20 Types of Spiders in Minnesota: A Field Guide to Common Species
October 16, 2026
Minnesota is home to a surprising range of spiders, and most of them never set a single leg inside a house. Spider ID’s database of confirmed sightings puts the number of documented species in the state at a modest two dozen, far fewer than the hundreds of species recorded in warmer climates, but still enough variety to confuse even a careful observer. Spider taxonomy worldwide runs into the tens of thousands, so narrowing the list down to what actually turns up in a Minnesota garage or garden is the first useful step toward identification.
This guide walks through 20 types of spiders in Minnesota, from the large, flashy orb weavers that anchor webs across porches in late summer to the quiet cellar spiders that spend their entire lives indoors. Readers will find notes on size, web style, habitat, and the handful of traits that separate a harmless house guest from the one species in the state with venom worth taking seriously. For a broader look at how these species fit into the larger picture, the different types of spiders found across North America share many of the same family traits covered below.
1. Black and Yellow Argiope
The black and yellow argiope (Argiope aurantia) is one of the most recognizable spiders in the state, and University of Minnesota Extension lists it as one of two common argiope species found there. There are two common species in Minnesota, the black and yellow argiope (Argiope aurantia) and the banded argiope (Argiope trifasciata). The large, black and yellow spiders usually are found in late summer in the center of big, round, flat webs, and have bodies measuring one inch long and, counting their legs, can be several inches in length.
The abdomen is egg-shaped and black, with a vertical row of bold yellow spots on each side and two or three pairs of yellow spots in the middle. The legs run roughly ¾ inch to 2¾ inches long, with front legs that are black with black femurs and the remaining legs black with yellow femurs. This spider spins the thick vertical zigzag pattern, called a stabilimentum, that runs through the center of its web and makes the whole structure easy to spot from several feet away.
Pro Tip: Argiope webs are rebuilt nightly, so a web with a fresh, bright-white zigzag pattern usually means the spider is active and nearby, even if it has tucked itself into nearby foliage during the day.
2. Banded Argiope
The banded argiope (Argiope trifasciata) is the black and yellow argiope’s close relative, and the two are often mistaken for each other at a glance. The banded argiope is also very large, yellow, and black, with an abdomen covered in numerous thin, silvery-white and yellow transverse bands, lacking the large solid black patches of its cousin. That banding runs horizontally across an elongated oval abdomen rather than forming the bold vertical spots seen on Argiope aurantia.
Banded argiopes favor slightly different terrain than their cousins. Banded garden spiders are usually found in vegetation and tall grass, which makes them more common in prairie remnants, roadside ditches, and unmown garden edges than in tightly trimmed landscaping. Like the black and yellow argiope, this species is a harmless orb weaver that poses no real threat to people, despite its imposing size.
3. American House Spider
The American house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is the small, tan-to-brown spider responsible for the messy, irregular webs that collect dust in basement corners, window wells, and garage rafters. Unlike the neat wheel-shaped webs of orb weavers, this cobweb-spinning species builds a tangled, three-dimensional snare with no obvious pattern, then waits near the center for vibrations signaling trapped prey.
Bites from American house spiders are rare and generally no worse than a bee sting, since the species is shy and retreats rather than confronts. Homeowners dealing with persistent webbing in a specific corner are usually dealing with this spider rather than anything more concerning, a distinction worth knowing before assuming the worst about indoor house spiders found in other states as well.
4. Orb Weavers
Orb weavers, the broad family Araneidae, build the classic wheel-shaped webs most people picture when they think of a spider’s web. Orb weavers are the most commonly found spider throughout the U.S., and even though they rarely appear indoors, they spin large orb-shaped webs in gardens, front porches, and forests. Beyond the argiopes already covered, Minnesota hosts several other common members of this family.
The most common orb weavers found in Minnesota are the European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) and the black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia). The European garden spider, despite its name, has become thoroughly established across the northern United States and builds webs with the same tidy, radial symmetry as its native cousins, often with a distinctive cross-shaped pattern of white marks on its abdomen.
5. Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders, family Salticidae, are easy to pick out once a person knows what to look for: compact, fuzzy bodies, oversized front eyes, and a tendency to turn and watch an observer rather than flee. These spiders rely on exceptional vision rather than webs to hunt, stalking prey across sunny walls, window sills, and garden foliage before pouncing from several body-lengths away.
