Given Missouri’s large size and location in the heart of the Midwest. It’s only natural that a wide variety of spiders call it home. As such, there are plenty of types of spiders in Missouri to learn about and identify.
However, this guide will walk you through Missouri’s eight most common types of spiders. And how to tell them apart from their more obscure cousins!
Moreso, as with any state, Missouri has its share of spiders that are native to the area. With over 46,000 different species of spiders in the world. You can imagine that there are some interesting species that live in this state!
For example, did you know that the most venomous spider in the United States lives here? If you’re afraid of encountering spiders, check out this list of the most common types of spiders in Missouri.
1. Hentz Orb Weaver
This spider is small, brown, fuzzy, and fast-moving and often builds webs near grass or other plants. Larinia directa also known as Hentz orb weaver, is commonly found throughout the central United States, except for California. They prefer to reside under stones or grass and are one of the types of spiders in Missouri.
But can also be found indoors where they seek out a dark area, such as between couch cushions. Unlike most spiders inject venom with their fangs before wrapping prey up in silk strands.
Moreso, Larinia directa will bite its victim than take off. The venom acts like an anesthetic causing its victim to feel painlessly unaware. While the spider begins feasting on their body fluids.
2. Orchard Orbweaver
The Orchard Orbweaver is also known as the Pink Spotted Orbweaver. It’s a beautiful spider, with a cream and dark green back, the abdomen being yellow, red-orange, and black striped. This colorful spider prefers dense trees that have plenty of foliage.
Moreso, their webs can be up to four feet wide! If you ever find one outside their habitat, they are likely looking for food or establishing a new home.
3. Spined Spider
The spined spider is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. Then, more commonly known as the spined Micrathena, it is one of North America’s more widespread spider species.
Though they’re harmless, their long legs and stout bodies make it easy to be mistaken for a brown recluse.
Moreso, the key differences include that Micrathena gracilis does not have a dark violin mark on its cephalothorax. Looking at our blog, you can find out what other spiders are common!
4. Rabid Wolf Spider
The Rabid Wolf Spider is one of the most poisonous types of spiders in Missouri. And not just because it is venomous but also because it injects such a large volume when its bites.
The symptoms can be very unpleasant, including redness, pain, swelling, and blisters that blister.
Moreover, some people might also feel nauseated or lightheaded after being bitten. Although this species is pretty rare for Missourians, it’s important to know what you’re looking out for!
5. Humped Trashline Orb Weaver
Cyclosa turbinata is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. And also known as the humped trashline orb weaver, they are medium-sized black spiders. They’re typically six millimeters across with a brown abdomen shaped like a triangle.
Moreso, like all other species of this type, they produce fine silk, which can usually be found among other debris on bark or at ground level. This kind is rare in the northeast and prefers warmer climates, so they’re less common farther north.
6. Yellow Garden Spider
The yellow garden spider is one of the types of spiders in Missouri and is found in areas with mild winters. It tends to migrate more than other spider species. So it’s not uncommon for this type of spider to be seen inside homes.
Also, female yellow garden spiders will leave their webs at nightfall, waiting for a flying insect. Or other prey that they can chase down and catch.
However, yellow garden spiders are typically around 12 mm in body length. These spiders have a reputation as being venomous.
But they don’t cause harm by their bite alone. They inject powerful poisons via the venom found on their fangs. If a yellow garden spider bites a person, they should seek medical attention from an emergency physician.
7. Garden Ghost Spider
The Hibana gracilis is a small spider that lives in gardens, fields, pastures, weedy habitats, and near the woods. It’s also known as the Garden Ghost Spider and is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. They are found along the East coast all the way into Oklahoma.
Moreso, they are brown on their backs with white or cream-colored stripes on their abdomens. These little guys can be identified by their violin-shaped patterns.
Nevertheless, I have only seen one of these bad boys, but if you see it, then congratulations. You now have bragging rights for knowing what it looks like!
8. Starbellied Orbweaver
One of the most notorious spiders for getting into people’s homes is the star-bellied orb weaver, Acanthepeira stellata.
