Spiders in Central Pennsylvania

Orb Weaver Spiders

• Orb weaver spiders build complex webs in forests and around gardens throughout Pennsylvania. The golden orb-weaver and the cross orb-weaver are two species commonly encountered around home gardens. The spiders construct large webs up to three feet in diameter in sunny locations. The spiders usually rest in center of the web waiting for small flying insects to fly into the web. Orb weaving spiders may abandon their web and find a new location if they do not capture enough food or are disturbed too often. Orb weaving spiders often build nests in the top corner of porches or near light posts in home landscapes where they feast on insects attracted to the lights an night. Orb weavers are highly beneficial around homes since they feed on many insect pests such as mosquitoes, aphids and beetles that fly into their web.

Jumping Spiders

• Jumping spiders are small active spiders commonly encountered indoors and around home gardens in central Pennsylvania. Jumping spiders do not construct webs. They hunt down their prey using their excellent eyesight. Once jumping spiders locate suitable prey, such as small beetles or aphids, they carefully stalk the insect and then pounce on it from behind using their powerful legs to propel themselves through the air. Many species of jumping spiders in central Pennsylvania have bright colors and conspicuous tufts of hair on their abdomen.

Wolf Spiders

• Wolf spiders are some of the largest spiders in central Pennsylvania. Wolf spiders are hunting spiders, and their body can grow up to 1 1/2 inches long. They spend the day in underground burrows that they excavate in protected locations near rock piles, around building foundations or under sidewalks. Wolf spiders emerge at night to hunt insects and other spiders. Wolf spiders make their way into homes during autumn in search of a warm place to overwinter.

Venomous Spiders

• Two species of spiders pose a significant medical threat to humans in central Pennsylvania: The southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans ) and the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). Black widows are small black spiders that construct irregular webs in moist, quiet areas around homes. They are native to central Pennsylvania and easy to identify by the conspicuous red hourglass-shaped pattern on their abdomen. Brown recluse spiders are not native to central Pennsylvania and are rarely seen, but they can be found living in homes where they are protected from cold winter temperatures, according to entomologists at Penn State University. The brown recluse has a light brown color and long, spindly legs. They are easy to identify by a dark brown violin pattern on their cephalothorax. The base of the violin starts near their eyes and the neck narrows toward the abdomen.