How to Identify the Most Common North American Spider Species

Crab spiders are notable by the fact that they move sideways similar to a crab. They can often be seen lurking on flowers where they wait to ambush nectar feeders such as bees or hover flies. They are commonly white or yellow, although can be a variety of colors depending on their sub-species.

There are several species referred to as house spiders, although all of them have a fairly similar appearance. They tend to be black or brown, and except the hobo spider are all harmless. They are all commonly called house spiders due to the fact that they often make their webs in houses, although usually in secluded areas such as sheds or cellars. The three most common species are the American house spider, Giant house spider (a relatively recent species introduced from Britain) and the Domestic house spider.

Jumping spiders tend to be small and fast moving, the most common of which is the Zebra spider, so called for its patterning. Most species don't build webs, and instead catch their prey by jumping on it and biting it. They are most commonly seen on warm days sitting on walls and generally avoid humans as much as they can.

Common orb weaving spiders are very common towards the end of summer, and can be noticed due to their distinctive net shaped webs. Unlike other species which rely on prey tripping in their webs and alerting them, orb webs are sticky, and Prey is often left to struggle if deemed too dangerous to attack. They usually have a small silken tunnel attached to one of the strands of their web which they hide in when not in the middle of the web. Because they never leave their webs voluntarily, they are actually fairly fragile, and are sometimes eaten by other kinds of spider when waiting in their nests.

Wolf spiders are hunting spiders, and as such can be found roaming around on the ground instead of waiting on a web. They catch their prey by simply attacking it where they find it, or ambushing it. Although they are not aggressive, they are fairly large, and are one of the few spider species that can painfully bite humans.

Huntsman spiders are the largest species currently inhabiting the United States, and are also capable of delivering a painful bite. Despite their large size however, they aren't capable of doing lasting damage although they can be aggressive. They tend to live in rotting trees under bark, and don't build webs, instead hunting their prey on the ground. Luckily they can only survive in hot climates, and are only found in the warmer southern states such as Florida and Hawaii.

Recluse Spiders are thought to be fairly common in the Eastern States, although they aren't often encountered by humans. They tend to live in places humans don't often enter, such as wall cavities or infrequently used cellars. They have achieved some fame as of late, due to the fact that some people bitten by them experience necrotic infection of their wounds. Most cases are merely painful however, and wounds generally heal fairly quickly, with the bite itself not usually even felt. Identifying them can be difficult as they are similar in appearance to many other less notorious sub species. They do have violin shaped markings on their backs, although the easiest way to identify them is that they are usually sluggish and lazy when in the open.