Every page on this site
213 pages across 17 sections. Use this index to reach any species profile, family hub, state guide, comparison, or reference page directly.
Core
Entry points and site-wide references.
Species profiles (19)
Morphology, range, venom data, and sources for each species.
- All species
- Brown Recluse
- Southern Black Widow
- Western Black Widow
- Brown Widow
- Hobo Spider
- Yellow Sac Spider
- Joro Spider
- Northern Black Widow
- Red Widow
- Common House Spider
- Wolf Spider
- Cellar Spider
- Bold Jumping Spider
- Yellow Garden Spider
- Golden Silk Orb Weaver
- Grass Spider
- Southern House Spider
- Giant House Spider
- Chilean Recluse
Families (19)
Family-level diagnostic characters for North American spiders.
- All families
- Theridiidae (Cobweb weavers and widow spiders)
- Sicariidae (Recluse and six-eyed sand spiders)
- Lycosidae (Wolf spiders)
- Salticidae (Jumping spiders)
- Araneidae (Orb weavers)
- Agelenidae (Funnel weavers and grass spiders)
- Pholcidae (Cellar spiders and daddy long-legs spiders)
- Thomisidae (Crab spiders)
- Cheiracanthiidae (Yellow sac spiders)
- Gnaphosidae (Ground spiders)
- Tetragnathidae (Long-jawed orb weavers)
- Linyphiidae (Sheet weavers and money spiders)
- Pisauridae (Nursery web and fishing spiders)
- Sparassidae (Huntsman and giant crab spiders)
- Theraphosidae (Tarantulas)
- Corinnidae (Antmimic and dark sac spiders)
- Oxyopidae (Lynx spiders)
- Uloboridae (Hackled orb weavers and feather-legged spiders)
- Filistatidae (Crevice weavers)
Identification by trait (7)
Filter species by a single diagnostic axis.
Comparisons (18)
Side-by-side separation of commonly confused pairs.
- All comparisons
- Brown Recluse vs. Wolf Spider
- Brown Recluse vs. Cellar Spider
- Black Widow vs. Brown Widow
- Joro Spider vs. Banana Spider
- Brown Recluse vs. Yellow Sac Spider
- Hobo Spider vs. Giant House Spider
- Hobo Spider vs. Wolf Spider
- Wolf Spider vs. Fishing Spider
- Jumping Spider vs. Wolf Spider
- Common House Spider vs. Black Widow
- Northern vs. Southern Black Widow
- Western vs. Southern Black Widow
- Red Widow vs. Black Widow
- Grass Spider vs. Hobo Spider
- Brown Recluse vs. Southern House Spider
- Brown Recluse vs. Chilean Recluse
- Yellow Garden Spider vs. Banded Garden Spider
- Cellar Spider vs. Harvestman
State guides (50)
Species present, seasonality, and local extension sources.
- All states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Medical (9)
Envenomation, diagnosis, and clinical management.
- Bites and medical
- How to identify a spider bite
- Brown recluse bite: symptoms and treatment
- Black widow bite: symptoms and treatment
- Spider bite vs. MRSA infection
- Are spider bites dangerous?
- Necrotic arachnidism: scope and overdiagnosis
- Antivenom for widow envenomation
- Pediatric spider bite assessment
- Tetanus and secondary infection after presumed bites
Biology (8)
Anatomy, silk, venom composition, and life history.
Behavior (8)
Behavioral ecology, dispersal, and seasonal activity.
Control (7)
Integrated pest management and exclusion methods.
Data (7)
Distribution records, surveillance, and quantitative reviews.
Myths (7)
Common claims tested against the primary literature.
Reference (6)
Taxonomy, nomenclature, and methodology notes.
FAQ (8)
Direct answers to frequently asked questions.
- FAQ
- What spider is in my house?
- Do spiders actively hunt or seek out people?
- Should I kill spiders I find in my house?
- How do I know if I was actually bitten by a spider?
- I found a spider in my bed - is that a problem?
- How can I tell if a spider is a brown recluse?
- Is it normal to have spiders in my basement?
- Do spiders recognize people?
Editorial (5)
Longer analytical write-ups.
Datasets (5)
Open datasets available for reuse with attribution.
Tools (5)
Interactive and printable identification aids.