UF/IFAS Extension: There are over 250 species of spiders found in Florida
This page lists 11 spiders.
4 are venomous by official accounts.
Not every species: no complete official list of Florida 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 Florida, in their own words:
Adult female body about 8-12 mm (0.3-0.5 in); UC IPM gives about 3/8 in (10 mm), smaller than a mature western black widow. Clemson (2003) gives 1 to 1 1/2 in with legs extended. Males are tiny, 2-5 mm.
How to recognize it
Spiky egg sac (covered in silk points, like a pollen grain or sandspur; about 10 mm per LSU AgCenter, 1/2 in per Clemson 2003) is diagnostic even without the spider
Egg sac surface: blunt silken spikes, about 10 mm
Egg sac described by UC IPM
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151 records by month.What the sources say
Venom: “The only spiders native to or established in Florida with medically significant venom are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Venom: “The only spiders native to or established in Florida with medically significant venom are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Venom: “The only spiders native to or established in Florida with medically significant venom are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Venom: “The only spiders native to or established in Florida with medically significant venom are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
Female body 24 to 40 mm (about 1 to 1.6 in) (UF/IFAS); Clemson gives an average female body length of 1½ to 2 inches. Males are much smaller: about 6 mm on average (UF/IFAS).
How to recognize it
Hairy "bottlebrush" tufts on some leg segments, which tell it apart from other big yellow orb weavers, including the Joro spider.
White cephalothorax (head and leg section).
Abdomen yellow-orange with two rows of silvery white spots; legs yellow-orange with brown bands and black tufts near the joints of the 1st, 2nd and 4th pairs.
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
Females about 5 to nearly 9 mm (3/16 to 1/3 inch) long but wider than long, 10 to 13 mm (3/8 to 1/2 inch) wide. Males are much smaller, 2 to 3 mm (1/16 to 1/8 inch) long.
How to recognize it
Female has six pointed spines on a hard, flattened, crab-like shell, which makes it easy to tell from other spiders
Sits at the center of a round orb web, staying on the web during the day; webs have conspicuous tufts of silk, mainly on the foundation lines
Males are tiny, gray with white spots, and lack the large spines (four or five small humps at the rear)
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.
Adult female black widows are usually shiny black with red markings; very dark brown widows are flat black. The brown widow hourglass is usually orange to yellow-orange, but do not rely on color alone: UF/IFAS shows a brown widow with a red hourglass, Clemson says usually orange or red-orange, and black widow markings vary (northern black widows have two red spots; a western black widow's red can be almost imperceptible or absent). Brown widow egg sacs are spiky; Clemson (2003) and UF/IFAS Sarasota describe black widow sacs as smooth, and Clemson (2026) says the southern black widow's sac has a single small point.
Argiope garden spiders differ in abdominal color pattern and have no tufts of hair on the legs. UF/IFAS Extension
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When spiders are active in Florida
Records of spiders in Florida peak in March to September. They show when people record spiders, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
9,397 records of spiders in Florida 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 nonnative animals to the FWC Invasive Species Hotline 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681); FWC asks the public to call the Hotline for high-priority species: all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards and tegus. Other nonnative species can be reported via the IveGot1 app or IveGot1.org. Alligator or crocodile concerns: 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). FWC
Not established. UF/IFAS: no scientific evidence that any recluse spider is established in Florida; there have been occasional interceptions. UF/IFAS Extension
“There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that any recluse spider is established in Florida”
About this list
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
“There are over 250 species of spiders found in Florida”
“The only spiders native to or established in Florida with medically significant venom are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.).”
“Widow spiders have medically significant venom, meaning people may require medical care if bitten”
“There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that any recluse spider is established in Florida”
“The abdominal color patterns of Argiope spp.”
“The abdominal color patterns of Argiope spp. and the lack of tufts of hair on the legs easily distinguishes them from the golden silk orb weavers”
Report Nonnative Species. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured October 25, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.Archived copy. Quoted passages (1)
“You can call the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681) to report nonnative animals. We ask the public to call the Hotline to report high priority species, which include all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards, and tegus.”
