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Dangerous spiders: Where they are found and what they look like

Dangerous spiders: Where they are found and what they look like
Where they are found in the world Common name/species name What they look like Where they live
Widows
Southeastern United States (Maryland, Southern Ohio and lower states) Southern black widow
L. mactans
Shiny black spider with some form of red on body

Clutter around homes, gardens, sheds, garages

Rarely indoors
Western half of the United States from Canada to Mexico Western black widow
L. hesperus

New Zealand (coastal areas)

Australia (coastal areas)

Japan (Osaka prefecture)
Australian red back
L. hasselti
Shiny black body with red stripe on back
South America L. curacaviensis  
Mediterranean Black hag, black wolf
L. tredecimguttatus
13 red dots on back of body, no red hourglass
Worldwide and in United States (from South Carolina to Texas and California)

Brown widow

L. geometricus

(can bite humans, but mild)

White stripes on a tan body with orange hourglass. Can vary a lot in color, from cream to almost black.  
False black widows

United States: Pacific coast and Colorado

Canada: British Columbia

Australia

False black widow

S. grossa

Similar shape to widows

Chocolate brown color with tan stripes or markings on body

DO NOT have red markings

Clutter around homes

Also indoors (in cupboards and other dark, quiet places)

Europe

S. paykulliana

S. grossa
Recluses
United States: Mid-west and Southern states extending westward Brown recluse
L. reclusa

Ordinary-looking brown spiders

3 pairs of eyes (6 total)

Body and legs are the same color

Legs have very fine hairs

Mostly inside homes: attics, basements, cupboards

Outdoors: in rock piles and under tree bark, NOT in live plants
Worldwide inside buildings Mediterranean recluse
L. rufescens
South America (Brazil, Chile, others)

Chilean recluse

L. laeta

L. intermedia

L. gaucho
Isolated reports in South Africa, Australia
Phoneutria
South America

Brazilian wandering spider

P. nigriventer

P. keyserlingi

P. fera

Large (almost 4-inch [95 millimeter] leg span)

Very hairy

Might hide under household items during the day

Found in cities in piles of clutter, trees and other plants, or garbage
Australian funnel web
Australia: Southeastern coastal regions (including Sydney and Brisbane)

Australian funnel web spider

Atrax robustus

5 species of Hadronyche

Large spider (1-inch [25 millimeter] body)

Shiny black body
Moist areas, such as basements
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