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Alaska Spiders: Identification, Pictures & Which Bite

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which spiders can hurt you
  2. All 5 spiders
  3. When they are active
  4. If you are bitten or stung
  5. How to report
  6. About this list
  7. Sources

This page lists 5 spiders. 1 is venomous by official accounts.

Not every species: no complete official list of Alaska spiders exists, so this page covers the ones state and Extension sources name. How lists are built.

Which spiders can hurt you

Official sources single out these spiders in Alaska, in their own words:

All 5 spiders

Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.

Hobo spider
Photo: Adrian Tync · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Hobo spider

Tegenaria agrestis

Venomous per Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Program

Size
Body length: females 3/8 to 5/8 in (9.5 to 16.5 mm); males 9/32 to 9/16 in (7 to 13.5 mm). About 1 to 1 3/4 in including legs.
How to recognize it
  • No dark bands on the legs
  • Eight eyes in two rows of four
  • Cannot be identified by color alone; a sure ID needs a microscope and an expert
Where in Alaska
May inhabit the panhandle area of Alaska Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Program
What the sources say

Venom: “Bites may cause a small irritation to the skin, necrotic lesions to the skin, systemic disturbances, blood disorders, or even internal organ damage, depending on the amount of venom injected.” (Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Program)

Habitat: Hobo Spiders create funnel shaped webs in cracks or crevices, and are generally found near ground level. (Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Program)

Full Hobo spider guide

Crab spider
Photo: Bernie Paquette · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Crab spider

Misumena vatia

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
51 records by month.
No confirmed photo of Crab spiders

Crab spiders

Thomisidae (family)

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Orbweaver spiders

Orbweaver spiders

Araneidae (family)

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Wolf spiders

Wolf spiders

Lycosidae (family)

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say

Habitat: While usually found hunting on the ground, they will also climb trees and the sides of buildings looking for prey. (University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service)

When spiders are active in Alaska

Records of spiders in Alaska peak in June to August. They show when people record spiders, not how many there are (about month bars).

1,786 records of spiders in Alaska by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

If you are bitten or stung

Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.

How to report

Report invasive species to the ADF&G Invasive Species Hotline 1-877-INVASIV (1-877-468-2748) or [email protected]. Report dangerous wildlife encounters with the ADF&G wildlife encounter form (https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=reportwildlifeencounter.main). Alaska Department of Fish and Game

About this list

The species list comes from No official complete list; spiders named in Beneficial Arthropods of Alaska: Natural Enemies (UAF Cooperative Extension, PMC-10075) and Alaska Public Health Pest Control Manual, Category Eight (Alaska DEC, January 2020) (University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, Revised January 2023). 1 more entry comes from other official sources named on each card.

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

Sources

  1. Our Agency: Mission. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Beneficial Arthropods of Alaska: Natural Enemies (PMC-10075). University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. Revised January 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Alaska Public Health Pest Control Manual, Category Eight. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Program. January 2020; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Bites may cause a small irritation to the skin, necrotic lesions to the skin, systemic disturbances, blood disorders, or even internal organ damage, depending on the amount of venom injected.”
  4. How to Report an Invasive Species you saw in Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Call the Invasive Species Hotline: 1-877-INVASIV (1-877-468-2748)”
  5. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.