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Common Spiders of Kentucky

Several spiders are known to live and thrive in Kentucky. Most spiders have eight eyes, eight legs, two body parts and fangs, called chelicerae. They hatch from eggs, and shed their skin as they grow, usually living less than a year. Near the end of summer, the female produces eggs, leaving them in a silk sack until they hatch in the spring. All spiders make webs to catch food, like flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

Northern &Southern Black Widow
- The Northern and Southern black widow are shiny and black with a red hourglass mark on their abdomen, and grow up to a 1/2-inch in length. Both species of black widows are venomous. They can be found hiding in old hollow logs, abandoned burrows of animals and brush piles.
  
  Black widows are a very timid spider and bites are rare. When a black widow does bite, it usually is because they have been disturbed or attacked and were defending themselves. The venom from a black widow is 15 times more poisonous than the venom from a rattlesnake bite.
American House Spiders
- American House Spiders are harmless cobweb spiders and can be found in attics, basements, garages and old barns. They tend to be about one centimeter in body length.
Orb Weaver Spiders
- Orb weaver spiders make neat organized webs with a circular appearance in the pattern. They tend to have poor vision, using their sense of feeling to find their food trapped in the web. Orb weaver spiders have a painful bite but they are not considered dangerous unless you have serious allergies.
  
  The Black and Yellow Argioge spider, or garden spider, can grow up to three inches from leg tip to leg tip. They can be very intimidating and have a zig-zag pattern in their webbing.
  
  Marbled and Star bellied spiders are large and colorful, growing over a ½-inch long.
  
  The Furrow spider is found around homes and can live into the winter, while other spiders tend to die just before winter at one year old..
  
  The Arrow shaped, Spined and White Micrathena spiders are known for having spikes on their body and bright colors. They can be found in meadows, forests, and wooded trails.
Brown Recluse and Wolf Spider
- The Brown Recluse is small, brown and has six eyes, not eight. The spider is very shy and non-aggressive, but will bite if it is cornered or to defend itself. Its bite requires immediate medical attention due to their dangerous venom.
  
  The Wolf Spider is very large compared to other spiders. It is hairy and grayish brown in color with sharp long fangs. It lives outside in gardens and yards, and hunts during the day without having to build a web to catch their food, as do many other spiders.

Insects & Science