Alabama is home to a diverse array of spider species These arachnids play important roles in controlling insect populations and maintaining balance in the state’s ecosystems While some spiders in Alabama are harmless, a few species can deliver medically significant bites, so it’s good to know how to identify them.
This article will highlight 33 of the most common spiders found in Alabama and key facts about each one
Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are one of the most frequently encountered spiders in Alabama With over 100 species found in the state, they are highly adaptable and occupy nearly every type of habitat.
Wolf spiders do not spin webs to catch prey. Instead, they rely on stealth and speed to hunt. Their excellent eyesight helps them chase down a meal. Sometimes they wait patiently in burrows for an insect to pass by.
While wolf spiders can bite in self-defense, their venom only causes mild reactions in humans like swelling, itching, and pain.
Cellar Spider
Cellar spiders, also called daddy longlegs spiders, are tiny arachnids that build messy-looking webs in corners of basements and ceilings. Around 10 cellar spider species inhabit Alabama.
These spiders get their “vibrating” nickname from the way they shake their tangled webs. This behavior likely helps lure insects or scare off predators trying to destroy the web.
Cellar spiders pose no danger to people. In fact, they help by preying on more hazardous spiders like black widows.
Jumping Spiders
Many types of jumping spiders can be found in Alabama, including daring jumping spiders, tan jumping spiders, and magnolia green jumping spiders. They range from just a few millimeters to over a centimeter long.
As their name implies, jumping spiders pounce on prey as opposed to catching it in webs. Their large front eyes provide excellent vision to support their ambush hunting style.
Jumping spiders are not aggressive toward humans. If threatened, they may bite but lack venom that can harm people.
Orbweaver Spiders
Orbweaver spiders spin beautiful, intricate webs decorated with zig-zag patterns called stabilimentum. Common orbweavers in Alabama include barn spiders, arrowhead spiders, marbled orbweavers, and banded garden spiders.
These docile spiders tend to stay tucked away in their webs and rarely bite unless bothered. If they do bite in self-defense, it’s no worse than a bee sting.
Fishing Spiders
Alabama is home to several species of fishing spiders. As their name suggests, these spiders hunt near water and can even dive below the surface to catch aquatic insects and small fish.
Fishing spiders can reach 20-35 mm in body length, making them some of the state’s largest spiders. Despite their imposing size, they are not aggressive toward people.
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
The black and yellow garden spider is easy to identify by its ornate yellow, black, and silver markings. These spiders weave large, complex webs, up to 2 feet wide, in gardens and open fields.
A gentle spider, the black and yellow garden spider will only bite if threatened. The venom produces a mild reaction at worst, similar to a bee sting.
Spinybacked Orbweaver
The spinybacked orbweaver is aptly named for the six sharp spines projecting from its abdomen. These small spiders add debris and silk to their webs to ward off birds and other animals that may accidentally destroy the web.
Though they look intimidating, spinybacked orbweavers are not dangerous. They play an important role controlling garden and crop pests.
Grass Spiders
More than a dozen species of grass spiders live in Alabama. They build flat webs in grassy areas, low vegetation, or on the ground. Grass spiders rely on speed, not sticky webs, to catch their insect prey.
Grass spider bites are uncommon and harmless, though they may provoke mild pain or swelling.
Brown Recluse Spider
The brown recluse spider is one of two potentially dangerous spiders found in Alabama. Usually measuring 6-20 mm, these spiders have a dark brown body and long legs. A characteristic fiddle-shaped marking appears on the top of their abdomen.
Brown recluses live in dark, undisturbed places like woodpiles, sheds, and attics. Bites most often happen when spiders get trapped against human skin. Their hemotoxic venom destroys red blood cells and skin tissues. Seek medical treatment if bitten.
Black Widow Spider
Black widow spiders are Alabama’s most venomous spiders. The female’s shiny black body and iconic red hourglass marking makes the black widow easy to identify. They build messy webs in protected areas like holes in the ground or beneath porches.
Black widow bites are rarely life-threatening but cause severe muscle pain and stiffness. Seek medical help if bitten.
Woodlouse Hunter Spider
As their name conveys, woodlouse hunter spiders prey almost exclusively on woodlice, or pillbugs. These spiders have large fangs that easily penetrate woodlice’s armored exoskeletons. Their dark brown bodies blend in well with tree bark and woody debris.
Woodlouse hunter spiders pose virtually no danger to humans. At worst, their bites may mildly itch or swell.
