Different Species of Spiders

The different species of spiders can be categorized into two types: Poisonous and Non-poisonous types.

Poisonous Types of Spider

The poisonous types of Spider are as follows:

• Western Black Widow Spider: These spiders are highly venomous and found in the Western regions of North America. The females are about ½ inch in length and black. An hourglass-shaped red or yellow and in rare cases, white mark is present on the lower abdomen. The males are almost half the length of females and are generally tan-colored with light strips on the abdomen.
• Mexican Pink Tarantula: This tarantula is endemic to Mexico and is the rarest species of the genus Brachypelma. This species has black tarsi, orange-yellow metatarsi, tibias and patellas, black femora and coxae, and orange-yellow hairs on the opisthosoma, setae have a uniformly rusty appearance and the carapace is black.
• Brown Recluse Spider: This highly dangerous species of spider is found in North America. They are usually 0.24 – 0.79 inches in length and the color varies from whitish to dark brown or blackish grey. The cephalothorax and abdomen may have different colors. Violin-like markings are present on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax. Therefore, these spiders are also called fiddleback spiders, brown fiddlers, or violin spiders.
• Brazilian wandering Spider: This species of spider is widely found on banana plants and therefore, they are also called banana spiders. The venom of this spider affects the central nervous system of prey. They are mainly distributed in northern South America. These spiders have long legs about 5 to 7 inches in length while their body length varies from 17 to 48 mm.

Non-poisonous Types of Spiders

The non-poisonous types of Spiders are as follows:

• Grass Cross Spider: These colorful spiders are widely distributed from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and are also found in Australia. The females have yellow cephalothorax with black eye margins. The abdomen is oblong-shaped with a black and silvery-white and yellow dorsal pattern. Irregular brown patches are present from the median to the posterior side of the abdomen.
• Daddy Longlegs Spider: They are distributed widely all over the world except Antarctica. They have a thin and delicate peanut-shaped body approximately about 0.08 – 0.39 inches in length. The legs are long about 1.97 inches.
• American house Spider: This spider is also called the common house spider and is found near human habitats. Their color varies from tan to nearly black and sometimes patterns of different shades on the body are also visible.
• Wolf Spiders: This species of spider is a robust and flexible hunter having excellent eyesight. They do not spin webs but live mostly alone and hunt alone. The body size (excluding legs) varies from 0.4 – 1.38 inches. They have three rows of eight eyes and the middle row has two very large eyes.
• Orb-Weaver Spiders: These spiders are generally found in gardens, fields, and forests. These large brightly coloured garden spiders are three-clawed and build spiral wheel-shaped flat webs with sticky spiral capture silk.

Scientific name of the spider is Araneae. The spider belongs to the largest order Araneae and ranks seventh in species diversity among all the orders under Class Arachnida. They are characterized by eight legs, silk-producing glands, and fangs for injecting venom into their prey. Spiders are predators, and they use their venom to subdue their prey. They are also known for their ability to spin silk, which they use to build webs and catch their prey.