Search Results - Field Guide

Showing 1 - 10 of 13 results
Photo of a cellar spider in her cobweb with egg sac
Cellar Spiders
Pholcus, Psilochorus, and others in the Pholcid family
Cellar spiders look wispy with their incredibly long, thin legs and habit of bouncing rapidly in their cobwebs when disturbed, which turns them into a blur. Some species are very common in homes.
Photo of a nursery web spider on a plant
Nursery Web Spiders
Pisaurina spp.
Nursery web spiders build silken tents in plants to protect their egg sacs, then stand guard until the hatchlings are ready to disperse. Large and velvety, nursery web spiders have long legs and variable color patterns.
Photo of a common house spider, egg sac, and web
Common House Spider
Parasteatoda tepidariorum (syn. Achaeranea tepidariorum)
You probably have at least a few common house spiders in your garage. Take heart: they are harmless and they eat many pest insects.
Photo of a Xysticus crab spider, tan individual
Ground Crab Spiders
Xysticus spp.
Missouri has several species of ground crab spiders in the genus Xysticus. They are usually dull gray or brown with brown, white, or yellow markings. They typically live under bark or on the ground in leaf litter.
Photo of a spotted orbweaver or barn spider, Neoscona crucifera, with black background
Barn Spider
Neoscona crucifera
A widespread species, the barn spider commonly builds its webs in woods and on the eaves of barns, houses, and similar structures.
Photo of wolf spider with young
Wolf Spiders
Nearly 250 species in North America north of Mexico
A wolf spider doesn't spin webs to catch its prey — it runs it down like a wolf! Spiders in this family have long legs and are usually gray, brown, black, or tan with dark brown or black body markings (especially stripes).
Closeup of brown recluse spider on floor.
Brown Recluse (Violin Spider)
Loxosceles reclusa
The brown recluse is a spider whose venomous bite may be medically significant to humans, though a bite is almost never fatal. Brown recluses are most commonly encountered in houses, where they occupy little-used drawers, closets, and other small hiding spaces.
Marbled orbweaver spider in web
Angulate and Roundshouldered Orbweavers
Araneus spp.
Missouri's Araneus spiders, called angulate and roundshouldered orbweavers, can be hard to identify to species. Most have camouflage patterns, and they all make characteristic, delicate, wheel-shaped webs to catch prey.
Photo of a trashline orbweaver, closeup
Trashline Orbweavers
Cyclosa conica and C. turbinata
Trashline orbweavers decorate their small, circular webs with an unimpressive line of insect husks and other debris. The small orbweaver rests at the hub within this line of garbage, looking like just another bit of trash.
Photo of a spotted orbweaver or barn spider, Neoscona crucifera, with black background
Spotted Orbweavers
Neoscona spp.
Missouri's Neoscona spiders, called spotted orbweavers, can be hard to identify to species. Most have camouflage patterns, and they all make the characteristic, delicate, wheel-shaped webs to catch prey.