Spiders are found all over Canada, preferring to stay out of sight in dark places indoors like corners, closets, and garages. In the wild, they are more widespread and more visible. Canada doesn’t have a wide variety of threatening arachnids, with the black widow considered the most dangerous, owing to the potency of its venom. While reports of apparent bites by brown recluse spiders have been made, whether or not a population exists is yet to be verified. Spiders act as excellent pest control, keeping the insect population down.
Most Common Spiders: Sand Bear Wolf Spider, Long-bodied Cellar Spider
Biggest Spider: Striped Fishing Spider
Most Deadly Spiders: Western Black Widow Spider, Black-footed Yellow Sac Spider
Most Venomous
Comb-footed Spiders
Sac Spiders
- Black-footed Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum)
- Long-legged Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium mildei)
Funnel Weaver Spiders
Ground Spiders
Less Venomous
Orb-weaver Spiders
Hacklemesh Weaver Spiders
Wolf Spiders
- Sand Bear Wolf Spider (Arctosa perita)
Crab Spiders
- Common Crab Spider (Xysticus cristatus)
- Utah Crab Spider (Bassaniana utahensis)
- Golden-rod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)
Woodlouse Hunter Spiders
Nursery Web Spiders
Funnel Weaver Spiders
Jumping Spider
Long-jawed Orb-weaver Spiders
- Cave Orb-weaver Spider (Meta ovalis)
- Silver Long-jawed Orb-weaver Spider (Tetragnatha laboriosa)
Intertidal Spiders
Sheetweb Spiders
- Sierra Dome Spider (Neriene litigiosa)
- Old World Dome Sheet-web Weaver Spider (Neriene montana)
Comb-footed Spiders
Cellar Spiders
- Long-bodied Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)
Running Crab Spiders
- Cricket Thief Spider (Thanatus vulgaris)
Hackled Orb-weaver Spiders
- Feather-legged Orb-weaver Spider (Uloborus glomosus)
Spiders in Canada (By Region)