Spiders That Are Found in Minnesota

Jumping spiders

• Jumping spiders are small diurnal spiders that prefer areas that get full sun throughout the day. They only grow to 1/2 inch in length. You will find these spiders around windows, ceilings and walls inside Minnesota homes. Outdoors they live on mailboxes or in goldenrod patches. They are called jumping spiders for their signature attack, which consists of jumping on their prey. One standout feature of jumping spiders is that their two middle eyes are noticeably larger than the other six. Jumping spiders have superior vision, and they can see a distance of 8 inches. Their body colors vary between dark and bright shades with white markings and iridescent mouths.

Fishing spiders

• Fishing spiders live near bodies of fresh water across Minnesota. They grow up to an inch in length with a leg span of another 4 inches. They use their long legs to carry them across the surface of the water to catch their prey. They can even dive underneath the water to catch tadpoles and fish, which is the reason they are called fishing spiders. Physical features of fishing spiders include brown or gray coloration with white markings.

Parson Spiders

• Parson spiders have long brown or black hairs with a grey abdominal region that has a white or pink stripe going across it. They measure 1/2 inch in length, and they have nocturnal hunting habits. Parson spiders are found both indoors and outdoors in Minnesota, and they hide during daylight hours. Parson spiders hide underneath peeling bark patches, firewood piles or loose stones outside. If they decide to hide inside, they will crawl into piles of clothing or cracks in the walls or floor . Some people will display an allergy to the venom of the parson spider if they are bitten. Allergic symptoms include pain, swelling and itchiness at the site of the bite wound or nausea, sweating and fever with severe reactions.

Grass spider

• Grass spiders are another group of spiders that live in Minnesota. They are striped brown, yellow or gray spiders that measure 3/4 of an inch long. Grass spiders are known for the distinctive large funnel-shaped sheet webs they weave under shrubbery and in cracks within the foundations of buildings. Occasionally, you will see them indoors weaving their webs in windows, but they prefer to be outdoors on ground level. Grass spiders lay their eggs against trees.