Brown spiders are a common sight in households, and they can be quite terrifying to encounter. Some species of brown house spiders have long, thin legs and a large, dark brown body, while others may have hairy, tarantula-like appearances. However, most of these spiders are harmless and are usually found in basements, attics, or outbuildings.
If you come across a brown spider indoors, it’s essential to identify the specific species to determine whether it poses any danger. While most brown and black spiders are harmless, there are a few that can be venomous and harmful. Therefore, it’s important to exercise caution when dealing with any spider.
One example of a brown spider to watch out for is the hairy spider, which may have black stripes on its legs and can leap when threatened. Another harmful brown spider is the one with white markings on its back and a large, round body. You may also come across a yellow and brown spider spinning an orb web in your yard.
Black widows are another type of tiny brown spider with a painful bite and messy webs. They resemble bigger brown spiders and are known to be venomous. It’s crucial to identify the diverse species of brown spiders that may be found in your home and differentiate a harmful spider from a harmless one by using descriptions and photos of brown-colored spiders.
Facts About Brown Spiders
When people hear about brown spiders, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the poisonous brown recluse spider. These spiders have a dark brown back and a light brown body, and while they are venomous, they tend to hide and avoid humans.
More commonly found in homes are harmless brown house spiders, such as the cupboard spider, American house spider, basement spider, and aggressive house spider. While they do bite, brown spiders are considered a nuisance pest rather than a serious threat. It’s important to remember that spiders belong to the class Arachnida, which includes all eight-legged spiders, and are not insects.
How to Identify Brown Spiders
Identifying a brown spider involves looking at its body structure, coloration, patterns, and leg size, as well as determining whether it has hair or not. Spiders’ cephalothorax, or head and thorax, can be distinguished from their abdomen. One way to distinguish spiders from insects is that they have eight legs instead of six and lack antennae and wings. While some spiders have four or eight eyes, others have up to twelve.
Another identification characteristic is the type of web that the spider weaves. For example, brown cellar spiders create irregular webs, while others, such as orb-weaving spiders, create intricate orb webs unique to their species. Spiders’ habitats and behaviors can also provide clues for identification purposes.
Types of Brown Spiders (With Pictures) – Identification Guide
To learn how to identify scurrying eight-legged arthropods, let’s take a look at some common brown spiders.
Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa)
The brown recluse spider is a venomous spider that has a distinct look, with a furry, oval light brown abdomen and eight legs. One of the identifying features of the brown recluse is the violin-shaped marking on the front of its light brown body. This spider has six eyes, which is unusual compared to other spiders that typically have eight or twelve eyes. The brown recluse spider can range in size from 0.24 to 0.8 inches (6 to 20 mm), and its spindly legs stretch out in a star formation compared to its body.
To prevent brown recluse spiders from entering your home, it’s important to seal all gaps and openings in your home’s foundation, use bug screens, and keep floors clean. Brown recluse spiders are commonly found in basements, cupboards, closets, attics, and boxes, so it’s important to wear gloves when handling items in these areas to avoid being bitten.
If you suspect a brown recluse spider bite, it’s important to seek medical attention right away. Symptoms of a brown recluse spider bite include pain, fever, localized redness, and swelling, which can be similar to the symptoms of a black widow spider bite.
To identify a brown spider, look for its yellowish-brown body and the violin-shaped dark brown marking on the rounded, extended front section. Brown recluse spiders have six eyes and long legs.
Brown House Spiders
Brown house spiders come in different shapes and sizes, with some having light brown bodies with black or dark brown markings, while others have a shiny bulbous abdomen and a purple brown color. They typically have extended legs and range in size from 0.2 to 0.4 inches (5 to 10 mm). These spiders can be identified by the following characteristics:
- They have eight legs and two distinct body sections, the cephalothorax and abdomen.
- They do not have wings or antennae, distinguishing them from insects.
- They may spin webs in different patterns, such as tangled webs or complex orb webs, depending on their species.
- They can be found in different parts of the house, including basements, closets, and cupboards.
- They are not typically aggressive and are considered more of a nuisance pest than a threat.
In homes, the American house spider, also known as cobweb spider, is commonly found. They have tan bodies with black or dark brown patterns and yellowish-brown legs. The mature females have a dark brown color, while the males have a less bulbous abdomen and are smaller in size than females.
