If you live in Kansas, you’re probably familiar with the idea of spiders around your home and property.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ve seen them or know everything about them!
With that in mind, this guide will introduce you to 25 types of spiders in Kansas.
Here, you’ll find information on their characteristics, where they’re commonly found, and when they may appear in your home.
1. Black Widow
Black widows are types of Spiders in Kansas with marks on their backs shaped like an hourglass. The colors vary depending on where they live. Although, in the states, most are a bright orange color with some brown and white.
Black widows usually like to build their webs at night and are rarely found during the day. They eat more minor bugs, such as flies and crickets.
However, if they become hungry or cannot find a giant bug to prey on, they will attack humans and other larger animals. Female black widows can live for two to three years, while males usually only live for six months.
2. Brown Recluse
Brown recluse spiders are a prevalent type of spider in Kansas. They usually live for about a year, but sometimes they can survive up to three years.
Brown recluses feed on all living things, including other spiders, scorpions, bed bugs, crickets, wood roaches, and other insects.
If a brown recluse spider cannot find food, it will drink the body fluids of its prey instead. A violin-shaped marking can identify these spiders on the top side of their head or neck.
They are tan to dark brown with markings ranging from yellowish-tan to dark brown; these types of spiders in Kansas are unique.
3. Carolina Wolf Spider
Also known as wolf spiders, these types of spiders in Kansas can be found across the continental United States. They range from one to two inches long and can be identified by the stripes on their backs.
They are not harmful to humans and use camouflage and their bodies to stay still so they will not be noticed.
The downside is that they bite quickly when harassed, resulting in a strong venom reaction lasting up to four hours.
So, although this type of Spider is not dangerous, it does have the potential to cause harm if touched. The Carolina Wolf Spider is usually grey or brown with a dark stripe and rows of black dots.
4. Giant Fishing Spider
Giant Fishing Spiders are types of Spiders in Kansas found only in the southeastern portion of the United States. It can be identified by their long legs and their bright red coloration.
Giant Fishing Spiders typically prefer large trees to live under or near. In other words, they are not often found on the ground but will hunt there if they are hungry enough.
The entire body is covered with tiny hair-like projections called setae, which gives them a very furry appearance.
5. Black and Yellow Garden Spider
In the Central region of North America, the Black and Yellow Garden Spider is the most commonly seen orb weaver.
Orb-weaving spiders are also called orb spiders because they spin an orb web that appears to be circular or oval-shaped.
This Spider’s web is easily recognized due to its large size and thick zigzag lines encircling the edges.
These crooked lines help to add strength to its web by catching flying insects that may otherwise escape easily.
This Spider lives on different plants, not just in gardens, so that they can be found across many landscapes. They are one of the most common types of spiders in Kansas.
6. Black-footed Yellow Sac Spider
Black-footed Yellow Sac Spiders are arachnids, not insects; these are types of spiders in Kansas found during the warmer months.
They will seek shelter during the day and come out at night to eat. They live primarily off other spiders but can also feed on flying insects such as butterflies, moths, bees, and wasps.
The Spider’s venom is only mildly harmful to humans; most people will only experience a slight itching or burning sensation. The black-footed yellow sac spider bites prey by inserting its fangs through chitin exoskeletons.
It does not need webs to catch prey because its web threads extend from its silk glands. Like many spiders, these spiders build a thick, silken retreat where females may lay up to 1,000 eggs.
7. Common Star-bellied Orb Weaver
Common Star-bellied Orb Weaver spiders are a type of spider in Kansas. Charles Athanase Walckenaer first described it in 1805.
It is harmless, though some people will experience itching after contact with this type of Spider’s toxic venom.
This Spider spends most of its time on flowers and plants during the day, waiting for prey to land on them. Though they don’t live in large groups like other spiders, you may find up to 3 adult females per web.
8. Ridge-faced Flower Spider
These types of spiders in Kansas can also be found on every continent. They can be seen from southern Africa, the Mediterranean, and Eastern Asia to the Western U.S., including the Rocky Mountains.