And it is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. These small, colorful spiders can be found in homes across North America.
Moreso, they are particularly prevalent in the southern United States, including Florida and Arkansas. The star-bellied orb weaver gets its name from its zigzag web decorations, which resemble a cluster of stars in the sky.
9. Tuft-legged Orbweaver
Tuft-legged Orbweavers are one of the more common types of spiders in Missouri. The females are between 5-7 millimeters, with males usually between 2-3 millimeters. Tuft-legged Orbweavers live on bark, siding, wood piles, fences, or stones.
Nevertheless, their bite is not known to be medically dangerous. However, some individuals may experience a mild reaction from the bite, including mild swelling or localized pain.
10. Green-legged Orbweaver
This is one of North America’s largest orb weavers and one of the types of spiders in Missouri. Males can be identified by their ivory-colored epigynes.
The abdomen is mottled with darker brown patterns on a light background, but they’re highly variable. However, females are larger than males, often extending their legs around 2 inches from their body.
And with a pale green stripe on either side running down the length of the abdomen. Which can help distinguish them from other species like Araneus cingulatus or Argiope aurantia.
11. Labyrinth Orbweaver
Labyrinth Orbweavers are one of the more common types of spiders in Missouri. And mostly due to the fact that their webs can be found up high.
Moreso, they are the ones responsible for these complicated-looking white structures spun between two plants. Which is why they were given this moniker.
Also, it can take quite some time for a Labyrinth Spider to complete its web. And during this time, it will retreat into it so as not to get destroyed before finishing.
Nevertheless, this spider is usually dark brown with bands on its legs as well as stripes on its abdomen. Females will grow up from 5-9mm while males remain at 3-5mm. Both genders have been known to live together but only during mating season.
12. Grass Spiders
Grass Spiders, otherwise known as funnel weavers or grass sac spiders. They are very thin and delicate with long thin heads. If you can’t find it easily, don’t panic; they like the high grasses, so just wait for nightfall.
However, Grass spiders have been known to paralyze large prey before wrapping up the victim in silk. And leaving it suspended from grasses or other low-hanging vegetation. This wrapping action led them to be called grass sac spiders.
Therefore, if you find that your plant has its roots covered with a silky web (for example, pic below). Then that’s a hungry Grass Spider looking for dinner.
13. Woodlouse Spider
Woodlouse Spiders are unusual-looking creatures and are one of the types of spiders in Missouri. They belong to the category of Arachnida and have the scientific name Dysdera crocata. These peculiar little guys live in damp and moist habitats, often hiding inside dead logs or under rocks.
Moreover, they can be identified by their stout body that measures less than 3millimetres long, paired with a stubby abdomen. They also have eight eyes that are mounted on short stalks.
Also, the female Woodlouse Spider spends her days carrying out maternal duties. Like protecting her eggs by weaving a cocoon-like silk structure around them.
Or guarding newly hatched spiderlings by carrying them around with her mouthparts until they get larger. This period lasts between two to five weeks.
14. Eastern Parson Spider
Easily identifiable by the reddish-brown line on their abdomen, it’s one of the types of spiders in Missouri. These small (1/8 inch long) non-poisonous spiders have a nearly spherical body with a globular abdomen. They also have six eyes arranged in three rows.
However, their egg sacs are flat and can be found near vegetation like field grasses. They are typically found in old buildings, garages, hay bales, barns, and stacks of firewood. These spiders prey on other household insects like flies, mosquitoes, and moths.
15. Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver
The black-tailed red sheet weaver is a spider with eight eyes and a broad cephalothorax. And it’s one of the types of spiders in Missouri. They are typically deep brown with darker markings along the back.
However, this type of spider is known for weaving mesh-like webs. And that can last for more than one season if it remains undisturbed.
These spiders are typically found in woodlands, rocks, or vegetation that grows among trees or stumps.
16. Pholcus
This genus is known for large, globular sacs located at the front of their cephalothoraxes. They are usually found in dark, moist areas such as corners, storage buildings, closets, old barns, and wood piles. Pholcus can be found worldwide, with only a few species in North America.