Minnesota hosts numerous jumping spider species, most measuring under half an inch, with coloring ranging from drab brown to iridescent green and blue depending on the species. Because they hunt visually rather than by vibration, jumping spiders are active during the day, unlike many of the other spiders on this list. The same family appears in urban settings well beyond Minnesota, including the jumping spiders found around Chicago, where similar species exploit brick walls and window frames in much the same way.
6. Cobweb Spiders
Cobweb spiders belong to the family Theridiidae, the same family that includes both the American house spider and the northern black widow discussed later in this guide. This family is formally classified as Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) within the broader true spider lineage, distinct from the tidy web-builders in Araneidae. Members of this group are defined less by appearance than by web style: irregular, three-dimensional, and often strung with sticky gumfoot lines anchored to the ground.
Most cobweb spiders in Minnesota are small, under a quarter inch, and build webs in undisturbed corners of sheds, basements, and woodpiles. This same family structure shows up in warmer states too, including among the cobweb spiders documented in Alabama, though the specific species differ by region and climate.
7. Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders, family Lycosidae, are large, ground-dwelling hunters that chase down prey rather than trap it in a web. Their bodies run broad and hairy, often an inch or more in length, with eyes arranged so that several reflect flashlight beams at night, a trait that makes them easy to spot with a simple headlamp sweep across a lawn.
Female wolf spiders carry their egg sacs attached to the underside of the abdomen, and after hatching, the spiderlings climb onto the mother’s back and ride there until they are large enough to disperse. This parenting behavior, combined with their size and speed, often leads people to overestimate how dangerous wolf spiders are; in reality, they avoid confrontation and bite only when directly handled. Similar large ground hunters turn up across the country, including wolf spiders in Oklahoma, where drier terrain suits their hunting style just as well as Minnesota’s grasslands.
8. Fishing Spiders
Fishing spiders, genus Dolomedes, are among the largest spiders found in Minnesota and are closely tied to water. These spiders hunt along the edges of ponds, streams, and lakes, using the water’s surface tension the way other spiders use a web, detecting ripples from struggling insects or even small fish and minnows.
Unlike most spiders, fishing spiders can walk across open water without breaking the surface and will dive beneath it briefly to escape predators. Their legs spread wide for stability on the water’s surface, and their overall coloring tends toward mottled brown or gray that blends with wet bark and shoreline debris. Two specific fishing spider species found in Minnesota are detailed further down this list, and related species turn up in wetter climates as well, including fishing spiders documented in Florida.
9. Crab Spiders
Crab spiders, family Thomisidae, get their name from their sideways, crab-like gait and their flattened, wide-set front legs. These spiders do not build webs to catch prey; instead, they sit motionless on flowers or foliage, ambushing pollinators that land within reach.
Confirmed Minnesota sightings include the goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) and the white-banded crab spider (Misumenoides formosipes), both of which can shift body color between white and yellow over several days to match the flower they are currently hunting from. This slow color change is a genuine physiological adaptation, not simply a trick of lighting, and it gives these spiders one of the more unusual camouflage strategies among Minnesota’s native species. Crab spiders with similar ambush tactics also show up among the crab spiders found in California, adapted to a very different climate but using the same flower-ambush strategy.
10. Northern Black Widow
The northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus) is the one spider on this list that deserves genuine caution, though encounters in Minnesota are uncommon. None is deadly, and the old claim that Minnesota harbours deadly spiders is simply wrong; the northern black widow is the only species here with medically significant venom, and Minnesota is the north-western fringe of its range, with records scattered and rare, mostly from sun-warmed bluffs, rock piles, and outbuildings in the south-east. As University of Minnesota Extension notes, black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders are not native to the Upper Midwest and are rarely encountered.
Identification relies on a specific detail that separates this species from its southern relative. The glossy, black abdomen of the northern black widow is dotted with large red circles on the dorsal side, and a split, or broken, red hourglass is clearly visible on the ventral side. An adult female’s body length runs about 9 to 11 millimeters, and the species builds an irregular, strong, three-dimensional tangle of coarse silk with taut gumfoot lines running down to an anchor point rather than a tidy wheel web.
