Many different types of spiders can be found in Alabama, including the black widow spider, the brown recluse spider, and the hobo spider. These spiders can be dangerous, so it is important to know how to identify them and what to do if you are bitten by one.
Black widow spiders are small, black spiders with a red hourglass shape on their abdomen. They are found in wooded areas and around homes. If you are bitten by a black widow spider, you may experience pain, swelling, and cramping.
Brown recluse spiders are brown spiders with a dark violin-shaped mark on their back. They are found in dark, dry places like attics and basements. If you are bitten by a brown recluse spider, you may experience a severe burning sensation and an ulcer may form at the site of the bite.
Hobo spiders are large, aggressive spiders that are found in dark, humid places like basements and crawl spaces. If you are bitten by a hobo spider, you may experience severe pain, swelling, and cramping. You may also see a white or blue lesion around the bite.
List of Spiders in Alabama
ARGIOPE AURANTIA
(BLACK AND YELLOW GARDEN SPIDER)
Mature females are enormous, their bold black-and-yellow pattern adding to their intimidating appearance. Common in gardens, orchards, forest edges, old fields, and farms, they spin a classic round orb web which is usually decorated with a bold, zigzag band of silk called a stabilimentum.
DOLOMEDES TENEBROSUS
(DARK FISHING SPIDER)
These very large, sprawling arachnids are most often found on vertical surfaces: tree trunks, fence posts, bridge pilings, or the exterior walls of buildings, usually at night. There, they wait in ambush for large insects to come within striking distance. They do not spin webs to catch prey, but simply overpower their victims.
DOLOMEDES TRITON
(SIX-SPOTTED FISHING SPIDER)
A large and strong hunting spider, this species is more closely associated with water than any of the other Nearctic fishing spiders. Find it among aquatic vegetation at the margins of streams and rivers, as well as floating around in lakes and residential pools. It eats aquatic insects, small fish, or even small amphibians!
DYSDERA CROCATA
(WOODLOUSE HUNTER)
Native to Europe, and now widespread across the globe, this brightly colored spider is hard to miss. The long jaws and fangs are used to stab or turn over its prey: land isopods like sowbugs and roly-polies. This species does not spin a web, but hunts “on foot,” sometimes straying indoors.
ERATIGENA AGRESTIS
(HOBO SPIDER)
The “Hobo Spider” builds a funnel-shaped web on or near the ground, usually under stones and other low-lying debris. It is especially common near man-made structures here in North America, but is more of a field spider in its native Europe. Recent research has shown that it may not be a spider of medical concern as was once thought.
ERATIGENA ATRICA
(GIANT HOUSE SPIDER)
The leg span of this large funnel weaver can reach 4 inches or more! Native to Europe, the “Giant House Spider” is now well-established in the Pacific Northwest. The webs can be found in dark corners of rooms, garages, sheds, under rocks and logs, etc. May be mistaken for a Hobo Spider on occasion.
HERPYLLUS ECCLESIASTICUS
(EASTERN PARSON SPIDER)
This a hunting spider that does not spin a web to capture prey. It gets its common name from the black and white color pattern reminiscent of the garb worn by old-time clergymen. Common east of the Rocky Mountains, it sometimes strays indoors in the course of prowling for a meal or seeking a mate.
KUKULCANIA HIBERNALIS
(SOUTHERN HOUSE SPIDER)
This species is often associated with human habitations, spreading its web from cracks and crevices on the exterior of homes, barns, and other structures. Males are frequently mistaken for recluse spiders (genus Loxosceles). The females may live for up to eight years.
LATRODECTUS GEOMETRICUS
(BROWN WIDOW SPIDER)
The “Brown Widow” is probably native to Africa, but now found almost globally in subtropical regions. Its affinity for man-made structures has allowed it to spread via commerce. It can be common in yards and gardens, often in more exposed situations than other widow species. The spiky egg sacs are fairly diagnostic.
LATRODECTUS MACTANS
(SOUTHERN BLACK WIDOW)
Mature females are black with a red hourglass on the belly, easily visible as the spider hangs upside down in its web at night. By day, they hide. Immature females have pale stripes and spots, gradually losing those markings as they age. These are shy spiders, and if you avoid placing your hands where you can’t see, bites are unlikely.
LEUCAUGE VENUSTA
(ORCHARD ORBWEAVER)
“Orchard Orbweavers” are brilliantly colored spiders with shimmering silver-white, green, and gold on their abdomens. The orb-shaped web is nearly horizontal and the spider hangs underneath it. It is a common and widespread species in eastern North America, as well as parts of California and Arizona.
LOXOSCELES RECLUSA
(BROWN RECLUSE)
The “Brown Recluse” is one of the few species in North America whose venom is considered medically significant. It is very timid and non-aggressive and simple precautions can be taken to avoid bites. The eye arrangement is an important diagnostic feature.
MENEMERUS BIVITTATUS
(GRAY WALL JUMPER)
This species is native to the Old World tropics, but has ridden cargo to many other tropical and subtropical places around the globe. Look for these jumping spiders almost exclusively on the exterior walls of buildings here in the U.S. They are active hunters during the day and spend the night hidden away in crevices.
METALTELLA SIMONI
(HACKLEMESH WEAVER)
This species is native to Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil but has been introduced to North America via commerce and trade. It is now well-established in the southeastern USA, as well as southern California. Being closely associated with humans, it may occasionally stray indoors.
MICRATHENA SAGITTATA
(ARROWSHAPED MICRATHENA)
The “Arrow Shaped Micrathena” is a unique little orbweaver found in the eastern U.S. west to Nebraska and Texas. The shape and coloration of the female make it easily identifiable. The orb web of this species is usually built in low bushes in open deciduous woodlands and along forest edges.
NEOSCONA CRUCIFERA
(HENTZ ORBWEAVER)
This species is relatively variable in color and sometimes pattern, but is most commonly seen sporting a rusty-red or golden orange color. The orb-shaped web is very large and is often constructed on buildings and other man-made structures, especially near outdoor lights. This species is most conspicuous in late summer and early fall.
PARASTEATODA TEPIDARIORUM
(COMMON HOUSE SPIDER)
This species is abundant and widespread across the entire world, and is closely associated with buildings and other man-made structures. The teardrop-shaped, papery brown egg sacs can aid in their identification. The spider’s color and body shape cause them to be mistaken for “brown widows” on occasion.
PEUCETIA VIRIDANS
(GREEN LYNX SPIDER)
This is a relatively large, bright green spider with long, spiny legs and lightning fast movements. They are typically spotted in shrubs and bushes during the day, where they are sit-and-wait predators. Incredibly, this spider is capable of “spitting” venom in self-defense.
PHOLCUS PHALANGIOIDES
(LONGBODIED CELLAR SPIDER)
The Longbodied Cellar Spider is thought to be native to Europe, but can be found globally after having traveled nearly everywhere as a stowaway in commerce. Their long, thin legs and elongated abdomen make them relatively easy to identify. Find them on ceilings, in basements, storage sheds, old wells, caves, and other dry locations with low light.
PLATYCRYPTUS UNDATUS
(TAN JUMPING SPIDER)
These jumping spiders are frequently seen patrolling the outer walls of buildings and other vertical surfaces, looking for bugs to pounce on. The mottled gray, black, and white scalloped pattern on their abdomen makes them one of the easier spiders to identify in the field.