Adult males are about 11 mm long (about 1⁄2 inch) with a brownish or dark gray cephalothorax. They also have sparse hairs on the head and elongated ridges extending as chevrons over the eyes.
The abdomen is white with a pattern of yellow-brown stripes and black spots that may be highly variable. The legs are pale yellowish or light orange-brown with dark markings similar to those on the body.
9. Woodlouse Spider
The woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata) is a well-camouflaged brown spider with dark spots. Like many types of spiders in Kansas, its web is irregular.
Woodlouse spiders have enormous fangs and prey upon others, not necessarily just woodlice (another name for the common pillbug).
Their only significant enemies are ants, which are a prey species. One exciting feature about this Spider is that it can be found crawling around on the ceilings of caves.
10. Emerald Jumping Spider
Emerald jumping spiders are types of spiders in Kansas that prefer to live in trees and bushes. They are different from other types of spiders in Kansas because they use their ability to jump to escape or hunt.
There is not much information on the life cycle of these spiders. However, the emerald green coloring and rusty brown color can identify them.
11. Triangulate Orbweaver
You may see the Triangulate Orbweaver around your home, but do you know what it is? There are types of Spiders in Kansas.
Triangulate Orbweavers like constructing their webs at the edges or corners of buildings or near windows.
They build circular-shaped webs with strands extending and covered with sticky glue to trap prey when they get close. These types of spiders often catch pests such as flies and moths.
12.Eastern Funnelweb Spider
Eastern Funnelweb Spiders are a type of spider in Kansas. They have a potent venom that can cause pain, sweating, muscle spasms, nausea, and breathing problems.
It also produces a very little toxin, so this Spider rarely bites humans. However, its bite is considered more dangerous because the venom is neurotoxic rather than hemotoxic.
Also, the wounds from their large fangs are challenging to clean. If you are bitten by one, seek medical attention immediately!
13. Texas Crab Spider
Did you know that a Texas Crab Spider is not from Texas? This particular Spider’s original range was actually to the East of the Mississippi River.
In 1938, it became a true Texan after being found in Houston. What’s interesting about this species is how they hunt.
They lie, waiting on leaves and twigs to catch nearby prey with their two front legs. They usually hold their prey until death. They may even eat their victim alive if given a chance!
14. Eastern Parson Spider
Eastern Parson spiders, or black and yellow garden spiders, are commonly called because of their black and yellow-colored body.
They have large chelicerae that can grow to 1⁄4 inch long! They prey primarily on small insects such as crickets and katydids.
This Spider spins sheet webs that hang upside down under leaves and other vegetation to capture prey. The Eastern Parson Spiders are common types of Spides in Kansas.
15. Elongated Cellar Spider
Kansas is home to a wide variety of spider species. The elongated Cellar spider is also one of the types of spiders in Kansas.
While locals have spotted many, others remain unfamiliar to most people in the state. One such Spider is the elongated cellar spider (Meta bourne).
This house guest was formally recognized as a new species in 1998. They are tiny spiders that average just 2-3mm. Males are often solitary, and these spiders do not make webs.
You will likely see these little critters scurrying about when removing clothes from your dryer. The elongated cellar spider has small red spots on its brownish abdomen, which can lead to misidentification from other similar spiders.
16. Triangulate Cobweb Spider
Triangulate Cobweb Spider (Enoplognatha sp.) are tiny Spiders in Kansas. They are usually found on shrubs, trees, or bushes.
Triangulate Cobweb spiders produce web-spun cobwebs, which they use to create a retreat and wait for prey caught on the webs.
Its long front and two pairs of legs can identify this specific spider. They use their legs to capture prey that lands on the webs.
The Triangulate Cobweb Spider does not construct a web to catch its prey like other spiders. The female will live about one year, while males will only live six months due to aggressive mating habits with females.
17.Eastern Labyrinth Orbweaver
Like the name, this Spider is unafraid to weave intricate webs to create a maze for its prey. They have six spindly and long legs, usually dark brown or black.