Sac Spiders
Several sac spider species live in Alabama, including northern yellow sac spiders and southern yellow sac spiders. They get their name from the silken tubes, or sacs, that they hide in.
Sac spiders sometimes bite people but lack significant venom. Pain and redness are the main symptoms.
Spined Micrathena
Spined micrathenas are orbweavers with spiky abdominal projections that provide camouflage against birds and other predators. The white and black females reach sizes of 8-10 mm. They build webs in forests and wooded areas.
Bites from spined micrathenas are rare and harmless. The worst reaction is pain comparable to a bumblebee sting.
House Spiders
Cellar spiders and southern house spiders both reside in Alabama homes. As their name denotes, house spiders live in close proximity to humans, spinning webs in garages, windowsills, attics, and basements. They prey on household pests like flies, ants, and mosquitos.
House spider bites are not considered medically important, though they may provoke minor irritation.
Crab Spiders
Crab spiders do not build webs to catch food. They patiently ambush prey from flowers and foliage. Their laterigrade legs give them a crab-like appearance, hence the name crab spiders. Over 100 species are found in Alabama.
Crab spiders rarely bite people and lack venom that can cause harm. At most, bites result in mild pain and itching.
Green Lynx Spider
The green lynx spider, a vibrant green color with black dots and spikes on its legs, hunts insects in shrubs and trees rather than spinning webs. Females have the ability to spray venom several inches to immobilize prey.
Green lynx spiders are unlikely to bite humans since they cannot pierce our skin. Bites are harmless but may be somewhat painful.
Nursery Web Spider
Nursery web spiders build tangled webs low in vegetation. The messy webs help camouflage and protect their egg sacs. Six eyes give them excellent vision for hunting.
Nursery web spiders pose virtually no hazard to humans. They only bite if threatened and lack significant venom.
Harvestman
While often mistaken for spiders, harvestmen differ in some key ways. Their bodies are fused together in one segment, and they have no venom or silk glands. Alabama is home to dozens of harvestman species.
Harvestmen eat dead plant material and small insects. They do not bite people.
Marbled Orbweaver
As their name hints, marbled orbweavers have bulbous bodies marked with intricate orange and black marble patterns. They spin large, vertically-oriented orbwebs in wooded areas and hang head-down in the center waiting for prey.
Bites from marbled orbweavers are extremely rare and medically insignificant. At worst, they may provoke mild irritation.
Orchard Orbweaver
Orchard orbweavers thrive in orchards, meadows, suburban gardens, and forests. Yellow, orange, or white patches accent their silvery bodies. Their orb-shaped webs can link together when food is abundant.
Docile spiders, orchard orbweavers are unlikely to bite unless severely threatened. Their small fangs deliver only mild, bee-sting like reactions.
Banana Spider
Despite the name, banana spiders are not especially attracted to bananas! They get their name from their bright yellow, elongated abdomens. Banana spiders construct large webs, up to 6 feet across, in Alabama forests.
Banana spiders are timid and nonaggressive. They rarely bite people, and if so, only cause mild pain and swelling.
Common House Spider
One of the most frequent spiders found inside Alabama homes is the common house spider. Just 5-6 mm long, these grayish-brown spiders thrive in garages, window frames, and corners indoors. They help control flies, mosquitos, and other household pests.
House spider bites are harmless, though the surprise may cause psychological distress. Redness and irritation are the only symptoms.
Bowl and Doily Spider
The bowl and doily spider weaves an ingenious web that includes a horizontal sheet shaped like a “doily” and a funnel bowl where the spider waits for prey. They are small brown spiders with intricate patterns on their abdomens.
Bites from bowl and doily spiders are extremely rare and cause, at worst, very mild pain. They are not dangerous to humans.
Furrow Spider
Furrow spiders dwell near water and get their name from the white arrow markings pointing down their abdomens. Each night these spiders construct a fresh web and eat the old one in the morning.
Furrow spiders essentially never bite people. On the rare chance they do, the small fangs cannot pierce human skin.
Tan Jumping Spider
Tan jumping spiders, brownish-grey with a patterned lighter abdomen, stalk prey slowly before pouncing up to 10 times their body length. Instead of webs, they jump and ambush to catch meals. They frequent vertical surfaces like tree trunks and walls.
Tan jumping spiders lack interest in biting humans and in any case, their small jaws make them harmless.
Spotted Orbweaver
In late summer and autumn, spotted orbweavers become a common sight in Alabama as they construct large, beautiful webs on buildings, trees, and other structures. Some have spotted or banded black and brown legs.
Spotted orbweavers rarely bite people. Accidental bites provoke only a mild reaction, comparable to a bee sting.
