Spiders

Two North American spiders are medically significant, and both are widely over-reported. Most recluse reports from outside the range are something else entirely.

Brown recluse

Six eyes arranged in three pairs forming a semicircle, rather than the eight eyes of nearly all other spiders.…

Identify and monitor first

Black widow

Mature females are glossy jet black with a red or orange hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen — v…

Identify and monitor first

Cellar spider

Extremely long, thin, fragile legs — up to five or six times the body length — with a small, pale, elongated b…

Prevention usually resolves this

Wolf spider

Eight eyes in three rows, with two very large forward-facing eyes that reflect light brightly under a torch. A…

Prevention usually resolves this

Hobo spider

Brown with a faint herringbone or chevron pattern along the abdomen, and uniformly coloured legs without disti…

Identify and monitor first

False widow

Glossy dark brown to purplish-black with a globular abdomen, closely resembling a black widow at a glance.…

Prevention usually resolves this

Reviewed by AgainstPest Editorial Team Last reviewed: 2026-08-17