How To Identify the Most Common North American Spider Species
There are more than 3,400 spider species that live in the countries of North America.It is easy to identify several of the most common spider species in Canada, the Caribbean countries, Mexico, and the United States.Spiders can be identified by the type of web they build.There are some spiders that don't create webs and there are others that do.Spiders can be identified using their physical size, color, and shape.
Step 1: There is a red hourglass on the stomach of a black widow.
If you look at the underside of the black widow's abdomen, you'll see a red figure on its shiny black surface.The abdomen of a black widow is glossy and hair-free.A black widow can reach 25mm in size with her legs outstretched.Humans can be killed by black windows.If you are bitten, you should go to the emergency room.Black widows are most common in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.The extreme cold may deter them, but they can be found in Canada.
Step 2: The brown recluse spider has a violin shape on its abdomen.
Brown recluses are always dark brown.The back of their thorax is where the legs attach to the body.The spiders are small, with their bodies measuring 4 in (0.64–1.91) cm.The east coast of the United States is home to brown recluses.The bite from a brown recluse can be fatal to humans.Go to the hospital if you have been bitten by a brown recluse.
Step 3: There are hobo spiders.
Hobo spiders have a relatively small body that is typically only 2–3 in (1.3– 1.7 cm) long, but their slender legs can span as much as 2 inches (5.1 cm).The spiders are usually brown.There are multiple V-shaped markings on the backs of both male and female hobo spiders.While a bite from a hobo spider may not hurt or swell over the first 24 hours, the affected area will blisters and begin to swell within 36-48 hours.The bite can get more serious as it gets worse.Hobo spiders are usually found in the ground level of homes.
Step 4: Wolf spiders can be seen on the ground or near a burrow.
You are unlikely to see a wolf spider in a web because they are hunters and don't create webs to catch their prey.Look for a dark brown spider that scurries along the ground looking for insects to eat.They can grow up to 30 millimetres in diameter.It is almost certain that the spider is a wolf spider.Wolf spiders prefer to live and hunt in warm places, such as your home, when the weather is cold.The eastern and central regions of the U.S. have the most common wolf spiders.Wolf spiders are not lethal.It is possible for large ones to deliver a painful bite.
Step 5: There are fishing spiders near the water.
The spider is often found in bodies of water including ponds, swamps, and streams.You can see fishing spiders near a water source.Fishing spiders can have a body span of up to 3 inches.The venom is not very dangerous to humans.Most fishing spiders are dark brown or grey and have white markings on their backs.The most common fishing spiders are found in eastern Canada and the eastern U.S.The fishing spider can catch prey under the water.Fishing spiders are also called dock spiders.
Step 6: You can find common house spiders by looking at their webs.
In attics and cellars, common house spiders make webs in the corners of rooms.These webs can be large, sometimes as big as 2 feet (0.61 m) across, but aren't strong and often break.The average size of a house spider is 3 in (0.85–1.69 cm).The spiders are light brown in color and do not have any distinguishing marks.Their legs may be a light yellow color with dark rings around the ends and middle joints.Every region of North America is home to the spiders.The spiders aren't poisonous and almost never bite humans, even though common house spiders and their large webs can be inconvenient.
Step 7: Daddy long-legs can be identified by their legs and body.
Daddy long-legs are not a species of spider.They have no silk or venom glands.Daddy long-legs hunt on the ground and you can easily identify them by looking for their long legs and small bodies.While the legs of a daddy long-legs can reach 2 inches, their small bodies rarely grow larger than 4 in (0.64 cm).Daddy long-legs are found in all regions of North America.You are unlikely to see them in the winter.
Step 8: There are garden spiders in zig-zag-patterned webs.
Garden spiders tend to build their zig-zagging webs low to the ground in forested areas.They can be as low as 1 foot (30 m) off the ground.The spiders have a yellow and black pattern and can grow up to 28mm in length.The black and yellow garden spider is found in the US and Canada.They are relatively uncommon in the Rockies.
Step 9: Crab spiders have large, rounded abdomens.
Crab spiders can be found in all of North America.The majority of crab spiders are identifiable by their large abdomens.Crab spiders have large front legs that look like crabs.Some species are brown while others are yellow or green.Crab spiders hunt from inside large flowers or flower bushes, because they don't spin webs.Crab spiders are very small.Adults grow to sizes of 5–10 millimetres.When you approach the spiders, watch to see if they play dead.If they feel threatened, common house spiders will most likely pretend to be dead.
Step 10: Small jumping spiders are making movements as they walk.
The orientation of the spiders' legs makes them lurch along as they walk.They have abdomens that are covered with small hairs.The jumping spider has 6 legs, but the front 2 are larger.These spiders are only 2–4 in (13–19mm) long, but they can jump many times their own body length.The 2 middle eyes are large compared to the other 6 eyes.Look for jumping spiders.Spiders can move over large areas of land, but they don't build a nest.The spiders are called jumping spiders because they jump on their prey.There are many different types of jumping spider.Most jumping spiders live in North America, except for northern and western Canada.
Step 11: There are cool, damp, and dark places to look for cellar spiders.
In North America, cellar spiders are often found in basement or garden level floors.You can find them easily by looking for their webs in the corners.The long, spindly legs of a cellar spider can reach up to 2 inches.They have a body that is 1–2 inches in length and is brown in color.Daddy long-legs are often mistaken for cellar spiders.Daddy long-legs and cellar spiders don't have the same body parts, but you can tell them apart.Some people consider cellar spiders to be pests.Remove webs from cellar spiders.Reducing the humidity in your cellar will make them less likely to come back.
Step 12: A tarantula has a large size and fuzzy texture.
They are among the largest spiders in the world with a body that is between 1.5 and 2 inches in length.Their bodies are covered in sharp hairs, giving them a fuzzy appearance.For the best chance to see a spider, wait for nightfall.They hunt after dark in their burrows.Tarantulas don't use webs to hunt, so they spend most of the evening and night prowling and overpowering their prey.The Caribbean is home to 1 of the most common spider species, the tarantula.Silk is used to line the interior of their burrows, but it is rarely seen by humans.
Step 13: The orange-kneed tarantula has a striking pattern on its leg joints.
Most orange-kneed tarantulas have bright orange or red knees.You can see the distinctive markings on the 2 primary joints in the spider's legs.The markings on this species of tarantula are unique.The carapace, the hard outer shell of the spider, is black and will have a brownish-red color around the perimeter.When the sun's up, most orange-kneed tarantulas stay in their burrows, so you're not likely to see one.The Mexican orange-kneed tarantulas live mostly in Mexico, but also in the southern states of the U.S.Mexican orange-kneed tarantulas are quite large, reaching up to 15 centimetres, so pay attention to the spider's size when you see one.The bite of the tarantula hurts as much as a bee sting.
Step 14: There are different and bright colors of orb-weaving spiders.
The orb-weavers range in color from orange-brown to very brown or black.Some of the orb-weaving species have intricate patterns on their backs that are yellow or green.When looking for an orb spider, look for a round abdomen and an overall body size of about 6 millimetres.The spider is in its web.An orb-weaver sits in the center of its web.Orb weavers have a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors.In North America, the also live in a variety of indoor and outdoor habitats.
Step 15: There are green lynx spiders in Mexico and the southern U.S.
The bodies of green lynx spiders have leaf-green tint.The legs and abdomens of a green lynx spider are colorful, with orange bands and V-shaped markings.The size of the spiders is between 12 and 16 millimetres (0.47–0.63 in).You may see green lynx spiders in the southern U.S. and Caribbean islands.Spiders do not build webs.They pounce on small insects to attack their prey.