Spiders in Illinois

Illinois has over 500 spider species out of which only 30 to 35 of them are seen on a regular basis. The brown recluse and the northern black widow stand among the deadliest of the lot. In fact, the brown recluse inhabits the whole of northern and southern Illinois.

Spiders in Illinois Identification Chart

Common Spiders in Illinois

Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)Orchard Orb-weaver (Leucauge venusta)Tan Jumping (Platycryptus undatus)

Largest Spiders in Illinois

Wolf (Lycosidae) spidersFishing (Dolomedes) spiders

Highly Venomous Spiders

Cobweb (Theridiidae)

Northern Black Widow Spider Size Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus variolus) - The Northern Black Widow is a cool spider found mainly on the 'East Coast' of North America. It's a close relative to the southern and western black widows.… Continue Reading >

Sicariidae

Brown Recluse Image Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa) - The brown recluse spider is a special spider found mostly in the central and southern parts of the U.S. It's part of a small group of spiders in North America known for having strong venom, along with the Chilean recluse and black widow.… Continue Reading >

Less Venomous Spiders

Orb-weaver (Araneidae)

Orchard Orbweaver Spider Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) - The orchard spider is a special kind of spider called an orb-weaver. It has a long jaw and is found in places like the United States, southern Canada, and parts of Central America.… Continue Reading >

Furrow Spider Size Furrow (Larinioides cornutus) - Did you know there's a spider called the Furrow spider? It belongs to the orb-weaver family. You can find them in places like North Africa, Europe, parts of Asia, and even in North and South America!… Continue Reading >

Spotted Orb Weaver Spider Spotted Orb Weaver (Neoscona crucifera) - The spotted orb weaver is a tiny spider that lives in places like Florida, Maine, Arizona, and Minnesota. Part of the orb weavers family, they usually roam at night.… Continue Reading >

Larinioides Sclopetarius Gray Cross Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) - Discover the world of the gray cross spider, part of the family of orb weavers. These unique spiders, although not fans of the company, often create their webs near one another.… Continue Reading >

Marble Orb-Weaver Marbled Orb-weaver (Araneus marmoreus) - The marbled orb-weaver is a spider with a special design on its body. It has patterns on its abdomen that look like marble, which is how it got its name.… Continue Reading >

Arabesque Orb Weaver Spider Arabesque Orb-weaver (Neoscona arabesca) - The Arabesque orb-weaver is a fascinating spider from the Araneidae family. Common in North America, this orb-weaving spider isn't limited to just one continent.… Continue Reading >

Shamrock Orb Weaver Size Shamrock Orb Weaver (Araneus trifolium) - The shamrock orb weaver is a special spider from the Araneidae family. If you're curious, you'll find these little creatures in places like the United States and Canada.… Continue Reading >

Banded Garden Spider Banded Garden (Argiope trifasciata) - The banded garden spider is a common spider with two types: Argiope trifasciata deserticola and Argiope trifasciata kauaiensis. They prefer warm places and usually aren't around in cold winters because they don't like the chill.… Continue Reading >

Yellow Garden Spider Images Yellow Garden (Argiope aurantia) - Imagine a spider with bright yellow and black colors, weaving an amazing web in the garden. That's the Yellow Garden Spider for you! They're super peaceful and really good at making fancy webs.… Continue Reading >

Jumping (Salticidae)

Bold Jumping Spider Picture Bold Jumping (Phidippus audax) - Bold jumping spiders are super cool members of the Salticidae spider family. They get attention for their amazing jumps and colorful looks. Instead of using webs to catch food, they like to sneak up on bugs and jump on them!… Continue Reading >

Male Tan Jumping Spider Tan Jumping (Platycryptus undatus) - Tan jumping spiders are super interesting! They hop around and belong to the jumping spider family. You can find them in places like North and Central America.… Continue Reading >

Zebra Spider Size Zebra (Salticus scenicus) - Discover the fascinating world of the Zebra Spider, a creature from the northern hemisphere with stripes like a zebra. These lively spiders don't spin webs to catch their dinner.… Continue Reading >

Cobweb (Theridiidae)

Steatoda borealis Steatoda borealis - Guess what? There's a spider called Steatoda borealis, and it's part of the comb-footed spider family. Some people call it a 'false widow spider' because of how it looks. But it's not the same as the real widow spiders.… Continue Reading >

Common House Spider Size Common House (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) - Guess what? The American house spider is a popular spider many people meet! Even though its name says "American," it's also found in places like Pakistan and Myanmar.… Continue Reading >

Triangulate Cobweb Spider Triangulate Cobweb (Steatoda triangulosa) - Meet the triangulate cobweb spider from the Steatoda genus! Found in places like North America, New Zealand, and Europe, this little spider has a neat triangular pattern on its back.… Continue Reading >

Nursery Web (Pisauridae)

White Banded Fishing Spider Picture White Banded Fishing (Dolomedes albineus) - The white banded fishing spider is a cool member of the nursery web spider group. Guess where it's from? The United States of America!… Continue Reading >

Dark Fishing Dark Fishing (Dolomedes tenebrosus) - The Dark Fishing Spider is a special spider from the Pisauridae family. It looks a lot like the striped fishing spider. Here's something wild: after these spiders mate, the male often becomes a meal for the female!… Continue Reading >

Crab (Thomisidae)

White Banded Crab Spider White Banded Crab (Misumenoides formosipes) - Did you know there are spiders called White banded crab spiders? They're part of a big family named Thomisidae. These spiders live in the United States and Canada.… Continue Reading >

Green Crab Spider Green Crab (Misumessus oblongus) - Did you know there's a spider called the green crab spider? It's part of the crab spiders family and can be found in places like the United States and Canada.… Continue Reading >

Spitting (Scytodidae)

  • Scytodes thoracica

Wolf (Lycosidae)

Tigrosa Georgicola Spider Tigrosa Georgicola - The Tigrosa georgicola is a kind of spider that lives in the southeastern parts of the United States. It's part of the Lycosidae spider family.… Continue Reading >

  • Tigrosa helluo
  • Rustic Wolf (Trochosa ruricola)