These sacs also contain an adhesive liquid that helps trap insects and then wrap them up with its webs. This genus can vary in size depending on the location. Some are small enough to fit on your finger, while others can reach four inches long.
17. Striped Lynx Spider
A Striped Lynx Spider (Oxyopes salticus) is a type of lynx spider which lives on the ground. It’s not very large and is distinguished from other species by its green color with brown stripes, which run laterally. It also has two humps along the underside of its body.
However, this species exhibits predatory behavior, such as dragging prey into its nest to devour it. Or web-building behavior as they prefer to wrap up their prey before consuming it inside their home.
Additionally, when it bites people, it injects only a small amount of poison which causes people’s skin to itch intensely. But they are not likely to need medical attention because they do not produce any serious symptoms like fever.
18. Openfield Orbweaver
This spider is mostly seen around wet meadows, swamps, streamsides, as well as on broad-leaved trees. And they are one of the types of spiders in Missouri. The male’s body size is a lot smaller than the female’s.
Moreso, they have a silk sheet on their front legs, which is used to hide under leaves or rocks. Female adults are generally 3/8 inch long while males are 1/2 inch.
19. Sylvana Jumping Spider
Many people are scared at the idea of sharing their homes with spiders; not all types are dangerous. This is because there is a considerable amount of information about spider habits.
Moreso, one type is the Sylvana Jumping Spider, and it’s also part of the types of spiders in Missouri. There is not much information on this type, making it hard to identify it.
However, one thing that helps people avoid it is that they live under plants around the edges of fields. They are often out at night, too!
20. Dark Fishing Spider
This is one of the largest types of spiders in Missouri. It has a brown/dark brown body color with yellow lines running on the surface, up and down its abdomen. They also have dark legs, which are not hairy.
However, some people do not know what a spider is because they believe it is harmless. But this type of spider will bite its prey, leaving many individuals with painful bites that itch afterward. You can only treat these bites by applying cold water or ice.
21. Six-spotted Fishing Spider
Hunting and eating fish underwater, this spider lives near streams, ponds, ditches, marshes, ponds, or water gardens.
It can be found inside caves during the day and is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. This is the largest fishing spider found in North America.
Moreover, the upper side of the body is brown with dark spots that resemble a fishing net. It is usually light brown on the underside with white hairs on its head. And which forms stripes going down its body that look like a fishing rod.
However, this helps camouflage itself as it waits for prey at the water’s edge. Its diet consists mainly of small fish. But it will also eat tadpoles, frogs, and insects which fall into the water’s edge too close to its web.
22. American Nursery Web Spider
It is one of the types of spiders in Missouri; This species is also known as the daddy’s long legs because its long slender legs give it a resemblance.
American Nursery Web Spiders typically feed on pest insects, including flies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, stinkbugs, leaf-hoppers, ichneumon wasps, and bees.
Moreso, they prefer to build webs close to ground level on plants or fence posts. That is, where they can wait for an unsuspecting insect to walk by. When prey becomes entangled in the web, they will pounce on it and bite it in order to paralyze it.
23. Golden Jumping Spider
A bright orange spider, approximately 2.5mm to 3.5mm long, is the Golden Jumping Spider, Paraphidippus aurantius.
They are usually found on vegetation or buildings during the spring and summer months. And it is one of the types of spiders in Missouri.
Nevertheless, they will occasionally wander indoors for brief periods if there is an abundance of food near doors or windows.
They pose no threat to humans other than startling people who are not expecting this small creature. However, this spider has very good eyesight, which helps it catch prey in various ways.
Which are: striking from a distance, weaving a web that entangles prey, or attracting insects with their bright coloration. And so that it can approach within striking range without alarming potential victims.
24. Bold Jumper
This jumping spider is usually under 1⁄2 inch in length and is also one of the types of spiders in Missouri. When it jumps, it appears as though its legs are attached. But they are held out away from their body by a system of membranes.
Moreover, Jumping spiders are predators who hunt other insects. Their jump makes it easier for them to catch their prey. That is when they don’t know where the insect will land.
