Minnesota is home to a fascinating diversity of spider species. From tiny jumping spiders to large fishing spiders, these eight-legged creatures can be found in habitats across the state. While some people fear spiders, most species in Minnesota are not considered dangerous to humans. Learning to identify the most common spiders in your area can help overcome arachnophobia and develop an appreciation for these misunderstood arthropods.
Overview of Spiders in Minnesota
There are over 45,000 known spider species globally, with around 500 found in the United States. Minnesota has a wide variety of habitats including forests, prairies, wetlands and urban areas that can support many types of spiders.
Some key facts about spiders in Minnesota
- Around 220 spider species are documented in the state
- Most species are harmless to humans and provide pest control by eating insects
- Jumping spiders, orb weavers, crab spiders, funnel weavers and wolf spiders are among the most common families
- The two potentially dangerous spiders are the northern black widow and the brown recluse, but bites are very rare
14 Common Spiders in Minnesota
Here is an overview of 14 of the most frequently encountered spiders across different regions of Minnesota:
1. Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are abundant ground dwellers found throughout the state. They have a hairy body with long sturdy legs and can be identified by their large eyes. Wolf spiders come in different colors like brown, grey or black and have stripes or spots on their body. They do not spin webs but actively hunt prey.
2. Jumping Spider
Over 50 jumping spider species live in Minnesota These tiny spiders have a compact body and jump on their prey rather than building webs They have excellent vision provided by their large front eyes. Common jumping spiders include the bold jumper with its black and red colors, and the zebra jumper with black and white stripes.
3. Orb Weaver Spiders
Orb weaver spiders spin beautiful circular webs with a spiral shape. Some common orb weavers in Minnesota are the yellow garden spider with its yellow and black pattern, the marbled orbweaver with orange and black colors, and the barn spider found around buildings
4. Crab Spiders
Named for their crab-like appearance, white crab spiders blend into flowers while goldenrod crab spiders can change between white and yellow colors to camouflage themselves. These ambush predators wait on flowers to capture pollinators that land on them.
5. Fishing Spiders
Fishing spiders are Minnesota’s largest spiders with some species having legspans over 2 inches. They hunt insects, small fish and tadpoles near the water and can dive underwater to catch prey. Some common fishing spiders are the dark fishing spider and the six-spotted fishing spider.
6. Funnel Weavers
Funnel weaver spiders build sheet webs with a funnel retreat where they hide. The common grass spider is widespread in fields and yards. The barn funnel weaver spins webs in buildings and sheds to catch insects.
7. Sac Spiders
Sac spiders have a teardrop shaped abdomen and get their name from the silken sacs they build for shelter. The yellow sac spider is pale green while the brown sac spider is dark brown. They wander at night and do not spin webs to catch food.
8. Cellar Spiders
With their long spindly legs, cellar spiders weave messy looking webs in dark corners of basements and cellars to catch their prey. They vibrate rapidly when disturbed.
9. Jumping Harvestman
Resembling spiders, harvestmen are not true spiders since they have only one body segment. The jumping harvestman has long legs and two large eyes and is common in leaf litter and gardens.
10. Parson Spider
The parson spider is grey-brown with a light brown abdomen and gets its name from the white band on its abdomen that looks like a clergyman’s collar. It makes small webs low to the ground among rocks and leaves.
11. Ground Spiders
Ground spiders like the black ground spider hunt on the ground and do not build webs. They have a flattened appearance that allows them to squeeze into small spaces underground.
12. Cobweb Spiders
Cobweb spiders spread messy webs in dark corners of sheds and garages where they lie in wait for prey. The brown widow is a related spider with an orange hourglass marking.
13. Black Widow
The northern black widow has a shiny black body with a red hourglass shape on its underside. This venomous spider builds tangled webs outdoors but is not aggressive. Bites rarely occur but can be serious.
14. Brown Recluse
While not common, the potentially dangerous brown recluse spider is found mostly in the southern part of Minnesota. It has a brown body with a dark violin-shaped marking on its head region. This shy spider prefers isolated, undisturbed locations.
Tips for Managing Spiders in Minnesota
Most spiders in Minnesota are not dangerous and help control insect pests. But bites can occur if you accidentally press up against them. Here are some tips for safely managing spiders:
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Use gloves and protective clothing when cleaning garages and basements where spiders may reside
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Check shoes and clothing after being in woodpiles or unused sheds where venomous spiders could hide
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Clean up clutter to discourage spiders from building nests and webs in your home
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Use sticky traps or insecticides labeled for spiders if you need to control populations
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Teach children to appreciate spiders but not touch unknown species they find
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Seek medical care if you suspect a venomous spider bite with symptoms like pain or swelling
Learning how to identify the most common spiders you are likely to encounter in Minnesota can turn fear into fascination and respect for these helpful predators. Always be cautious around less familiar species, but take the time to observe harmless spiders going about their daily activities in their natural habitats.