The web these spiders make is designed with a labyrinth pattern that is both wide and large. This makes it hard for the prey to find an escape route.
To get their meal, Eastern Labyrinth Orbweavers will often wait until nightfall to position themselves close enough to their target.
18. Texas Brown Tarantula
The Texas Brown Tarantula has a hairy body and is usually brown. They can grow 11⁄2 inches long but are generally around 3⁄4 inches. The tarantula lives outside and has been found on the ground and inside log piles.
Search under rocks or logs near dense brushy vegetation to find these spiders. They also like sandbanks near river banks with low-growing vegetation. They are common types of Spiders in Kansas.
These spiders tend to live alone and have burrows that they retreat to if prey or predators threaten. Burrows have been found from 3 to 7 feet deep, depending on the ground type, before fallen leaves cover them up.
19. Puritan Pirate Spider
Commonly found on the native sea-buckthorn shrubs that dot the plains of western Kansas, this Spider spends most of its time sitting quietly on leaves and other surfaces. Females can spin dense, protective webs, which they decorate with bits of grass or flowers.
During autumn mating, males search out females by tapping their legs to imitate the drumming sound of small insects like ants. When near a female’s web, they offer prey, allowing the female to feed before mating with her.
20. Striped Lynx Spider
Striped lynx spiders are a type of spider in Kansas, and they can be very destructive. Unlike many other spiders, striped lynx don’t spin webs to catch their prey; instead, they sneak up on their victims.
They typically hunt smaller insects and only come out at night when the sunlight can’t hurt them.
They’re often extraordinarily adept at hiding and camouflaging themselves, so people rarely see them unless they stand on one.
The best way to identify a striped lynx spider is by looking for its distinctive reddish-brown markings on its abdomen.
21. Common Nursery Web Spider
Nursery web spiders are usually brown with a white or yellow hourglass shape on their abdomens. They are typically found around porch lights at night and make large webs.
When they feel threatened, they wrap themselves up into a tight ball. The light bulb-shaped egg sacs can identify females they carry during summertime.
These types of spiders in Kansas rarely bite humans, but when they do, they feel like a bee sting because they inject venom. The typical nursery web spider is one of many spiders in Kansas that you may not have seen before.
22. Western Lance Spider
These spiders make a slim appearance with a long, skinny abdomen and 4-6 pairs of dorsal spines. These spines are more prominent in the male than the female.
The adult Western lance spider is 1-3mm long and lives in crevices and ground litter like leaves or grass.
All these make them one of the most common types of spiders in Kansas that you might encounter. They’re not typically dangerous for humans unless you’re allergic or accidentally step on one.
23. Common Zebra Spider
The typical zebra spider has a white, black, and yellow stripe pattern that may look more like the stripes of a zebra.
These spiders have flattened bodies that make them difficult to notice even on top of tall blades of grass. Females tend to be larger than males and are often mistaken for small tarantulas by unfamiliar people.
The Zebra Jumping Spider is one of Kansas’s home’s most commonly found species. They frequently appear out of nowhere without warning when jumping at startling speeds as much as fifty times their body length.
This quick action makes them difficult to capture. However, these spiders are generally nocturnal and do not stay inside during daylight like many other types in Kansas.
24. Bowl and Doily Spider
The Bowl and Doily Spider is enormous, averaging five centimeters or 2 inches in body length. These spiders get their names from the shape of the female’s spider web, which resembles a bowl and a doily.
Females create a silk web that hangs under an overhanging rock where they will live and lay their eggs. The name is not just for looks!
The nets often trap bugs; when the Spider catches its prey, it is neatly wrapped and ready to eat.
25. Filmy Dome Spider
There are 25 types of spiders in Kansas. One type is the Filmy Dome Spider, which hangs out under rocks or logs or anywhere the air is humid.
If a male encounters another spider during mating season, he will grab on until the female agrees to mate with him. You’ll not see this type around too often because they’re most active at night.
