidae
• Scientific Name: Clubiona riparia
• Other Names: Two Clawed Hunting Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches to 0.55 inches (4 mm to 14 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Riparian Sac Spider is one who enjoys the cold, wetter climates of the northern hemisphere. When identifying the spider, its skin is a brownish yellow with a darker face and darker feet, usually tinted dark red or brown.

The Riparian Sac Spider has also at times been referred to as the Two-clawed Hunting Spider, in part because of their large chelicerae. They will have a stripe down the dorsal side of the abdomen that is brown or dark orange.

A notable behavior of the Riparian Sac Spider is the next it builds for its egg sac. The female will carefully bend and fold the tip of a long leaf and seal it with her silks, keeping the leaf alive.

This creates both the birthplace for her spiderlings as well as her final resting place. She passes before the spiderlings are born, and then becomes their first meal.

29. Western Spotted Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Neoscona oaxacensis
• Other Names: Zig-Zag Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.19 inches to 0.71 inches (5 mm to 18 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $8 to $10

The Western Spotted Orbweaver is a nocturnal orb weaver that is found in much of the southern and southwestern United States, as well as down through parts of South America and on the Galapagos Islands. It is found that the ones in South America tend to be slimmer and have more distinctive colorations.

The white patterns on the dorsal of the abdomen are the main identifier when separating it from N. arabesca, or the Arabesque Orb Weaver. Patterns will vary from spider to spider, but they will consistently have four white spots on the ventral side of their abdomen.

The Western Spotted Orb Weaver is also unique in the organization of its egg sacs. While most spiders just deposit their eggs into the woven sac, N. oaxacensis organizes them into neat rows.

They exit their egg sac in the spring and reach maturity by fall.

30. Bowl and Doily Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Linyphiidae
• Scientific Name: Frontinella pyramitela
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.15 inches (3 mm to 4 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Bowl and Doily Spider is named for the shapes it creates with its web. As a member of the Linyphiidae family, these spiders create what is referred to as sheet webs, and unsurprisingly, create webs that look like sheets of silk and hunt their prey from below.

The Bowl and Doily Spider is unique, however, in that it creates somewhat of a double-layered web with a “bowl” above, and a sheet, or the “doily” below. These spiders are protected from below by the doily, and when prey falls into the bowl, the spider bites through the webbing to attack.

When it comes to observing the day-to-day of the Bowl and Doily Spider, an interesting aspect is that their circadian rhythm is on an average 28.2-hour cycle, making them not nocturnal or diurnal by human standards. The cause and reason for this are not yet known.

31. Zebra Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Salticus scenicus
• Other Names: Zebra Spider, Zebra Jumper
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches to 0.35 inches (4 mm to 9 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: $20 to $35

The Zebra Jumping Spider is aptly named for its black and white striping harkening back to the plains equines of the same name. They are found in the northern hemisphere and prefer open spaces for their hunting grounds, such as gardens, tree trunks, or even some beaches.

The eye layout and structure of the Zebra Jumping Spider play a large part in how they catch their prey. Their eight eyes are arranged in a single row, with the forward-most set, the anterior median eyes, being the largest.

Moving outward, the next two sets are the anterior lateral eyes, and posterior lateral eyes, followed by posterior median eyes. When the lateral eyes receive visual input about prey, the body automatically orients to start tracking.

Despite being rather small themselves, they will eat other smaller spiders but have also been observed eating other bugs that are bigger than them, such as mosquitoes and moths. Zebra Jumping Spiders are able to ignore prey that is uninteresting to them, such as ants.

Once the spider has decided to pursue, they create a safety tether web, and launch themselves at the prey, but are anchored to a surface in case they miss. They also use these webs to escape from danger by dropping themselves off surfaces like a rock climber would if it is safe to do so.

32. Stealthy Ground Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Gnaphosidae
• Scientific Name: Sergiolus montanus
• Other Names: Common Patterned Ant-Mimic Ground Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.24 inches to 0.51 inches (6 mm to 13 mm)
• Lifespan: 2 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Stealthy Ground Spider is native to North America and found from southernmost Alaska down to northern Baja California.

They are found primarily in woody areas and grasslands but are not shy when it comes to entering man-made structures. They would be seen most frequently in the summer and early fall.

When identifying the Stealthy Ground Spider, they appear very similar to a close relative, Sergiolus bicolor. However, S. montanus is lighter in coloration.

The only way to identify with absolute certainty is through an examination of their reproductive organs. Between the two sexes, females are larger and have fuller abdomens than males.

They are a diurnal species and create a hide for the night. When hunting for food during the day, they stalk their prey and pounce discreetly.