Descriptions and pictures of different spiders
Open a drawer to see pictures and descriptions of common spiders found in Minnesota. Sizes given for each spider represent the length of the body not including legs.
Cobweb spiders are members of a large group called the comb-footed spiders and are very common both outdoors and indoors.
They are brownish or grayish small to medium-sized spiders (about 1/8- to 3/8-inch long) and have a rounded abdomen and a small cephalothorax.
They do not move a lot and build irregular, tangled webs for which the group is named.
Webs are built in undisturbed, out-of-the-way places such as wood and stone piles and in quiet areas of buildings such as basements.
A common type of cobweb spider found indoors is the American house spider (common house spider). It is grayish to brownish with chevron-like markings on its abdomen and a body length of over ¼ inch.
It builds a loose tangle of cobwebs in secluded and undisturbed areas of the house such as basements and crawl spaces.
Cellar spiders are common in dark secluded places such as crawlspaces, basements and cellars.
Cellar spiders are 1/3 to 1/4 inch long, pale gray to light tan in color and have long delicate legs (resembling the daddy-longlegs).
The cellar spiders build a loose, irregular web in corners near the ceiling or floor.
Orb weaver spiders (Araneidae) are commonly seen outdoors in gardens, fields, and landscapes, but are rarely found indoors.
- Orb weaver spiders make the typical spider web of concentric circles and radiating lines.
- They range in size from small to large (1/8- to 1-inch long) and are found in a variety of colors.
- Orb spiders have large, swollen-looking abdomens, including some that are oddly shaped.
- Despite their large size and bright colors, orb weaver spiders are not dangerous.
The barn spider is large (4/5-inch long) and yellow and brown in color. The barn spider is the model for Charlotte in E.B. Whites famous book, Charlottes Web.
Marbled orb weaver spider
The marbled orb weaver spider is a striking spider that attracts attention because of its typical bright orange color, though specimens vary from orange to beige to pale yellow and white.
Orb weavers do not do well when they fall to the ground. They move very slowly and have very poor vision, even for a spider.
They are extremely unlikely to bite people.
Argiope (ar-JYE-o-pee) spiders or garden spiders are also orb weavers. The large, black and yellow spiders usually are found in late summer in the center of big, round, flat webs. They have bodies measuring one inch long and, counting their legs, can be several inches in length.
There are two common species in Minnesota, the black and yellow argiope (Argiope aurantia) and the banded argiope (Argiope trifasciata).
The black and yellow argiope has a black body and yellow markings on its abdomen, somewhat resembling flames.
The banded argiope has a series of thin yellow, white, and black transverse (side to side) bands on its abdomen. Garden spiders are typically found building their webs in gardens or in tall grassy areas.
People assume because these spiders are large that they must be dangerous to people. They actually are very shy (as nearly all spiders are). They stay in their webs, eating insects they capture and rarely, if ever, are found off of them.
These spiders are not dangerous to people and should be left alone.
Funnel weaver spiders are generally brownish or grayish with stripes near the head and a pattern on the abdomen.
They have long spinnerets and are moderate-sized (¾-inch long).
They produce a flat, horizontal web with a small funnel-like retreat off to one side.
Webs are commonly built on the ground, around steps, window wells, foundations, and low shrubs.
Barn funnel weavers (a type of funnel-web spider) have a pair of dark stripes behind the head and may build webs in corners and closets indoors.
Grass spiders (a common funnel weaver) build their horizontal webs in the short grass of lawns. They have three light colored and two dark colored stripes behind the head. Barn funnel weaver Grass spider
Wolf spiders are moderate to large-sized spiders (1/4- to 1-inch long) with dark brown and slightly hairy bodies.
They are found on the ground or under stones in a variety of habitats, such as woodlands, grassy meadows, beaches, landscapes, gardens and fields. Some even live underground.
They commonly hunt during the day or at night when it is warm.
Wolf spiders are alarming because of their large size and rapid movements. They are not aggressive.
Sac spiders are normally found on foliage or on the ground. They are small to medium-sized spiders (1/5- to 2/5-inch long) and are usually yellowish or light-colored.
Sac spiders hunt at night, feeding chiefly on small insects, and hide during the day in a silken tube or sac, from which they take their name.
