This page lists 14 spiders: all from NYSDEC, text by Cornell University Department of Entomology, reprinted from New York State Conservationist's DEC common spiders brochure, reprinted from New York State Conservationist, June 2007.
3 are venomous by official accounts.
Not every species: no complete official list of New York 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 York, in their own words:
Official sources name the brown recluse in connection with New York, but none we use says it lives there. It is not counted on this page; each entry quotes the source.
Venom: “The venomous black widow spider with its shiny, black abdomen and red hour-glass design is a cobweb spider, but is extremely rare in New York.” (NYSDEC, text by Cornell University Department of Entomology, reprinted from New York State Conservationist)
Venom: “Two species of small, pale, yellow spiders, called yellow sac spiders Cheiracanthium mildei (pictured here) and C. inclusum, are the only spiders in New York that are moderately poisonous to humans. They have necrotic venom” (NYSDEC, text by Cornell University Department of Entomology, reprinted from New York State Conservationist)
Venom: “Two species of small, pale, yellow spiders, called yellow sac spiders Cheiracanthium mildei (pictured here) and C. inclusum, are the only spiders in New York that are moderately poisonous to humans. They have necrotic venom” (NYSDEC, text by Cornell University Department of Entomology, reprinted from New York State Conservationist)
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.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Sources
Amphibians and Reptiles. NYSDEC. archived copy, captured May 22, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Common spiders brochure (11 species and groups). NYSDEC, text by Cornell University Department of Entomology, reprinted from New York State Conservationist. June 2007; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (5)
“Two species of small, pale, yellow spiders, called yellow sac spiders Cheiracanthium mildei (pictured here) and C. inclusum, are the only spiders in New York that are moderately poisonous to humans. They have necrotic venom”
“The venomous black widow spider with its shiny, black abdomen and red hour-glass design is a cobweb spider, but is extremely rare in New York.”
“They have necrotic venom that causes itchy or painful ulcerating sores that are slow to heal.”
“In New York, bites attributed to brown recluse spiders are almost certainly from yellow sac spiders.”
“In New York’s northern climate, spiders typically live only one year.”
Spider FAQs One Two Three. New York State Integrated Pest Management, Cornell University. March 10, 2016; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“Only one species that could make us really sick lives in the Northeast: the black widow spider, and it’s rare in New York.”
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