Important Note: This section provides general educational information and is not medical advice. Anyone bitten by a spider believed to be a black widow should seek prompt medical evaluation rather than relying on home remedies.
Fatal bites from black widows are very rare, under 1% of all cases, especially when medical treatment is sought, and symptoms generally subside within 48 hours as the venom breaks down. Anyone who suspects a bite from this species, or any spider identified as a poisonous spider species, should follow a few basic steps:
- Wash the bite area with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and slow venom spread.
- Note the time of the bite and, if possible, safely capture or photograph the spider for identification.
- Seek medical attention promptly, especially for children, older adults, or anyone with underlying health conditions.
11. Long-Legged Sac Spider
Long-legged sac spiders, genus Cheiracanthium, are pale yellow to greenish spiders with noticeably long, slender legs relative to their small bodies. During the day they retreat into a silk sac tucked into leaf litter, window corners, or the junction between wall and ceiling, emerging at night to hunt small insects.
These spiders bite more readily than most of the species on this list when handled or disturbed, producing a reaction similar to a bee sting that typically resolves without treatment. They fall within the broader group of sac spider species found across much of North America, identifiable by their tube-shaped silken retreats rather than an open web.
12. Shamrock Orbweaver
The shamrock orbweaver (Araniella displicata) is a small, round-bodied orb weaver that rarely draws attention because of its size and quiet habits. Its rounded, often greenish or pale abdomen gives it a shamrock-like shape, and it tends to build small, neat orb webs low in shrubs, grasses, and garden plants rather than the large showy webs of the argiopes.
Because of its modest size and preference for dense low vegetation, this species is seen far less often than its more conspicuous orb-weaving relatives. Its presence is still a useful reminder that Minnesota’s orb weaver diversity extends well beyond the handful of large, easily photographed species most people notice first.
13. Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders belong to the family Linyphiidae, one of the largest and most diverse spider families found anywhere, including across Minnesota’s grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. These spiders are tiny, often just a few millimeters long, and build flat or dome-shaped sheet webs close to the ground rather than the vertical wheel webs orb weavers favor.
Key Insight: Despite their small size, sheetweb and dwarf spiders are ecologically important predators of aphids, springtails, and other tiny insects, making them a quiet but significant presence in lawns and garden soil throughout the state.
Identifying individual species within this family typically requires a microscope and specialized keys, since many species look nearly identical to the naked eye. Gardeners in other regions encounter similar sheetweb diversity, including among the sheetweb spiders recorded in Pennsylvania, where the same family dominates leaf litter habitats.
14. Grass Spiders
Grass spiders, genus Agelenopsis, build funnel-shaped webs tucked into dense grass, shrubs, or the base of building foundations, with a flat sheet of silk spreading out from a narrow retreat tunnel. When an insect lands on the sheet, the spider darts out from the funnel at remarkable speed, bites, and retreats just as quickly.
These spiders are easy to overlook until morning dew settles on their webs, making the funnel-and-sheet structure suddenly visible across lawns and roadside vegetation. Grass spiders are harmless to people despite their speed and are common well beyond Minnesota, including among the grass spiders found in Mississippi, where warmer temperatures extend their active season.
15. Six-Spotted Fishing Spider
The six-spotted fishing spider (Dolomedes triton) is named for the six small dark spots arranged across the top of its cephalothorax, a feature that separates it from other fishing spiders at a glance. This species favors calm water, including ponds, slow streams, and the still edges of lakes, where it rests at the water’s edge with its front legs touching the surface to detect vibrations from prey.
Despite its intimidating size, often approaching two inches across with legs extended, this species poses no real threat to people and will typically retreat into the water rather than confront a person who approaches. Related fishing spiders occupy similar wetland habitats farther south, including the fishing spiders found in Louisiana, where warmer wetlands support even larger populations.
