This page lists 22 spiders.
2 are venomous by official accounts.
New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says: “All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” Official sources name the brown recluse (listed here as Brown Recluse Spider) and the black widow (listed here as Comb-footed Spider) as dangerous to people; they are marked venomous, with the source, and listed first. The other 20 spiders are marked “Not named as dangerous”. That does not make them harmless: do not handle spiders.
Not every species: no complete official list of New Mexico 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 New Mexico, in their own words:
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
What the sources say
Venom: “Venomous spiders found in the United States include the black widow and the brown recluse.” (CDC / NIOSH)
Venom: “Black widow venom is strong enough to cause serious illness, especially in children and the elderly.” (New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center)
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. 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.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
Size
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
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Tarantula
Tarantula
Aphonopelma behlei
Not named as dangerous
Venom
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Tarantula
Tarantula
Aphonopelma echina
Not named as dangerous
Venom
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
JFMAMJJASOND
55 records by month.
No confirmed photo of Tarantula
Tarantula
Aphonopelma jungi
Not named as dangerous
Venom
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Tarantula
Tarantula
Aphonopelma simulatum
Not named as dangerous
Venom
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Tarantula
Tarantula
Aphonopelma vogeli
Not named as dangerous
Venom
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
Spiders people confuse
Brown widow spider or Black widow (immature western black widow)?
A mature brown widow female looks very like an immature western black widow. Brown widow: large squarish black spots on the side stripes, hourglass with bottom half larger and rough edges, broken white marks on the front of the abdomen; the spiky egg sac is a much surer way to confirm the species.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When spiders are active in New Mexico
Records of spiders in New Mexico peak in June to October. They show when people record spiders, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
875 records of spiders in New Mexico 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.
Official advice from New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center:
Yes. The NM Poison Center describes black widow venom as strong enough to cause serious illness. BISON-M lists Latrodectus hesperus as NM: Extant. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center
“Black widow venom is strong enough to cause serious illness, especially in children and the elderly.”
Are there brown recluse spiders in New Mexico?
BISON-M lists Loxosceles reclusa as NM: Extant. Its booklet says it was probably introduced into Bernalillo County and shows records from Bernalillo, Lea and Roosevelt counties. BISON-M
“NEW MEXICO This species was probably introduced into Bernalillo Co. (Richman, 1999)”
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Sources
Living With Wildlife. New Mexico Department of Wildlife (formerly New Mexico Department of Game and Fish). page modified 2026-10-26; checked November 3, 2026.
Bites and Stings. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center (UNM Health Sciences; New Mexico's poison-control program). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (3)
“All spiders produce venom, a poisonous substance that is injected when a spider bites.”
“Black widow venom is strong enough to cause serious illness, especially in children and the elderly.”
“If you think that you have been stung by a scorpion, call 1-800-222-1222 immediately for first aid advice.”
Venomous Spiders at Work. CDC / NIOSH. archived copy, captured October 6, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Venomous spiders found in the United States include the black widow and the brown recluse.”
.jpg){kind=link}
