How to Identify Georgia Spiders

There are many different types of spiders living in the southern regions of the United States, and some are even native to Georgia. Some of them are poisonous, some of them are harmless and some of them help to keep the number of insect pests living around our houses low. However, if you get a visit from one of these eight-legged guardians, it is important to know how to identify different types of Georgia spiders so that you can tell which ones are dangerous and which ones can be calmly moved outside.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

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 one inch or more in length without including the leg span. If it does, then the spider is most likely a black and yellow garden spider, a fishing spider, an orb-weaving spider, or a Wolf spider. If the spider has a body that is less than one inch long without including the leg span, then you should skip to step 7.

3. Check to see if the leg span of the spider is about two and a half 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 to be a black and yellow garden spider. Bites result in only mild itching and swelling for a couple days, though it is believed their bites could inject a very small amount of neurotoxin as well.

4. Estimate how long the spider's leg span is. If the leg span is around three inches long, and the spider is a brown color with light and dark gray markings, then 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, they do not maintain a web, and they are just poisonous enough to cause minor redness and necrosis near their bites.

5. If the spider has a leg span of about an inch and a half long with a very round body, then the spider is most likely an orb-weaver spider. It is easier to tell these spiders apart, because they come in a variety of bright colors, and they weave huge webs up to six feet in diameter to catch flying insects outside. Orb-weavers are non-toxic to humans.

6. If the spider has a leg span of about two inches long, it 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. This spider will rarely be seen with a web, unless it is a funnel-web wolf spider, in which case it will have a funnel-shaped web leading to an underground burrow at the bottom of the web, and these spiders are rarely found indoors. Wolf spiders are mildly venomous, and their bites will usually only cause itching.

7. 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 Georgia, these spiders could be cellar spiders, brown recluse spiders, trapdoor spiders, bold jumping spiders, and black widows.

8. Look to see if the spider has a very small body with relatively long legs. If the spider fits this description, and was found in a dark, damp place, then it is most likely a cellar spider. These spiders cannot even penetrate human skin.

9. Check to see if the spider is brown and smooth with a violin-shaped pattern on its back. If it fits this description, 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 Georgia.

10. If the spider in question is black in color, has a V-shape marking on its back, and is found near or in a burrow, then you have a Trapdoor spider on your hands. These spiders are not dangerous to humans.

11. 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 big sign that the spider you are looking at is a bold jumping spider. These spiders are aggressive and spunky, with a bite that hurts but lacks any dangerous poison.

12. 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.

13. 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.

Tips & Warnings

• Spider identification is tricky business if you squish your eight-legged visitor. Try to avoid pounding a spider to death if you would like to know what it was later.

• Always seek medical attention if bitten by a poisonous spider. Serious symptoms may not start appearing for as long as eight hours after the initial bite. If you can, try to catch the spider that bit you so that you can present it to medical officials for identification.