Massachusetts is home to a diverse array of spiders, with around 39 different species documented in the state. While many people fear spiders, most of the species found in Massachusetts are harmless to humans. Only a couple of venomous spiders exist in the state, and bites are rare
Understanding the most common spiders found around your home and garden in Massachusetts can help identify friendly species from potentially dangerous ones This guide covers 25 of the most frequently encountered spiders across the state, along with tips on identification, behavior, habitat, and bite risks
1. Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are one of the most widespread and frequently seen spiders in Massachusetts. There are many different wolf spider species found in the state, but they can be identified by their brown, grey, or black coloring, robust body shape, and tendency to be found on the ground.
Wolf spiders do not spin webs to catch prey Instead, they hunt by chasing down insects across the ground. Some wolf spiders will dig burrows that they sit outside, ambushing passing bugs. Wolf spiders have excellent eyesight compared to other spiders. They are not aggressive towards humans but may bite if handled. The bites are not considered medically significant.
2. American House Spider
The American house spider is a very common spider found inside and around homes across Massachusetts. It has a small body reaching 5 to 9 mm long, with distinctively elongated pedipalps. The legs are banded light and dark brown.
As the name suggests, this species likes to build messy, tangled webs in undisturbed corners of houses. Their webs help catch flies, mosquitoes, and other household pests. The American house spider rarely bites people, and if it does, the small fangs cannot pierce skin.
3. Long-bodied Cellar Spider
Also called daddy long-legs spiders, the long-bodied cellar spider has an oval abdomen and incredibly long, thin legs. Their legs can be up to 30 times bigger than their small body size. These spiders build messy webs in dark corners of cellars and garages.
Long-bodied cellar spiders have a mild venom but small fangs that cannot penetrate human skin. They do not pose any risk to people and help control household pests. Their webs also help catch more dangerous spiders like widows and recluses.
4. Jumping Spiders
Many jumping spider species are found in Massachusetts, recognizable by their compact bodied, hairy appearance, and large front eyes. Some common ones include the daring jumping spider, tan jumping spider, and zebra jumping spider. Jumping spiders do not build webs and instead hunt by stalking and leaping on prey. While jumping spiders appear intimidating, they are not aggressive towards humans and their small fangs cannot cause anything beyond a minor pinprick feeling.
5. Crab Spiders
Crab spiders get their name from their laterally flattened bodies and ability to scuttle sideways like crabs. They come in a variety of colors like white, yellow, and brown, helping them camouflage on flowers where they hunt. Crab spiders do not spin webs and instead ambush pollinating insects from bloom to bloom. They occasionally bite people but lack significant venom and cannot cause worse than temporary pain and redness.
6. Orb Weavers
Orb weaver spiders spin large, intricate, circular webs with a zig-zag of silk through the middle. Common examples in Massachusetts include barn spiders, garden spiders, and marbled orbweavers. Female orb weavers sit right in the center of the web waiting for vibrations signaling a trapped insect. They will quickly bite through the web to inject venom into prey. Orb weaver spiders rarely come into contact with people, but if they did bite, it would be comparable to a minor bee sting.
7. Sac Spiders
Sac spiders get their name from the silken tube retreat or “sac” they build for shelter. The northern yellow sac spider and broad-faced sac spider are two species found around Massachusetts homes. They do not build webs for catching food. Sac spiders sometimes bite people, feeling like a minor pinprick with mild burning. Medical treatment is not required for bites from local sac spiders.
8. Funnel Weavers
Funnel weaver spiders build funnel-shaped webs low in vegetation, leading back into a silk retreat. The grass spider is one type found throughout Massachusetts fields and gardens. Funnel weavers rely on camouflage and speed to dash out and catch prey on their webs rather than venom. They rarely come into contact with people and are generally not considered medically important if they do bite.
9. Fishing Spiders
Massachusetts is home to large fishing spiders that can be found near water hunting for small fish and aquatic insects. They have dark brown bodies with light stripes down the sides. Fishing spiders can run across the water surface to pursue prey thanks to water-repellent hairs on their legs. Bites are uncommon but could cause temporary swelling or redness comparable to a bee sting.
10. Striped Lynx Spider
Striped lynx spiders have elongate bodies with distinct tan, black, and white bands on the legs and abdomen. They do not build webs and instead wander through vegetation in search of insects to stalk and pounce on. The striped lynx spider rarely comes into contact with people, and if it did bite, it would only cause very minor pain.