They are a lithe species, hence the naming of Stealthy Ground Spider.

33. Common House Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Parasteatoda tepidariorum
• Other Names: American House Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.24 inches (3 mm to 6 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $6 to $12

The Common House Spider is found all over the world but tends to be more common closer to the coasts. They are considered a synanthropic species, meaning that they live in close proximity to and benefit from humans.

Their range of colorations, from browns to black, and general small sizes allow them to go unnoticed in their surroundings. They do leave behind rather unsightly webs.

They attract some prey by hanging bits of flies in the silks, but rather than rebuild the web, pieces that are no longer good for trapping food are simply pushed out rather than rebuilding a whole new web.

The overall small size of the Common House Spider does not exclude it as a formidable opponent, however. Regularly feeding on other household pests such as ants, wasps, flies, and mosquitos, these spiders have also been seen taking down cockroaches, grasshoppers, butterflies, and other arachnids.

In the event of prey being able to out-maneuver the Common House Spider, they will shoot webbing at the target and pull the meal closer to itself. Despite its track record, there is one breed of assassin bug, Stenolemus lanipes (of the Emesinae family) that feeds exclusively on the spiderlings of P. tepidariorum, refusing all else to the point of starvation.

34. Rabbit Hutch Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Theridiidae
• Scientific Name: Steatoda bipunctata
• Other Names: False Widow
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches to 0.31 inches (4 mm to 8 mm)
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Rabbit Hutch Spider is considered one of the false widows, with the glossy surface on its bulbous abdomen calling back to its more dangerous relatives. Luckily it does not take a professional eye to tell them apart.

Rabbit Hutch Spiders have a much more brown tone to their abdomen and will have a brown stripe running down their backs, sometimes being met with a horizontal line on the upper end of their abdomen. They also do not possess the red hourglass on their underside.

The Rabbit Hutch Spider is not known to bite, possibly because their fangs are too small to even break the skin. They are commonly found in man-made structures and much prefer to run and hide rather than attempt to take on a human.

35. Barn Funnel Weaver

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Agelenidae
• Scientific Name: Tegenaria domestica
• Other Names: Domestic House Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.24 inches to 0.47 inches (6 mm to 12 mm)
• Lifespan: Female: 2 to 7 years; Male: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Barn Funnel Weaver is a European native who has been introduced to North America and is now found worldwide. They are nocturnal and build their webs in basements, wood piles, and flower beds – mostly where they can build their funnel webs.

When startled, these spiders attempt to hide in the bottom-most section of the funnel, but if the web is disturbed or partially destroyed, they will attempt to flee or play dead. The Barn Funnel Weaver prefers to run than try and take on a human as their fangs likely wouldn’t break the skin.

As nocturnal spiders, the Barn Funnel Weaver is photosensitive but does otherwise have good eyesight. Six of its eight eyes are oriented forwards, allowing them to be agile hunters.

However, they usually wait at the bottom of their funnel for prey to tumble into the mouth. Once the prey has entered the funnel, spiders will pull them further in to eat.

When traveling, Agelenidae family members move in short bursts, pausing before continuing onward.

36. Utah Funnel Web Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Agelenidae
• Scientific Name: Agelenopsis utahana
• Other Names: Utah Grass Funnel Weaver
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.39 inches to 0.67 inches (10 mm to 17 mm); Males: 0.35 inches to 0.59 inches (9 mm to 15 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Utah Funnel Web Spider was first cataloged in the Raft River Mountains of Utah in 1933. It has since been observed in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe.

When out in their natural habitat, they prefer to build their webs in and around forests. The silks used to create this web aren’t sticky and these hunters simply await clumsy bugs tumbling in for their meal.

The identification of Utah Funnel Web Spiders depends somewhat on their coloration but mostly on a close examination of their reproductive organs. As far as their appearance, they will be shades of orange, yellow, and brown.

The spider will also sometimes have a “V” pattern on its ventral side.

37. Black Tail Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Synema parvulum
• Other Names: Black-banded Crab Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.27 inches (3 mm to 7 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Black Tail Crab Spiders are native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. They are commonly found on flowers, tree bark, fruits, and leaves, waiting for unsuspecting prey.

Crab spiders don’t build webs for prey and are hunters that ambush their targets. Common food sources for Black Tail Crab Spiders are beetles and aphids and subsequently considered useful to have in flower and crop gardens.

When identifying Black Tail Crab Spiders, the most obvious marking will be a thick black line curving along the rear end of the abdomen. The colors of the rest of the body will range from browns to reds.

