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Almost all spiders are venomous
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- Almost all spiders are venomous; only two small families lack venom glands. The purpose of spider venom is to subdue the spider's prey, almost always insects. In brief, it's an insecticide. Spider venom does not exist to harm creatures, like humans, that are too large for spiders to eat, and in nearly all cases has little if any effect on humans.
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More than 43,000 different species of spiders are found in the world. Of these, only a small number are said to be dangerous, and less than 30 (less than one-tenth of one percent) have been responsible for human deaths.
- John P. Rafferty
- Yellow sac spider. (Cheiracanthium inclusum) The yellow sac spider doesn’t look particularly dangerous but is capable of delivering a nasty bite. These tiny spiders (0.5-1 cm) have many species that are found around the world in all continents except Antarctica.
- Wolf Spider. (Lycosidae) Wolf spiders are part of the Lycosidae family of spiders, found all around the world – even in the Arctic Circle. Most wolf spiders have a broad, hairy body that’s 2-3 centimeters long and stout legs that are about the same length as their body.
- Goliath Birdeater Tarantula. (Theraphosa blondi) The Goliath birdeater tarantula is found in northern South America, and is the largest spider in the world – by both weight (up to 175 grams) and body size (up to 13 centimeters).
- Camel Spider. (Solifugae) Found in all warm deserts and scrublands in all continents except Australia, the camel spider is not actually venomous. Nor is it a spider, but it is an arachnid that looks ferocious and is the stuff of legends.
- Brown recluse spider. As their name suggests, brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) have a shy nature and tend to hide away in dark, sheltered places.
- Hobo spider. Part of the family of spiders known as the funnel web spiders, the hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis, formerly Tegenaria agrestis) can be recognized by it's light to medium brown coloring and the multiple chevron patterns (v-shaped) on its abdomen pointing toward their head.
- Black widow spider. In the genus Latrodectus, the black widow is one of the most venomous spiders and is found on every continent except Antarctica. In North America, they're commonly found in southern Canada and in the northeastern United States.
- Brazilian wandering spider. Commonly referred to as armed spiders or banana spiders (as they tend to be found hiding within shipments of bananas), the Brazilian wandering spider is one that you'll definitely want to avoid.
- Sydney Funnel-web spider. The Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, native to Australia, is infamous for its potent venom and aggressive behavior, especially among males during mating season.
- Brazilian Wandering spider. The Brazilian wandering spider, Phoneutria spp., found in South and Central America, is known for its highly venomous bite and aggressive hunting behavior.
- Australian Redback spider. The Australian redback spider, Latrodectus hasselti, native to Australia, is akin to the black widow spider in characteristics, including the red marking on its abdomen (via Australian Museum).
- Black Widow spider. Renowned not only as a popular comic book character, the female black widow spider is oft-labeled as one of the most notorious and venomous spider species in North America.
May 15, 2023 · The deadliest spiders — or at least those most frequently cited as having caused death or serious injury to humans — are funnel-web spiders (Atrax), redback and black widow spiders...
- Joshua A. Krisch
Dec 18, 2023 · Of the 50,000 known spider species, around 200 spiders are more or less venomous to humans. Of these, only four genera are potentially lethal to humans. These are referred to as 'medically significant spiders' and include the following genera: Atrax , Latrodectus , Loxosceles , and Phoneutria .
Of around 50,000 spider species known, only about 25 (1/20 of 1%) have venom capable of causing illness in humans, to a greater or lesser extent. In any given locality you can expect to find from zero to (at most) three such species.
