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How to Tell What Type of Spider You Found

Identifying spiders is like figuring out the identify of someone else's kids. You need to know their names, roughly what they look like and spend time observing them before you can put the right name to the right face. Instead of just four or five kids, you will need to cross out the other 33,999 species of spiders that are known to science as possibilities. Identifying the type of spider you found requires attention to detail and knowledge of the spiders in your area before you can correctly put a species name to the spider.

Things You'll Need

Camera
Guidebook

Instructions

- 1
  Take a snapshot of the spider you found. Try to get a clear image of its body and leg shape. Place a ruler or a quarter next to the spider to help determine size during the identification process.
- 2
  Write down any behavior you noticed, such as jumping. Take detailed notes of the surroundings.
- 3
  Find a guidebook about spiders in your state or look at an online database of spiders. Look at the different species and observe the variations.
- 4
  Note the shape of the spider's body. This is the first clue to the spider's identity. Structure types include crab, orb-weavers, jumping, and cellar.
- 5
  Narrow by color. Some spiders have identifiable markings or coloring. If your spider doesn't, use color as a last resort to determine species.
- 6
  Identify the web type, if possible. Take into account location of the web.
- 7
  Count the number of eyes and observe leg size.
- 8
  Look through the guidebook and find the species, using the information gathered.

Animals & Science