Female and male cupboard spiders
The cupboard spider, also known as the false black widow, is a male house spider that is typically dark brown with light or white patterns on its body. Females have a blacker, more rounded body than their male counterparts. The legs of mature male cupboard spiders are often lighter in color than the legs of females.
The Southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis) is a common brown spider that is often found in southern states like Florida. It is primarily active at night and can be mistaken for the brown recluse due to its bulbous abdomen covered in fine hairs.
Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus)
The brown widow spider has distinct features that can help identify it, including its white and orange patterns and brown and black striped legs. Its body is dark brown with patterns, and it has long tan legs with black bands. Brown widows typically grow to be between 8 and 16 mm (0.3 and 0.6 in) long and are sometimes called brown button spiders, brown-black widow spiders, or geometric button spiders. One way to determine if you have brown widows is to look for their egg sacs, which resemble cream-colored spiky balls. To identify a brown widow spider, look for the hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of its body, which is similar to that of a black widow spider, and black stripes on its yellowish-brown legs.
Giant House Spider (Eratigena atrica)
The giant house spider is a common species of spider that has long, hairy legs and a dark-brown body with lighter patterns. It can be differentiated from other house spiders by its large size and long, fuzzy legs. With a leg span of 3 inches (75 mm) and a body length of up to 0.73 inches (18.5 mm), this spider is hard to miss.
One unique characteristic of the giant house spider is its two rows of eight eyes, which are closely set together and can be seen up close. Another distinguishing feature is the spider’s large and chaotic funnel web, which can be found in corners, behind cupboards, in basements, or attics.
Brown Spider Identification: The giant house spider can be identified by its long, hairy legs and dark-brown body with light markings.
Barn Funnel Weaver (Tegenaria domestica)
The front half of the barn funnel weaver’s brown body has two black stripes, with brown legs having faint streaks. Adult females reach a length of 0.3″ to 0.45″ (7.5 to 11.5 mm) and are sometimes known as house spiders. The funnel webs that the spider creates and its preference for dark, quiet areas earned it the common name.
Brown Spider Identification: The brown and black patterns on the house spider’s cephalothorax, flattened cephalothorax, and oval abdomen distinguish it. The legs of the spider are striped, and it is dark brown.
Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria)
The brown recluse spider (Heteropoda venatoria) has a large body and long legs, similar to the huntsman spider. The huntsman spider has eight legs that resemble crab legs and a light brown, hairy body. A huntsman spider has a 4-inch (100 mm) leg span and may reach up to 1 inch (25 mm). A way to distinguish a huntsman spider from a brown recluse is by noting the pairs of white and black spots on its thick, long hairy legs. Apart from the size difference, there are other differences between them.
Brown Spider Identification: The light to dark brown flattened body, spiny brown legs, and two rows of four black eyes on a huntsman spider can be used to identify it.
Wolf Spider (Lycosidae)
Rewritten: The wolf spider is a brown-colored spider with black stripes, a flattened head, and a round abdomen. One of the distinguishing features of this spider is its unique eyes. It has two large eyes on the top row and six smaller eyes on the bottom row. Wolf spiders can grow between 0.4″ to 1.4″ (10 mm) in size, and some brown wolf spiders may have white dots or spots on their backs. To identify a wolf spider, look for its black head with a brown stripe, brown body with black splotches, and long spiny legs.
Hobo Spider (Eratigena agrestis)
The hobo spider has a brownish color with blackish markings on the abdomen and lengthy straggly legs, similar to the wolf spider. However, it has a smaller head and body compared to the wolf spider. The spiders grow to be 0.55 inches (14 millimeters) long when light brown. What sets hobo spiders apart from other spiders in the family Agelenidae is the absence of colored bands on their light brown legs.
Brown Spider Identification: The hobo spider can be easily identified by its dark brown abdomen with black markings and brown legs with no colored bands. The middle of the abdomen may also have V-shaped patterns, faint stripes, or spots.