Since jumping spiders can use both their sight and sense of touch to find prey that has landed anywhere. It will often make multiple jumps after the same victim before attempting to attack with its powerful front legs (chelicerae). Jumping spiders usually hide during the day, either under objects or within curled leaves or crevices.
25. Brilliant Jumper
Brilliant Jumpers (formerly called Golden Jumper) are one of the types of spiders in Missouri and a very distinctive species. These jumping spiders are about one inch long with vivid orange and black markings.
However, they have a characteristic way of holding their front two pairs of legs above their head. That is, as if they’re ready for combat, earning these spiders the nickname Swashbuckler. This can be seen on all fours or when at rest.
Therefore, if you see an individual Brilliant Jumper wandering across your window sills or hunting, then it’s likely a male.
Females will usually stay closer to their webs in the ground and vegetation. And waiting for an unsuspecting prey item to come close enough for capture.
26. Putnam’s Jumper
Female Phidippus Putnam is all shiny dark brown, with a black banded pattern on their abdomen. Male has an hourglass-shaped marking just below the thorax, but females don’t.
Females are between 5mm (about 1⁄4 inch) and 9mm (about 1⁄2 inch) long, and males about 3mm (1/8 inch).
Moreso, the female’s chelicerae, at the mouth end of her cephalothorax, is long and broad near the head. But they become quite slender near their tips. In fact, they look like straight slivers of sharp metal – hence the name.
27. Brown Recluse
Brown recluses are reclusive, so they are not usually seen but can be present under furniture, boards, or rocks. Their color can vary from tan to dark brown, and the color may help determine their habitat.
The dark brown ones prefer dark places like inside a building or near logs with leaves. Moreover, the lighter-colored ones prefer warmer climates with bushes.
Brown recluses can cause skin necrosis when bitten due to a type of toxin they produce. Painful blisters will form on the bitten area that may get infected if untreated.
Also, Brown recluses have hairs with sharp ends on them called spines. Which makes it difficult for other creatures like ants to drag the spider away from its hiding place. Because of the spines jutting out at all angles surrounding its body
28. Long Jawed Spider
It’s one of the types of spiders in Missouri that are commonly seen. Tetragnatha is often called the Long-Jawed Spider or the Garden Spider because it sits near the water’s edge.
Nevertheless, you may spot these either on the shoreline or right down by the water’s surface, where they find prey. With its many long legs, this type of spider is excellent at weaving webs.
Moreso, ranging from a few feet off ground level up to overhead near trees, posts, and other vegetation. The females can also create silk pillars that they use as protective overwintering structures during colder months.
29. Common House Spider
Common House Spiders are brown or black with thick, often woolly-looking legs. They are typically about the size of a grape. But their width ranges from about half an inch to almost an inch, with males generally smaller than females.
Moreso, the difference between male and female Common House Spiders are the front 3pairs of the six sets of legs. Male spiders have longer first pairs, and females have longer second pairs. Males also have more hair on their bodies than females.
Therefore, if you’re unsure about whether your spider is a Common House Spider, here’s how to tell for sure. First, place it down on its back and wait a few seconds for it to right itself. They are also part of the types of spiders in Missouri.
30. White-banded Crab Spider
The white-banded crab spider is one of the types of spiders in Missouri. And they have a leg span of 3/8 inches, while the female is typically larger than the male.
They have a cream-colored abdomen with multiple bright white lines running across it, hence their name.
However, females may also have brown marks on their dorsal side that look like tree bark. These spiders are found throughout America but not as common in the Northeast.
Moreso, white-banded crabs are prolific jumpers. Sometimes they will take up residence inside homes or buildings. And jump out at people or other large prey items wandering by.
Also, they live in hollow trees, brush piles, logs, and sometimes around outdoor lights at night. That is, where they can be seen from some distance away as females are often quite large relative to males.
31. American Green Crab Spider
It looks a lot like the classic banana spider due to its thick abdomen and furry back legs. They are not considered harmful, but it’s one of the types of spiders in Missouri. It will bite if provoked, but its venom is usually too mild for humans to feel any effects.
