Below is a guide to help you identify some of the most common types of spiders and the potential threat they can pose to your health. In reality, almost all types of spiders found in the United States pose no threats to people.ĭespite the benevolent nature of most spiders, there are two species in the southern and western United States that can cause serious harm when accidentally disturbed - the black widow and brown recluse. There are also many myths floating around about spiders (no, people don't regularly swallow spiders in their sleep!) that make this pest seem much scarier than it actually is. The way they move is startling and unpredictable, their webs are sticky and their hunting methods can be rather gruesome. It's easy to understand why people cringe at the sight of a spider on the wall. Spiders often appear in horror movies, haunted houses and, worst of all, inside our homes where they are usually met with shrieking and the bottom of a shoe. The Yellow-and-black Argiope (pictured below, top left), one of the largest spiders in Kentucky, is a type of orb weaver.Spiders 101 Identify Common Spider Species Some orb weavers are very large, but, like most Kentucky spiders, the bites of orb weavers are harmless except to allergic individuals. Occasionally, they will wander into a home and build a web in a doorway or windowsill.
Notes: Orb weavers are commonly found on porches and gardens in Kentucky, especially in late summer. Orb weavers are almost always encountered inside their webs. Some are solid tan or brown, while others are colorful with vivid patterns.įeatures: Orb weavers are distinguished by their webs: no other common Kentucky spiders make organized, circular, grid-like webs. silver dollar, with legs outstretched.Ĭolor: There are many species of orb-weaver spiders in Kentucky. Size: Orb weavers range in size from tiny (the size of a pencil eraser) to a little larger than a U.S. Read More: Eliminating Spiders Around Homes and Buildings (ENT-623), Kentucky Spiders: Wolf Spiders Wolf spiders are among the most common kinds of spiders in Kentucky. Like most Kentucky spiders, the bites of wolf spiders are harmless except to allergic individuals. Because they are brown in color, wolf spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. Notes: Wolf spiders often wander into homes. silver dollar, with legs outstretchedĬolor: There are many species of wolf spiders in Kentucky, but most are dark or light brown, usually with contrasting spots or stripes.įeatures: Wolf spiders are fast-moving and they are typically seen running on the ground.
Size: Wolf spiders range in size from tiny (the size of a pencil eraser) to about the size of a U.S. Read More: Eliminating Spiders Around Homes and Buildings (ENT-623), Kentucky Spiders: Grass Spiders Like most Kentucky spiders, though, the bites of grass spiders are harmless except to allergic individuals. Because they are brown and of a similar size, grass spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. They also occasionally wander into homes. Notes: Grass spiders are very common in Kentucky lawns where they build large, funnel-shaped webs. Many other spiders have spinnerets, but they are very large and distinctive in grass spiders. quarter, with legs outstretched.Ĭolor: Brown with prominent longitudinal gray or tan stripes.įeatures: Prominent hind spinnerets: these are two, small, finger-like projections on the end of the grass spider's abdomen (used to spin the web).
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