HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

Quick Guide to Spiders with Red/Dark Orange Coloring or Markings

Spiders with prominent red or orange abdominal markings - I'm adding orange here because these spiders can vary from orange to red.

Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae)

Widow Spiders (Latrodectus) - The black widow is probably the most infamous spider with red markings. There are 5 species found in the USA & Canada. All 5 species can be black & red in color though the brown widow is usually a light brown. The red hourglass (sometimes orange) is found on the ventral side of the abdomen. However, all species can also have orange (sometimes red) markings on the dorsal side of the abdomen.

Red Widow ♀

Brown Widow ♀

Western Black Widow ♀

Southern Black Widow ♀

Northern Black Widow ♀

Enoplognatha ovata ♂ ♀ ♀

Jumping Spiders

Red carapace & abdomen

Phidippus apacheanus

Phidippus cardinalis

Phidippus clarus ♀

Phidippus adumbratus ♀

Phidippus whitmani ♀

Phidippus whitmani ♂

Phidippus arizonensis ♀

Phidippus asotus ♂

Phidippus pius ♂

Phidippus regius ♀

Rhetenor texanus ♂

Sassacus cyaneus

Red abdomen or red abdominal markings

Phidippus borealis

Phidippus audax

Phidippus princeps

Phidippus pulcherrimus

Phidippus workmani

Phidippus clarus ♂

Phidippus carneus ♂

Phidippus phoenix ♀

Phidippus tyrrellii ♂

Phidippus cryptus ♂

Phidippus johnsoni ♂

Phidippus johnsoni ♀

Habronattus decorus

Phidippus adumbratus ♀

Antmimics and Ground Sac Spiders (Corinnidae)
Castianeira

Castianeira descripta

Castianeira floridana

Castianeira occidens

Castianeira thalia

Orbweavers

Spinybacked Orbweaver

Araniella displicata

Verrucosa arenata (male)

Araneus bivittatus

Araneus cingulatus

Araneus gadus

Araneus guttulatus

Araneus iviei

Araneus juniperi

Araneus marmoreus

Araneus miniatus

Araneus partitus

Araneus pegnia

Araneus pratensis

Araneus thaddeus

Araneus trifolium

Verrucosa arenata

Eriophora ravilla

Crab Spiders

Mecaphesa schlingeri

Mecaphesa ?

Diaea livens

Misumena vatia

Misumenoides formosipes

Spiders with an entire red abdomen

Misumenoides formosipes

Spiders with prominent red thoracic markings

Spiders with entire red carapace

Araniella displicata

Dysdera crocata

Castianeira amoena

Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders (Linyphiidae)

Pityohyphantes rubrofasciatus

Titanoeca

Kibramoa

Ground Spider

Lynx Spiders

Oxyopes scalaris ♀

Oxyopes aglossus ♂

Oxyopes salticus ♂

Spiders with red carapace & black eye region

Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders (Linyphiidae)

Ceraticelus sp.

Ceratinopsidis formosa

Florinda coccinea

Gonatium crassipalpum

Hypselistes florens

Styloctetor purpurescens

Walckenaeria auranticeps

XXXX

Glenognatha foxi

Hypsosinga

Spiders with only red legs (body another color)

Sphodros rufipes

Euophrys monadnock

Red eye region or chelicerae

Habronattus americanus ♂

Hentzia palmarum ♂

To ADD

Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 5 February, 2012 - 4:37pm
Last updated 1 July, 2018 - 9:42am

What Species of Spider?

I found this on my bananas, can anyone help me identify it? (I let it free after taking this photo)

… Snickerswo1f, 12 May, 2020 - 12:18pm

Black widow or not

Is this a black widow (or other possibly dangerous spider)? It doesn’t look like any of the spiders on this page. http://imgur.com/a/sSepAQD

… Anonymous_Person, 9 June, 2018 - 5:03pm

Not IDable

Too squashed. In the future please post ID Requests to the ID Request Page.

… Lynette Elliott, 30 June, 2018 - 1:04pm

Haven't been able to find out what this is

http://i.imgur.com/rAkxlia.jpg
The legs were a light red with thick barbs. The photo is large so I didn't include it in the post.

… uhhh, 6 August, 2015 - 11:52pm

Your spider is a male orbweaver

Your image is a bit overexposed. You can post it (or a better one - that's cropped) to ID Request for an ID. At this point I think it might be a male Araneus species. (harmless)

… Lynette Elliott, 7 August, 2015 - 9:26am

Another Castianeira species

C. thalia with the red color form like the one I found recently

… R. Berg, 17 May, 2013 - 10:49pm

Added

Thanks!

… Lynette Elliott, 18 May, 2013 - 9:23am

Habronattus decorus

Habronattus decorus has an iridescent abdomen that appears coppery, red, or pink.

… Ungoliant, 16 May, 2013 - 11:08am

Added

Thanks!

… Lynette Elliott, 16 May, 2013 - 9:05pm

Hi Letanius

Please delete your comment on this article and post your image to ID Request. Thanks!

… Lynette Elliott, 13 April, 2013 - 12:07pm

Not sure if it is just me...

...or maybe the picture but that spider looks plastic to me.

… Ron M., 14 April, 2013 - 5:57am

plastic

it's not just you.

… Lynette Elliott, 14 April, 2013 - 9:55am

Not anymore

… Ron M., 14 April, 2013 - 3:20pm

I believe

that would be Sinis fecit.

… Tim Turner, 14 April, 2013 - 10:04am

Male Verrucosa arenata

looks a lot different than the female, maybe worth adding.

… John R. Maxwell, 13 July, 2012 - 9:30am

Done

Thanks!

… Lynette Elliott, 13 July, 2012 - 9:41am

Red creeper

What about this one too?

… Eric Miller, 1 June, 2012 - 10:11pm

Juvenile Redback Spider

This looks like a juvenile redback spider to me.

… Sillykitty1998, 22 May, 2017 - 6:23am

How about

Enoplognatha?

… R. Berg, 16 February, 2012 - 10:35pm

Good one

Added!

… Lynette Elliott, 17 February, 2012 - 8:30am

Nice guide

I like the brown border around the photos.

… Brad Barnd, 6 February, 2012 - 10:48pm

Thanks Brad

That's all thanks to roar's mark-up article here.

… Lynette Elliott, 7 February, 2012 - 8:38am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version