However, it has an egg sac that looks like a cotton ball. So this species can often be found indoors during the late fall. Females have been known to grow up to 2 inches long, with males only reaching about 1 inch.
Moreso, it’s most likely to be found outside on bushes or plants during the summer months. Which is where they will eat insects, including flies and mosquitoes.
32. Northern Crab Spider
Named for the dense bristles on its body, Mecaphesa asperata is one of the most commonly found species. Their bodies are long, slender, dark-colored, and flattened. Adults have a span length between 6mm-9mm.
However, females are more likely than males to be found on the exterior walls near doors or windows. Like many crab spiders, their mouth parts can capture prey insects that pass by.
They then walk over with the captured insect struggling in their jaws until they find a good place to ingest it.
33. Xysticus ferox spider
Xysticus ferox are part of the types of spiders in Missouri. It is also one of the smallest tarantulas found in North America. There are a variety of subspecies of Xysticus ferox, but generally, males have blue legs with black segments.
While females have dark legs with white joints. Males typically have small clubs on their fourth pairs of legs. And that is used for mating by tapping and rubbing against the female’s leg hairs.
Moreso, the Females, often die after producing their last batch of eggs because their lifespan is short. These tarantulas tend to be docile, so they shouldn’t be handled at all except when breeding season comes around. This type is native to the southwestern United States and north-central Mexico.
34. Featherlegged Orbweaver
Featherlegged Orbweavers are arachnids, a class of arthropods, and are one of the types of spiders in Missouri.
They spend their days sitting on or near the ground waiting for unsuspecting prey (such as beetles) to fly by. They are one of the few species that eat during the day.
However, to see what they’re up to, go out at dawn with a flashlight when it’s cool out. Insects will not be out because it’s too hot.
So you may be able to spot an orb weaver weaving its web about 15-20 feet off the ground. Between two trees or bushes, especially if there is a body of water nearby that attracts bugs from afar.
35. Elegant Crab Spider
Crab spider – The crab spider is typically found on flowers. And has two body parts that are covered with a fuzzy outer layer called pubescence. These spiders range from tan, brown, yellow, or light red.
Nevertheless, Crab spider bites produce a small wound due to their relatively large fangs, which are non-venomous. They bite both prey and humans without injecting venom into the bite site.
However, crab spider bites may be difficult to detect. Due to the lack of visible pain/bleeding from a single bite site. It can lead to some people being bitten twice (i.e., potentially infected by more than one spider)
36. Hourglass Spider
There are different types of spiders in Missouri. One type is the Synema parvulum, which was first found in 1887. This is a small spider about 1/4 inch long with a pale red hourglass shape on its abdomen or backside.
Moreso, the habitat for this spider typically includes fields or meadows that are located near water. These spiders usually build their webs above the water’s edge, but they can also be found inside shrubs.
Therefore, females will not only capture prey on their web. But they also feed on insects they find while out hunting for prey.
Also, they typically reside close to water sources like streams, lakes, or ponds. And which provide an abundance of insects and insects that serve as food.
37. Brown Widow Spider
In the Western Hemisphere, the Brown Widow spider is found from Mexico north into parts of Canada. The Brown Widow’s genus name, Latrodectus, comes from a Greek word meaning nocturnal, deadly biting. For this reason, they are sometimes called Brown Widows.
However, they are usually tan or dark brown in color and range between 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) to 1⁄2 inch (12mm) long. These spiders lay their eggs in a web that hangs at about 11⁄2 inches (4cm) above ground level.
Moreso, the females, have an hourglass pattern on their abdomens; the males do not have this pattern. They are often found hiding outdoors near low bushes where they may come into contact with people when gardening.
Conclusion
Spiders are often feared, but that’s usually because we don’t know much about them. Most spiders are harmless and play an important role in our ecosystems by helping control insect populations. Some have even become valuable research subjects.
Therefore, if you want to learn more about these common types of spiders in Missouri, these guides can help. That is, to identify them and understand what’s likely to attract them into your home or business.
