Spiders in Kentucky

Kentucky has about 50 spider species of which the brown recluse and black widow are the deadliest. The common families seen here include the purse web, orb-weavers, cellar, jumping, and fishing.

Common spiders: Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax), Tiger Wolf (Tigrosa aspersa), White-banded Crab (Misumenoides formosipes), Dark Fishing (Dolomedes tenebrosus)

Largest spiders: Members of the Fishing (Dolomedes) and Wolf (Lycosidae) family

Spiders in Kentucky Identification Chart

Highly Venomous Spiders

Cobweb (Theridiidae)

Sicariidae

Less Venomous Spiders

Orb-weaver (Araneidae)

Jumping (Salticidae)

Nursery Web (Pisauridae)

Crab (Thomisidae)

Wandering (Ctenidae)

Cobweb (Theridiidae)

Tube-dwelling (Segestriidae)

  • Ariadna bicolor

Corinnidae

  • Castianeira amoena
  • Castianeira longipalpa
  • Meriola decepta

Ground (Gnaphosidae)

  • Cesonia bilineata
  • Sergiolus capulatus

Philodromid Crab (Philodromidae)

  • Thanatus formicinus

Wolf (Lycosidae)