16. Striped Fishing Spider
The striped fishing spider (Dolomedes scriptus) shares the same semi-aquatic lifestyle as its six-spotted relative but carries a different pattern, with pale longitudinal stripes running down the length of its body rather than discrete spots. This species favors moving water more than the six-spotted fishing spider, often found along the rocky banks of streams and rivers rather than still ponds.
| Feature | Six-spotted Fishing Spider | Striped Fishing Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Dolomedes triton | Dolomedes scriptus |
| Key marking | Six dark spots on cephalothorax | Pale longitudinal stripes down the body |
| Preferred habitat | Ponds, lakes, still water | Streams, rivers, moving water |
| Hunting style | Rests at water’s edge, detects surface vibrations | Hunts along rocky banks and riffles |
Both fishing spiders share the same basic survival trick: the ability to walk on water and dive briefly beneath the surface to escape predators. Spiders with a similarly strong water-based hunting strategy also appear among the spiders documented in Missouri, which shares much of the same river and stream habitat type as southeastern Minnesota.
17. Cat-Faced Spider
The cat-faced spider (Araneus gemmoides) is a bulky orb weaver named for the two prominent humps on its abdomen that, combined with a scattering of darker markings, resemble a cat’s pointed ears and face when viewed from above. Coloring ranges widely from pale gray to deep reddish brown, and females grow notably larger than males, sometimes approaching an inch in body length by late summer.
This species builds large, round webs on porches, under eaves, and between shrubs, often rebuilding the entire structure each night. Despite its somewhat startling appearance, the cat-faced spider is harmless and, like most orb weavers covered in this guide, prefers to retreat rather than bite when disturbed.
18. Marpissa Grata
Marpissa grata is a jumping spider species with a slender, elongated body compared to the stockier build typical of most Salticidae, and mottled gray-brown coloring that provides effective camouflage against bark, fence rails, and dried grass stems. Like other jumping spiders, it relies on sharp vision rather than a web to locate and ambush prey.
This species tends to favor grassy, open habitats near water more than the shaded woodland edges preferred by some other jumping spider species in the state. The genus Marpissa as a whole is recognized by its somewhat flattened, elongated cephalothorax, a useful feature for distinguishing it from rounder-bodied jumping spider genera found in similar habitats, including those documented among jumping spiders in Ohio.
19. Long-Bodied Cellar Spider
The long-bodied cellar spider (Pholcus phalangioides), often called a daddy-long-legs spider, is instantly recognizable by its extremely thin, elongated legs stretched far beyond its small, pale body. This species spends its entire life indoors in dark, undisturbed corners of basements, crawl spaces, and closets, rarely venturing outside even when relocated.
When threatened, this spider vibrates rapidly in its loose, irregular web, a defense tactic that makes it harder for predators, and curious house cats, to pinpoint its exact location. Its legs are proportionally among the longest of any spider species with notably long legs, a trait shared with several other cellar-dwelling relatives, including the species covered next.
20. Tailed Cellar Spider
The tailed cellar spider belongs to the same family, Pholcidae, as the long-bodied cellar spider, but is distinguished by a small, narrow, tail-like extension at the tip of its abdomen, a feature absent in its more common relative. Like other cellar spiders, it is pale, thin-legged, and almost exclusively found indoors, favoring the same dark, humid corners of basements and crawl spaces.
| Feature | Long-bodied Cellar Spider | Tailed Cellar Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae family relative |
| Distinguishing feature | Extremely long, thin legs | Narrow, tail-like abdomen tip |
| Habitat | Basements, closets, dark corners | Basements, crawl spaces, humid corners |
| Behavior when threatened | Vibrates rapidly in web | Retreats deeper into web or crevice |
Common Mistake: Cellar spiders are frequently mistaken for the much smaller American house spider described earlier. The giveaway is leg length: cellar spiders have legs many times longer than their body, while house spiders have proportionally short, thick legs.
Both cellar spider species are harmless to people and are, in fact, useful to have around, since they prey on other household pests, including mosquitoes, flies, and even the occasional small spider that wanders into their territory.
Minnesota’s spider population covers a wide range of lifestyles, from the striking web-building argiopes that dominate late-summer gardens to the quiet cellar spiders tucked into basement corners year-round. Most of the species on this list are harmless, and even the northern black widow, the one species with medically significant venom, is rarely encountered and reluctant to bite. Readers curious about the rest of Minnesota’s wildlife can explore related guides on the beetles found across Minnesota and the eagles that nest throughout the state, both of which share many of the same habitats covered in this spider guide.