As a crab spider, their frontmost legs are longer than the following sets, giving them the appearance of the aquatic creature which lends its moniker. These limbs are used to catch their prey.

38. Featherlegged Spider

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Uloboridae
• Scientific Name: Uloborus glomosus
• Other Names: Garden Center Spider, Feather-legged Orb Weaver, Hackled Orbweaver, Hackle-Band Orb Weaver
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.39 inches (3 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Feather Legged Orb Weavers are a unique species, in part because it is one of the few members of the Uloboridae family found in the United States and the only one present in Canada. As Uloboridae spiders, they do not have venom glands and simply trap their prey in webs before consuming.

Despite sometimes being referred to as an Orb Weaver, they are not closely related to the Araneidae family. Their webs are wheel-shaped and include heavy adornments of stabilimentum, creating a messy spiral shape. The silks are described as fuzzy, which is a characteristic of Cribellate spiders.

In appearance, the Feather Legged Spider is meant to mimic dried leaves and often is found in shades of browns, tans, and whites. Their coloration and shape are close to the appearance of their own egg sacs.

The egg sacs are almost tear-drop shaped and multiple are strung together as a chain. When guarding the egg sac, the female holds her front-most set of feathered legs in front of her and blends in as just another link in the chain.

39. Labyrinthin Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae 
• Scientific Name: Metepeira labyrinthea
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.19 inches to 0.39 inches (5 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: Less than 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Labyrinthine Orbweavers can be identified by their brown or gray carapace with a yellow or white stripe on the sternum. Their eye region is lighter than the rest of the carapace.

The abdomen has patterns of alternating grays, whites, and browns in a triangular pattern. Lastly, the legs are thickly striped brown, and tan.

These characteristics, as well as a closer look at reproductive organs, are what set it apart from other members of the Araneidae family. A more surefire way to identify a Labyrinthine Orbweaver is actually through its web.

The web is notably different from the webs created by other orb-weaving spiders, and one aspect that makes it so is the double web structure. One part of the web is the classic web you see on Halloween decor and in cartoons, and this is used to catch prey.

The second part of the web looks more messy and disorganized and is decorated with leaves and debris which the spider blends in with. This second web is more of a retreat and hides that the spider uses to lounge in while waiting for its next meal.

40. Furrow Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Larinioides cornutus
• Other Names: Furrow Spider, Foliate Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Females: 0.24 inches to 0.55 inches (6 mm to 14 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.35 inches (5 mm to 8mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: $20

Furrow Orbweavers are found throughout North America and Europe. They can be identified by their large round abdomens that come in shades of red, black, and gray.

The ventral side of their abdomen will be lighter and will have an upward pointing arrow that will also be reflected on their leg banding. Furrow Orbweavers, impressively, can be found all year round as they do not hibernate.

This is in part because they can survive temperatures down to -68°F (-20°C). Similarly, despite the weather, their hides can be found in dark, cool, and damp places, generally closer to the ground.

At night, these spiders ingest damaged parts of their prey-catching web and rebuild. During the day, they wait for prey to fall victim to getting trapped in the aforementioned web, and then food is bountiful, they create smaller webs.

Conversely, when food is scarce they create larger webs for more opportunities to catch prey. Furrow Web Orbweavers often predate various insects and other smaller spiders.

41. Johnson’s Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Phidippus johnsoni
• Other Names: Redback Jumping Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.35 inches to 0.55 inches (9 mm to 14 mm); Males: 0.24 inches to 0.43 inches (6 mm to 11 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 3 years
• Average Price Range: $10 to $30

Johnson Jumping Spiders are a black and red member of the Salticidae family and are found in the United States and Canada.

One, named Nefertiti, even spent 100 days aboard the International Space Station! When not orbiting the earth, Johnson Jumping Spiders are found in dry environments near coastal dunes and oak trees, spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains.

They are not web builders, as they are jumping spiders. Their silks are used to make nests hide away at night or during bad weather, or for part of the reproductive cycles, such as courtship, mating, and egg laying. Johnson Jumping Spiders also will tether themselves when jumping, in case of missing their prey.

When identifying Johnson Jumping Spiders, they have mostly black, fuzzy bodies. Their chelicerae are iridescent blues and greens.

As far as their sex dimorphism, males are on the smaller end of their size scale. The dorsal side of his abdomen is almost entirely red, with the occasional black mottling.

The females are larger and their abdominal red patch will have a lie nearly bisecting it vertically. Sometimes there are yellow and white spots outlining the red.

