Identify Spiders Found in Indiana
There are many different types of spiders in the southern regions of the United States, some native to Indiana. Some are poisonous, some are harmless and some eat the insects living around our homes. It's important to know which ones can do you harm.
Instructions
1. Judge how large the spider is by looking at the length of its body and the length of its legs.
2. Check to see if the spider has a body that is 1 inch or more in length, without including the leg span. If it does, then the spider is most likely a wolf, fishing or black and yellow garden spider. If the spider has a body that is less than one 1 inch long without including the leg span, skip to step 6.
3. If the spider has a leg span of about 2 inches, is brown with a dark gray/black Union Jack or cross pattern on its back, and it is very furry and bulky looking, then the spider is most likely a wolf spider. These are rarely found indoors and only mildly venomous. Their bites will usually only cause itching.
4. If the leg span is around 3 inches long and the spider is a dark-brown color with light and dark gray markings, it could be a fishing spider. These spiders enjoy living near water or dark, damp places. They can run across water to hunt for prey, do not maintain a web and are just poisonous enough to cause minor redness and necrosis near their bites.
5. Check to see if the leg span of the spider is about 2-1/2 inches long, and look for yellow and black markings with a white area near the head. If your spider fits this description, it is likely a yellow garden spider. Bites result in only mild itching and swelling for a couple days, though it is believed their bites could inject a small amount of neurotoxin as well.
6. For smaller spiders, do not attempt to measure the leg span. It is much easier to tell these spiders apart by looking for distinct traits or markings. In Indiana, these spiders could be yellow house spiders, hobo spiders, triangulate cobweb spiders, black widows, six-spotted orb weavers, bold jumping spiders or brown recluse spiders.
7. Look for a yellow-green color on the spider's body and a darker color on its legs. If this coloration is present and the spider is about one-fourth of an inch long, then it is probably a yellow house spider. These spiders cannot puncture the skin and are only mildly venomous.
8. Look closely at the spider to see if it is brown in color with smooth light-brown legs. If it is, then this spider may be a hobo spider. This spider is sometimes confused with the brown recluse spider, but a hobo spider lacks the violin-shaped dark marking on its back. The bite of a hobo spider can be painful, and it is only slightly less poisonous than a brown recluse spider and just as aggressive.
9. Check the spider in question to see if it is brown with triangle-shaped tan markings on its back. If it is, then this spider is most likely to be a triangulate cobweb spider. These spiders are not dangerous to humans, but they do hunt brown recluse spiders and black widows, so they are nice to have around the house.
10. Look at the coloration of the spider and see if it is black with a red hourglass-shaped pattern on its underbelly. If it is, then it is almost certainly a black widow. These spiders have extremely poisonous venom and commonly hang upside down from their rough, messy webs.
11. If the spider has a leg span of about 1-1/2 inches long with a very round body and six (or eight in rare cases) black spots on the abdomen, then the spider is most likely a six-spotted orb weaver spider. It is easier to tell when these spiders are around, because they weave huge webs up to 6 feet in diameter to catch flying insects outside. These spiders are nontoxic to humans.
12. Look carefully at the spider to see if it is black with a white marking on its back. Also, if the spider is jumping around, this is another sign that it is a bold jumping spider. These spiders are aggressive and spunky, with a bite that hurts but lacks any dangerous poison.
13. Check to see if the spider is brown and smooth with a violin-shaped pattern on its back. If so, then the spider is most likely a brown recluse spider. These spiders are very poisonous and aggressive, and they enjoy hiding in soft places like the arms and legs of clothing, bedding or pillows more than any other spider in Indiana.
14. If none of these steps led you to an identification of the spider in question, try sending a picture to a biologist in the area, or contact a poison control center if bitten. You may also try an online resource, such as the one listed under additional resources below.
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