11. Spitting Spiders
Spitting spiders have dark brown bulbous bodies and orange-tinted legs. As the name implies, they have the ability to spit a combination of venom and sticky silk at potential prey to immobilize it from afar. However, they cannot spit nor directly inject their mild venom into human skin. Spitting spiders are not considered dangerous.
12. Harvestman (Daddy Longlegs)
Despite their spider-like appearance, harvestmen are not true spiders. They have a single body segment, minimal eyesight, and do not produce silk or venom. Harvestmen eat small insects, fungi, and decaying matter. They can occasionally pinch with their petite pincers, but it does not break human skin. Many people handle these harmless creatures without issue.
13. Cobweb Spiders
Cobweb spiders include species that build messy, zig-zagged webs in undisturbed indoor corners. In Massachusetts, the common house spider and triangulate cobweb spider are frequently encountered examples. They help control flies and mosquitoes within the home. Cobweb spiders have small fangs unlikely to penetrate skin, but if they did, it would only result in slight irritation.
14. Black Widow Spider
The northern black widow is the most venomous spider confirmed in Massachusetts. The females are identified by the sleek black body with a red hourglass marking on the underside. They build tangled webs outdoors and are not aggressive unless disturbed. Black widow bites are rare and can be serious, so it’s essential to get medical care if bitten. Keep an eye out for their webs when working in gardens.
15. Brown Widow Spider
The brown widow spider is a relative newcomer to Massachusetts and can be found around homes and outdoor furniture. While its neurotoxic venom is not as powerful as the black widow’s, brown widow bites can still require medical monitoring. Identify them by the striped black and brown legs, orange hourglass marking, and spikey egg sacs.
16. Grass Spiders
Agelenopsis grass spiders are common inhabitants of lawns, meadows, and gardens across Massachusetts. They look similar to wolf spiders but build funnel-shaped sheets of web close to the ground instead of wandering. Grass spiders have elongate bodies in shades of brownish-gray to black, sometimes patterned with lighter bands on the abdomen. Despite their prevalence around yards, they do not pose safety risks to people.
17. Parson Spiders
The eastern parson spider is a frequent spider inside Massachusetts homes. It gets its name from the black and white mottled pattern on its abdomen that looks like clerical clothing. Parson spiders do not spin webs and instead prowl walls and ceilings for small prey. They can bite if accidentally disturbed or trapped against skin, but the bites are not medically significant.
18. Bowl and Doily Spider
The bowl and doily spider weaves horizontal sheets of web between plant stems and shrubs in gardens and wooded areas. They earned their name from the round, domed shape of the web. The spider waits upside down beneath the “doily” portion ready to pounce through on insects. Bites are unlikely and would result only in temporary itching or redness.
19. Running Crab Spider
The running crab spider is a speedy, agile hunter that relies on stealth and swiftness to capture prey instead of webs. They come in cryptic white, gray, and green hues that act as camouflage while they hunt among leaves and branches. Running crab spiders sometimes enter homes by accident but are not defensive biters and lack significant venom.
20. Thread-waisted Wasp Spider
Thread-waisted wasp spiders have vivid black, yellow, and red coloration mimicking wasps, serving as a warning to potential predators. They do not produce silk and instead roam vegetation actively hunting for small insects. Despite their bold appearance, they are harmless to humans. The tiny fangs and venom are not capable of causing anything beyond a minor nuisance bite.
21. Ground Spiders
Ground spiders comprise a large group of species that prowl leaf litter, mulch, and low vegetation hunting insects. Examples in Massachusetts include wolf spiders, ground crab spiders, and jumping spiders. None build webs, instead relying on ambush tactics and keen eyesight. Ground spiders occasionally wander indoors but generally avoid contact with humans. They should not be considered dangerous.
22. Hackledmesh Weaver
The hackledmesh weaver is a small brown and cream spider that weaves an irregular tangle of webbing low in grass and shrubs. They have humps on their abdomen and short, chunky front legs. Hackledmesh weavers rarely come into contact with people, but if they did, they could only inflict a mild pinch with their tiny fangs. There is no safety concern.
23. Hammock Spider
Hammock spiders are tiny orange spiders with white spots on their abdomen. As their name implies, they build small hammock-shaped webs between leaves and branches. They frequent parks and wooded areas eating tiny insects trapped in their webs. Hammock spiders cannot bite through human skin and are entirely harmless to people.