Arrowhead Orbweaver
Arrowhead orbweavers have a distinct white arrowhead marking on their abdomens. They spin orb-shaped webs in parks, gardens, and forests, typically sticking near the web’s center waiting for prey.
These gentle spiders only bite if severely threatened. Bites are virtually harmless to humans.
Spiders play key roles in Alabama ecosystems by controlling insect and pest populations. Most spiders pose no threat to humans and will only bite when accidentally disturbed or threatened. However, the brown recluse and black widow spiders can inflict more severe bites that warrant medical attention. Learning to identify Alabama’s most common spider species can prevent unnecessary fear and help appreciate their ecological importance.
Call us at Havard Pest Control or contact us online to take advantage of our 70 years of pest control experience.
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Daddy longlegs Daddy longlegs have bodies that are pale yellow, light brown, or gray in color. They have small bodies (1/4”-3/8”) and eight long and skinny legs. Daddy longlegs are some of the most easily recognized spiders due to their small, round bodies and long, thin legs. However, these spiders only have one body segment and, therefore, are not true spiders. Daddy longlegs are a harmless species of spider.
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What types of spiders are in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi?
Spiders are arachnids, and are closely related to mites, ticks, and scorpions. All spiders have two body regions – the cephalothorax and abdomen. They also have eight legs, no wings or antennae, and they have chelicerae (fangs). Spiders usually have eight eyes, but some species only have six. They are a beneficial species, as they feed on nuisance insects. Spiders are usually described as venomous or non-venomous, but the truth is, almost all spiders have fangs that deliver venom. However, only a couple of spiders in the United States have venom that is strong enough to cause health problems in people.
Joro spiders spotted in Alabama, spreading fast in southeast and populated cities
FAQ
What are the poisonous spiders in Alabama?
In Alabama, five species of spiders are potentially harmful: the black widow (Latrodectus mactans) shown in figure 1, the northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus), the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) shown in figure 2, the Chilean recluse (Loxosceles laeta), and the Mediterranean recluse (Loxosceles rufescens).
What are the biggest spiders in Alabama?
- Trichonephilia clapives – Golden Silk Orb-Weaver.
- Eratigena atrica – Giant House Spider.
- Dolomedes triton – Six Spotted Fishing Spider.
How can I identify a spider in my home?
To determine if there is a spider in your room, you can look for the following signs: Webs: Check corners, ceilings, and furniture for spider webs. Different spiders create different types of webs, but their presence often indicates a spider nearby. Droppings: Small, dark spots on surfaces can be spider droppings.
What are aggressive house spiders?
Hobo spiders move extremely fast, running upwards of 2.2 miles per hour. Despite its nickname, “the aggressive house spider,” a hobo spider will only move toward a human when it has been threatened.
What spiders live in Alabama?
Spiders in Alabama. 1 Acanthepeira Stellata – Starbellied Orb Weaver. 2 Agelenopsis – American Grass Spider. 3 Araneus Bicentenarius – Giant Lichen Orb Weaver. 4 Araneus diadematus – The European Garden Spider. 5 Araneus Marmoreus – Marbled Orb Weaver. More items
How do you know if a spider is in Alabama?
The legs have alternating dark brown and light brown bands. The abdomen is hairy. These spiders are most often seen in Alabama in late summer and early fall. Look for their large, orb-shaped web near lights, often constructed on buildings or other man-made objects. During the day, there is often a silken retreat that they retreat to for safety.
What is the deadliest spider in Alabama?
Black widows and recluses are the deadliest spiders in Alabama. Black widows are considered the deadlier species because their venom, when lethal, causes symptoms that quickly compound and cause death. However, recluses can also kill.
Where do banana spiders live in Alabama?
Banana Spiders are found in Alabama in forests. Look for their asymmetrical webs made of golden-colored silk that can be up to 6 feet in diameter! Since they are often found in the woods, they are often encountered by hikers. Female Banana Spiders are much larger than males, like many other common spiders.
Do spiders in Alabama have good eyesight?
Some spiders in Alabama have good eyesight, while others don’t. Broadly speaking, web-building species have weak eyesight, while active hunters have great vision. Spiders with weak eyesight often rely on vibratory signals to understand their surroundings.
Do spitting spiders hunt in Alabama?
These arachnids are hunters that don’t trap their victims using conventional traps. However, their eyesight isn’t as sensitive as that of other hunting spiders in Alabama. Fortunately, they have an effective workaround. When hunting, the spitting spider first gets close to its prey.