They do not construct webs. Outdoors, they usually roll up leaves into a tube or may construct a retreat under stones.
Inside buildings, sac spiders are found in retreats in a variety of places including high up on walls near ceilings.
Fishing spiders are typically seen near ponds, swamps, or slow-moving streams, but some may be found at considerable distances from water.
Fishing spiders are the largest spiders in the Upper Midwest (1-inch long). With legs spread out, some fishing spiders cover as much as 4 inches.
They are generally dark-colored, usually brownish or grayish, with white markings.
Fishing spiders can “skate” across water and can dive underneath to capture prey.
They also can catch tadpoles, small fish and other small vertebrate animals.
Sowbug spider, also known as the woodlouse hunter or the dysderid spider, is an introduced species that is now common in the United States.
This medium-sized spider has distinctive coloration: the cephalothorax is purplish-brown, the abdomen is grayish-white, and the legs are orange.
Unlike the majority of spiders, the dysderid spider has only 6 eyes.
The fangs are quite large and project forward.
They wander at night in search of food and are ground-dwellers commonly found under rocks and debris.
Their preferred prey are sowbugs and pillbugs.
Jumping spiders are compact, medium-sized spiders that leap on their prey, often jumping many times their own body length.
They are active during the day and are often found on windows, ceilings, walls, and other areas exposed to sunlight. They are about 1/4- to 1/2-inch long and dark-colored with white markings.
Some can be brightly colored, including some with iridescent mouthparts.
These spiders move quickly in jerky, irregular motions and can run sideways and backward.
Jumping spiders have the best vision of spiders (have large middle eyes), seeing objects up to eight inches away.
Parson spider is a medium-sized spider (1/2-inch long) with a brownish body and gray abdomen with a white band running down over half the length of its abdomen.
Parson spiders move quickly. They actively hunt at night and chase their prey.
During the day, they are found outdoors under stones or loose bark.
Indoors, they hide under objects or in cracks or crevices.
They have been known to bite if trapped inside clothing or bedding. The bite can be painful and may cause allergic reactions in some people.
Crab spiders are small to medium-sized spiders (1/10- to 2/5-inch long) ranging in color from yellow or red to brown or gray.
The first four legs are longer than the back four and are held out to the sides giving a crab-like appearance. They can walk forward, sideways, or backward.
They are passive hunters; they wait motionless and feed on insects that pass by closely.
Crab spiders are often found outdoors on flowers, stems or leaves.
They are rarely found indoors.
Spider biology and behavior
| Spiders | Insects | |
|---|---|---|
| Body regions | 2: cephalothorax and abdomen | 3: head, thorax and abdomen |
| Legs | 8 | 6 |
| Eyes | Simple, usually 8 (rarely 6) | Compound, 2 |
| Wings | None | 4 (sometimes 2 or none) |
| Antennae | None | 2 |
| Mouthparts | Chelicerae (fangs) | Mandibles (jaws) |
- All spiders inject venom through their hollow fangs into living prey to disable the prey.
- They liquefy their food with digestive fluids and then suck in the digested food.
- Silk is produced by all spiders as a liquid in specialized structures called spinnerets located at the tip of the abdomen. Silk hardens after contact with air.
- Spider silk is used to build webs and other types of snares that capture prey, and to make egg cases, draglines, shelters and retreats.
- Silk produced by young spiders helps them to move with the wind in a process called ballooning.
Spiders very rarely bite people. Most spiders are harmless to people and are incapable of biting, even when coaxed.
Most people and even medical doctors over-diagnose “potential spider bite” based on symptoms such as redness, swelling, cramps, severe pain, or even necrotic lesions. These are usually caused by other factors including diseases or medical conditions and bacterial skin infections.
Neither black widow spiders or brown recluse are native to the upper Midwest and are rarely encountered.
5 spiders in Minnesota that you do not know!
FAQ
Is there any poisonous spiders in Minnesota?
The northern widow is above all, the spider with the most potent venom in Minnesota. The northern widow is part of the Hourglass Spiders (Theridiidae family) which includes other, more commonly found MN spiders including: Cobweb Spiders. Triangulate Cobweb Spiders.
What is the common house spider in Minnesota?
Parasteatoda tepidariorum
Description: 1/4 inch long (not including the legs). Brown and tan with a rounded, teardrop shaped abdomen. The abdomen has vague chevron markings on it. Builds tangled looking webs; typically hangs upside down in webs.
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.
What are these huge spiders in my house?
Among the largest spider species commonly found in houses, Giant House Spiders are known for their fast speed and large size. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are generally harmless to humans and often contribute to controlling pests in homes by preying on insects.