24. Jumping Spider Mimics
Some spiders mimic the appearance of jumping spiders, like the bark crab spider and striped lynx spider. However, unlike true jumping spiders, these species tend to sit in ambush or prowl more slowly while hunting. Look for the lack of the large front eyes that jumping spiders possess. Their bites pose minimal threats to people.
25. Mygalomorph Spiders
Tarantulas are a notorious group of spiders not found in Massachusetts. Mygalomorph spiders represent the few species related to tarantulas that occur in the state, including the purseweb spider and foldingdoor spider. They have stout, hairy bodies, downward-pointing fangs, and can live for decades. While intimidating looking, they are not aggressive and very rarely bite people defensively.
Spider Descriptions and Identification
Coloration and size vary from species to species, but all spiders have eight legs. Many females lay 20 to several hundred eggs at a time. Most prefer inhabiting sheltered, quiet areas like attics, crawlspaces, and basements. Common northeastern spiders found throughout Western Massachusetts include American house, black widow, brown recluse, daddy long legs, spiny orb weaver, jumping, hobo, and wolf spiders.
Despite its name, the American house spider can be found around the globe. They can produce bee-sting-like bites, but only when they are threatened. These spiders average 1/8 to 5/15 inch in size.
Black widows are perhaps one of the most fabled spiders, with the female delivering painful bites to humans that are deadly to their male suitors.
Black widows have venom 15 times stronger than rattlesnake venom, making it one of the most venomous spiders on the continent. These spiders have shiny black bodies and rounded abdomens with red, orange, or yellow hourglass-shaped markings.
These tan to dark brown spiders have fiddle-shaped markings on their upper bodies and a notoriously nasty bite. They only attack when threatened, and the bite may go unnoticed in its preliminary stages. Within eight hours or so, the bite will swell and may develop a dry, blistered lesion. Brown recluse bites can cause chills, fever, nausea, and dizziness.
Spider Facts in New York and Massachusetts
Spiders may send shivers down your spine but they also play an important role in most ecosystems. Spiders spin silk and are beneficial in outdoor spaces, where they act as predators that provide natural, biological control of many harmful pests.
Not insects at all, spiders are members of the arachnid family. Approximately 3,000 different spider species call North America home, but only two of them have dangerous bites that can harm humans.
The black widow and brown recluse both produce potentially dangerous bites. However, getting bitten is a rare occurrence, because most are only active at night and tend to be timid unless they are threatened. If you get bitten, gently cleanse the affected area with soap and water before applying a cold compress to soothe it.
If you suspect the spider that bit you was a brown recluse or a black widow, quickly tie a bandage above the bite area, without cutting off circulation, and keep the area elevated to slow the spread of venom. Seek medical help as soon as possible and capture or take a photo of the offending spider, if possible, so your doctor can identify it.
If you see a spider, remain calm. Most spiders do not have the ability to bite humans, and if they can, the bites are usually harmless.
Are spiders in Massachusetts poisonous?
FAQ
Are there any poisonous spiders in Massachusetts?
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- The female black widow is identifiable by its shiny black body and a red hourglass shape on the underside of its belly.
- They are found in attics, crawl spaces, and sheds, and may also be found in imported produce.
- While venomous, they are not aggressive and bites are rare unless they feel threatened.
- The female black widow is identifiable by its shiny black body and a red hourglass shape on the underside of its belly.
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- While venomous, brown recluse spiders are not native to Massachusetts and are rarely seen there.
- Sightings in New England are often mistaken identities, however they can hitch rides under cardboard carton lids and inside boxes delivered from other states.
- While venomous, brown recluse spiders are not native to Massachusetts and are rarely seen there.
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Other Venomous Spiders:
- While the black widow is the most notable venomous spider in Massachusetts, other spiders like yellow sac spiders and wolf spiders are also venomous.
- Funnel-web or Grass Spiders and American house spiders are also venomous.
- While the black widow is the most notable venomous spider in Massachusetts, other spiders like yellow sac spiders and wolf spiders are also venomous.
What is the most common house spider in Massachusetts?
The common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) gets its name simply because it is found commonly in homes. They may even make a great roommate as they are known for eating small insects and household pests.
How do I identify a spider I found?
Look at the size of the legs in proportion to the body. Some spiders have long, thin legs (like the yellow sac), while others have stocky, thick legs (like the wolf spider). Some spiders (such as the lynx spider) have tiny hairs on their legs, while others have spikes (such as the funnel spider) or fur.