42. Metallic Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Philodromidae
• Scientific Name: Philodromus marxi
• Other Names: Running Crab Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.07 inches to 0.43 inches (2 mm to 11 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Metallic Crab Spiders are one of the few spiders where the male is arguably more intriguing visually than the female. Even so, the females are white with brown up the sides of the abdomen and carapace.

They have alternating tan or yellow stripes going up their crab-like legs. The males come in brown, purple, or orange with a golden sheen to their skin.

As hunting spiders, they use their long agile legs to stalk and pounce on insect prey. As such, they are not normally webspinners.

After capturing their prey, they inject their venom and hold their prey until it ceases movement. Their use of webs is exclusive to the females spinning their egg sacs. She guards them fiercely.

43. Woodland Jumping Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Colonus sylvanus
• Other Names: Pale Jumping Spider, Sylvan Jumping Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.59 inches (3 mm to 15 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: $20 to $30

Woodland Jumping Spiders, as their name suggests, are found in arboreal and woodland environments.

As far as distribution, they are found in the United States and down to Panama. Members of the Salticidae family do not build webs and therefore, when found, are out in the open such as on fences and in gardens.

When identifying a Woodland Jumping Spider, they are thinner than other members of their family, but otherwise roughly the same size. Their coloration is made up of whites, tans, and browns, with small hairs on their entire body.

The diet of a Woodland Jumping Spider is made up of insects that are smaller than itself. The venom it uses is not medically significant to humans.

44. Deadly Ground Crab Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner 
• Family: Thomisidae
• Scientific Name: Xysticus funestus
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.12 inches to 0.39 inches (3 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Despite its name, the Deadly Ground Crab Spider is not very deadly to humans and pets and is actually incredibly averse to human interaction. The few bites recorded have only left some swelling and redness, but their fangs are generally too small to puncture the skin.

In identifying the Deadly Crab Spider, they are found to be shades of brown as they camouflage into the leaves, ground cover, and dirt. As the second half of their name might suggest, they have a crab-like appearance, with a long front set of legs. Males are smaller than females, but males have longer legs.

They are most active in the fall, where their coloration lends itself to protection in the autumn leaves. They eat bugs from the soil and are considered helpful o have in gardens.

45. Arrowhead Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae 
• Scientific Name: Verrucosa arenata
• Other Names: Arrowhead Spider, Triangle Orb Weaver
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.27 inches to 0.55 inches (7 mm to 14 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.24 inches (5 mm to 6 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Arrowhead Spiders are a member of the orb-weaving family. However, instead of the usual bulbous abdomen, theirs is a triangular shape.

The dorsal side of the females’ abdomens is yellow and white. These patches are UV reflective, the white being more so than the yellow.

The rest of their bodies are red, brown, or black. Out in the wild, the Arrowhead Spider sits in their webs with their heads pointing upwards, while most other spiders sit upside down.

Another thing that sets the Arrowhead Spider apart from its relatives is its strong webs. While most orbweavers webs can be delicate, this one’s webs are actually used to reel in prey.

The webs they build are unique in that they don’t have radial attachments. When prey is caught, the spider pulls the webbing toward itself while simultaneously walking toward the captive.

46. Mouse Spider

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Gnaphosidae
• Scientific Name: Scotophaeus blackwalli
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.35 inches to 0.47 inches (9 mm to 12 mm); Males: 0.27 inches to 0.39 inches (7 mm to 10 mm)
• Lifespan: 1 to 2 years
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Mouse Spider is native to the United States but has now been introduced to the UK and Northern Europe.

The name “Mouse Spider” is shared with the genus Missulena which is found in Australia and has a more medically significant bite. Conversely, S. blackwalli does not have a bite that warrants over-precaution.

The Mouse Spider is named as such because of its velvety hairs that range from gray to brown. Similarly, as it is part of the Gnaphosidae family, they walk in short, scurried bursts with their bodies close to the ground.

While fast walking is a familial characteristic, the action still lends to the way rodents move. As a hunting spider, the Mouse Spider does not build a web.

They feed on the prey they pounce on and dead insects, as well as other spiders. The silks produced are sticky, which allows it to take on prey bigger than itself when needed.

These silks are also used to create egg sacs and nurseries.

47. Cellar Spider

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Pholcidae
• Scientific Name: Physocyclus enaulus
• Other Names: Daddy Long Legs
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.07 inches to 0.35 inches (2 mm to 9 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

Cellar Spiders are a broad name for members of the Pholcidae family.

This member, P. enaulus can be found in Utah and is native to southwest and northern Mexico. In parts of the United States, it is getting pushed out by the non-native Mediterranean species Holocnemus pluchei, also a long-legged member of the Pholcidae family.

