This page lists 12 spiders.
4 are venomous by official accounts, and 1 mildly venomous. 1 is nonnative.
Not every species: no complete official list of Arkansas 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 Arkansas, in their own words:
Poisonous per Extension. “Human reactions to bites can vary from minor temporary irritation to severe systemic conditions that occasionally result in death.” University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
“Human reactions to bites can vary from minor temporary irritation to severe systemic conditions that occasionally result in death.” University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
Size
Body about 7 to 12 mm (about 3/8 inch); females average about 9 mm and males about 8 mm. UC IPM says a recluse body is not more than 3/8 inch long.
How to recognize it
Six equal-sized eyes in three pairs. UC IPM calls this the most definitive feature, since most spiders have eight eyes.
The violin mark alone is not a reliable way to identify it
UC IPM's five-point check: six eyes in pairs, evenly colored finely haired abdomen, no spines on the legs, evenly colored legs, body no more than 3/8 inch
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37 records by month.What the sources say
Venom: “In Arkansas, two spiders are poisonous. They are the black widow and the brown recluse spiders.” (University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service)
Habitat: Urban and rural settings (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum)
Venom: “Although it has not been studied as thoroughly as the brown recluse, it should be regarded as venomous and dangerous.” (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum)
Venom: “In Arkansas, two spiders are poisonous. They are the black widow and the brown recluse spiders.” (University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service)
Venom: “In Arkansas, two spiders are poisonous. They are the black widow and the brown recluse spiders.” (University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service)
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
Females 3/4 to 1 inch long, not counting legs (Missouri); 19 to 28 mm (Penn State); Texas A&M says the female body is more than 1 inch. Males about 1/4 inch (Missouri); 5 to 8 mm (Penn State).
How to recognize it
Round web about 2 feet across, built only by females; the spider rests head-down at the center, where a zigzag silk band (stabilimentum) runs vertically.
Abdomen an elongated oval, pointed at the rear, with two humps (shoulders) at the front.
Males are much smaller than females and rarely noticed.
Records of spiders in Arkansas peak in May to June and August to October. They show when people record spiders, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
1,381 records of spiders in Arkansas by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).
Yes. They occur throughout most of the state but are apparently absent from the Mississippi delta region. The museum says bites are not considered particularly dangerous. University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
“In Arkansas, these spiders occur throughout most of the state, but they are apparently absent from the Mississippi delta region.”
“Human reactions to bites can vary from minor temporary irritation to severe systemic conditions that occasionally result in death.”
“Although it has not been studied as thoroughly as the brown recluse, it should be regarded as venomous and dangerous.”
“…it should be regarded as venomous and dangerous.”
“Arkansas is at the center of the species’ natural distribution”
Tarantula (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“In Arkansas, these spiders occur throughout most of the state, but they are apparently absent from the Mississippi delta region.”
Trapdoor spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
Agrarian sac spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“The venom has mild and local cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects.”
Bold jumping spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
Dark fishing spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
Yellow garden spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
Common house spider (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
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