Jumping Spider (Salticidae)
The appearance of a brown tarantula or wolf spider with a hairy body and black markings can sometimes be confused with that of a jumping spider. However, the jumping spider can be identified by its eight eyes, with the middle pair being the largest. These spiders typically have a body length ranging from 0.4 inch (10 mm) to 1 inch (2.5 mm) and move slowly. Despite their slow pace, jumping spiders can jump quite high, especially when hunting for prey. The distinguishing characteristic of the tan jumping spider is its fuzzy brown body with black markings.
American Grass Spider (Agelenopsis)
The American grass spider has a light brown body with dark brown stripes and patterns, and long tan legs with orange-brown stripes. Its unique eye arrangement includes two eyes on the top and bottom rows, with four in the center. Depending on the species, these funnel weaving spiders can grow up to 0.78 inches (20 mm) in length. The American grass spider is known for its quick speed in scurrying away from people or capturing prey.
Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae)
The nursery web spider is a common type of spider found inside homes. It has a light tan, cigar-shaped body with dark brown stripes. The spider’s front four legs are held outstretched and close together, which is a distinguishing characteristic. Female nursery web spiders, which can be identified by their larger size, can grow up to 0.9 inches (23 mm) in length. The spider’s slender body, which is broader at the cephalothorax and tapers to a point, is another identifying feature. Additionally, the nursery web spider has eight eyes that are all the same size, which is unusual for spiders.
Parson Spider (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus)
The parson spider has crimson brown legs with a white stripe on its back. The reddish-brown and black legs, dark brown body, and star-like appearance of a parson spider are all identifying features. Parson spiders range in size from 0.4 to 0.8 inches (10 to 20 mm).
The parson spider’s body and legs have a shape that gives it its name. The dark brown and crimson spider resembles a popular 18th-century cravat. This venomous spider can be found in houses or beneath logs and rocks.
Brown Spider Identification: The bodies of parson spiders range from black to brown, with slender abdomens having a thick white band.
Cellar Spider (Pholcidae)
Cellar spiders are also known as daddy-long-legs spiders due to their long, thin legs and small brown bodies. Their bodies are peanut-shaped and grow up to 0.4 inches (10 mm) long, while their legs can reach up to 2 inches (50 mm) in length. These spiders can have six or eight eyes and are often found in messy webs in high corners, cellars, and attics. Other names for cellar spiders include vibrating spiders, skull spiders, and carpenter spiders.
Orb Weaver Spider (Araneidae)
There are several species of orb-weaver spiders that can be identified by their flattened, rounded brown bodies with black and white dots or specks. Their spiny bodies and fuzzy legs are other common features. These spiders are often found in gardens, where they spin sticky wheel-like silk webs to catch prey. Depending on the species, brown orb-weavers can grow to be between 0.78 inch (20 mm) to 1.18 inch (30 mm) long.
The circular webs they weave, their eight eyes, and their spiny legs are the most prominent features that can be used to identify brown orb-weaver spiders.
Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera crocata)
The woodlouse spider is characterized by its smooth, orange-brown or dark red head, chocolate brown abdomen, and transparent reddish-brown legs. It is most commonly found beneath logs. Unlike other spiders, woodlouse spiders do not have dots or other distinguishing characteristics, and they have a shiny brown appearance. They have six eyes and grow to be between 0.4″ and 0.6″ (11 mm), which is similar in size to the brown recluse spider. The woodlouse spider’s name is derived from its diet, which consists of pillbugs, slaters, woodlice, and sowbugs. Its unique features also include a lustrous look and six eyes in two rows of two on top and four on the bottom.
Striped Fishing Spider (Dolomedes scriptus)
The striped fishing spider (Dolomedes scriptus) is a large brown spider that has white bands on its head and abdomen, as well as light brown and black patterns on its back. It can often be found in homes near lakes or rivers. The spider has noticeable light bands around its spiny brown legs, as seen in photographs.
Adult female spiders can have a leg span of up to 2.3 inches (60 mm) and a body length of up to 1 inch (25 mm). The black fishing spider is commonly found near water. Fishing spiders, in general, are usually shy and will run away from humans. However, if they do bite, the effects are not typically worse than a bee sting. If you live near a lake or river, you may find striped fishing spiders in your home.
Brown Spider Identification: The large striped brown fishing spider has a back covered in dark brown and black patterns, a light stripe down its belly, and banded brown legs with black dots.