While this Cellar Spider prefers warmer weather, it is possible to see them in and around man-made structures during late fall as the temperature drops. When disturbed, these spiders vibrate their webs.

When identifying, these spiders have closely packed eight eyes. Their skin is light shades of tan and various shades of brown.

This coloration is also seen on the alternating banding around their leg joints. Their legs, while long, are a medium size for the spiders that might be considered “Daddy Long Legs.” 

48. Bronze Jumper

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Family: Salticidae
• Scientific Name: Eris militaris
• Other Names: Bronze Lake Jumper, Bronze Jumping Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches to 0.35 inches (4 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Bronze Jumper is one of the few jumping spiders that enjoys a larger geographical range, found in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

In these regions, this spider is found on fences, in fields, and in woods. Because of their small size, they can be hard to spot, even when actively looking.

The sexual dimorphism of the Bronze Jumped is related to coloration. Males are dark brown, with white strips running up each side.

They also have large chelicerae. Females are lighter in color but do not have white stripes. Instead, the white comes through as either dorsal spots or a generally lighter coloration around the abdomen.

Both females and males have eight eyes, arranged in two rows. 

49. Cross Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araneus diadematus
• Other Names: European Garden Spider, Diadem Spider, Crowned Orb Weaver, Pumpkin Spider
• Adult Size (excluding legs): Female: 0.24 inches to 0.82 inches (6 mm to 20 mm); Males: 0.19 inches to 0.51 inches (5 mm to 13 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Cross Orb Weaver is a native to Europe that has now been introduced to North America. Their colors range in various warm tones of brown, red, orange, and yellows, but also gray as well.

The orange morphs will sometimes be referred to as Pumpkin Spiders, though this name more often than not is used to refer to Araneus marmoreus.

All cross spiders have white markings on their backs, which are created by guanine deposits. These white markings will create a cross or plus shape on the higher portion of the dorsal side of the abdomen.

Female Cross Orb Weavers create large webs which they sit upside down in the middle of. When threatened, they will shake rapidly in the web, in theory, to confuse predators.

If she is not in her web, she is likely close with a single strand of silk connecting her to it, so that she may sense prey being captured. Cross Orb Weavers are a species where the female will cannibalize the male, though this only happens during mating times.

The criteria for cannibalization include the size of the spider, sexual experience, or hunger of the female. When the spiders have successfully copulated, the female lays yellow eggs and wraps them in a yellow egg sac.

Interestingly, a Cross Orb Weaver was the subject of the 1952 Italian short film “Epeira Diadema” which was nominated for an Oscar in 1953.

50. Six-Spotted Orbweaver

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Family: Araneidae
• Scientific Name: Araniella displicata
• Other Names: None
• Adult Size (excluding legs): 0.15 inches to 0.31 inches (4 mm to 8 mm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 1 year
• Average Price Range: Unavailable

The Six-Spotted Orb Weaver is a common spider in the United States but is also seen sporadically in Europe and northern Asia. They prefer wooded areas and flower fields, using the seasonality of flowers to stake out prey that would be attracted to nectar.

While most orb weavers build large spanning webs, the Six-Spotted Orbweaver builds modest four to six-inch (ten to fifteen-centimeter) webs, usually sound six feet (or a little under two meters) off the ground. These webs can be either vertical or horizontal.

Vertically, the spider sits upside down in the center of the web. Horizontally, the spider will do the same, but on the underside of the web.

When identifying the Six-Spotted Orb Weaver, their trademark is the six spots at the rear of the abdomen. In rare occurrences, it is eight spots.

The topmost of the abdomen will have four dimples as well. The colors of this orb weaver range from red, orange, and yellow, to white and gray.

FAQ

Wrap Up

Utah is a state known for many things, and its natural beauty is one of them. Even though spiders can have a negative reputation among the general public, they are excellent land stewards, keeping pest insect populations in check.

Some spiders on this list can make excellent companions, such as jumping spiders. Others, like orb weavers, are better off in their natural environments.

Even catching and releasing some spiders is shown to have a negative effect on how they re-adapt to the wild. Spiders are no different when it comes to having as a companion – education is key!

Utah, as a natural wonder, is a destination for any fan of the outdoors – and especially spiders. Though the weather might limit which spiders are seen throughout the entire year, each season has a little something for everyone.

Next time you’re on an adventure in the state of “Industry” – as a resident or visitor – watch your step, as there might be a spider waiting to greet you!

More spiders in nearby states

• Spiders in Arizona
• Spiders in Colorado
• Spiders in New Mexico