Big, Black Spiders Found in Mississippi

Many species of spiders are native to Mississippi.

Humid and subtropical, the state of Mississippi is ideal for a thriving variety of life -- including spiders. Some of these varieties of spiders can be venomous, which makes proper identification of them important to home owners, campers and other people who come into contact with them. Although literally dozens of species of spider are native to the region, only a few meet the description of "big" and "black."

Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia, more commonly known as the Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider, are common throughout the United States, but especially prevalent in warm and humid regions such as Mississippi. They are mostly black in appearance, but feature stripes and zigzags of other colors -- most commonly yellow, but also brown and red on occasion. They can grow fairly large -- up to an inch in diameter -- but they rarely bite and are not harmful to humans.

Orb Weaver Spider

Araneidae, or the Orb Weaver spider, is a large and menacing-looking spider native to most of the continental United States -- but especially prevalent in Mississippi. They are known for spinning large, elegant webs between tree branches, and on porches and sheds. They can give a painful bite if disturbed, but generally pose no threat to humans. In regions like Mississippi, they are beneficial because they are highly effective at catching and killing mosquitoes.

Huntsman Spider

Heteropoda venatoria, better known as the Huntsman spider, is so-called because it actively hunts cockroaches and other insects through the bark of trees and inside people's houses. For this reason, this large black or brown spider is often welcome in people's homes. It is a non-aggressive species and its bite is only mildly toxic to humans. Huntsman spiders are most commonly recognized by the configuration of their legs; the front two pairs are set noticeably forward, giving this spider a crab-like appearance.

Spitting Spider

Scytodes is known as the Spitting spider because it fires gobs of webbing at small insects to incapacitate them prior to devouring them. They are moderately large and most often a dark brown or black color. They commonly live under rocks, logs and tree stumps, but can be found inside -- normally in cellars, basements or closets. The Spitting spider has fangs that are unable to pierce human skin and their bite is therefore negligible. That, in addition to their diet of common insect pests, makes them a beneficial spider to have in your home.

Running Spider

Trachelas is a moderately large spider known as the Running spider, because it chases its prey rather than traps them in a web. They are black or reddish in appearance and are easily identified because of their very fast speed. Their rear legs are noticeably paler than the rest of their body -- almost white in some spiders. They are most commonly found outside and pose little danger to humans because their bite is rare and their venom only mildly toxic.

Brown Recluse

Loxosceles reclusa, also known as the Brown Recluse spider, is frequently found in Mississippi and other southern states. Although brown in color, this large spider can appear almost black depending on how dark its coloring is. These spiders pose a significant health risk to humans because their bite is highly poisonous. This is made worse by their tendency to hide in debris or even loose clothing that people might fumble through or put on without checking first. Anyone bitten by a spider that may be a Brown Recluse should seek medical attention.

Black Widow

Latrodectus mactans, or the Black Widow spider, is so-called because females eat their male partners after mating. Moderately sized, these black spiders are recognizable by the bright red hourglass pattern on their backs. Bites of the Black Widow are rare because they tend to avoid locations where humans are present, but can be extremely dangerous. Anyone bitten by a Black Widow should seek medical attention immediately.

References

• Insect Identification: Description of the Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider
• Insect Identification: Description of the Orb Weaver Spider
• Insect Identification: Description of the Huntsman Spider
• Insect Identification: Description of the Spitting Spider
• Insect Identification: Description of the Running Spider
• Insect Identification: Description of the Brown Recluse/Violin Spider

Resources

• Insect Identification: Description of the Southern Black Widow Spider