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Oregon Spiders: Identification, Pictures & Which Bite

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

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

This page lists 6 spiders. 2 are venomous by official accounts.

Not every species: no complete official list of Oregon 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 Oregon, in their own words:

All 6 spiders

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

False black widow
Photo: Ken Kneidel · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

False black widow

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 Giant house spider

Giant house spider

Eratigena duellica

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

Hobo spider

Eratigena agrestis

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.
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

Full Hobo spider guide

No confirmed photo of Yellow sac spider

Yellow sac spider

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.

When spiders are active in Oregon

Records of spiders in Oregon peak in May to September. They show when people record spiders, not how many there are (about month bars).

2,370 records of spiders in Oregon 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 Douglas County Master Gardeners:

How to report

Invasive species sightings: Oregon Invasives Hotline, oregoninvasiveshotline.org or 1-866-INVADER; wildlife conflicts: local ODFW office (ODFW main phone 503-947-6000) Oregon Invasives Hotline

What official sources say

Are there brown recluse spiders in Oregon?

No. OSU Extension experts say no recluse spiders (Loxosceles) live in Oregon; the Oregon Poison Center says brown recluses are not present on the U.S. Pacific Coast. Ask Extension (eXtension) answered by Oregon State University Extension

“Fortunately for us, there are no brown recluse or other recluse spiders (Loxosceles species) in Oregon.”

Are there black widow spiders in Oregon?

Yes. The western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) lives in Oregon and is the most common venomous spider (OSU Extension Master Gardeners, Douglas County). Douglas County Master Gardeners

“The Western Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus, is the species we have in Oregon.”

About this list

The species list comes from No official list: medically significant and commonly asked species from official sources (Oregon Poison Center; OSU Extension) (Oregon Poison Center, Oregon Health & Science University (poison-control program serving Oregon), undated page (footer © 2001-2026 OHSU); as of retrieval 2026-11-03). 4 more entries come 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. Wildlife Viewing. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Bites & Stings. Oregon Poison Center, Oregon Health & Science University (poison-control program serving Oregon). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Widow spider envenomation may lead to symptoms that include painful muscle spasms, abdominal pain, and sweating.”
  3. Spiders! (Ask a Master Gardener column on black widow spiders), Janet Bitter. Douglas County Master Gardeners (trained volunteers of the OSU Extension Service, Douglas County). PDF created 2022-11-13; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (3)
    “…focusing on the black widow spider, the most common ven-omous spider in our area.”
    “…anyone who believes they’ve been bitten by a black widow should immediately seek medical attention.”
    “The Western Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus, is the species we have in Oregon.”
  4. Brown recluse?? #868568 (Ask Extension, Multnomah County Oregon; expert response by Bill Gerth). Ask Extension (eXtension) answered by Oregon State University Extension. asked May 15, 2024; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Fortunately for us, there are no brown recluse or other recluse spiders (Loxosceles species) in Oregon.”
  5. Common Spiders Found in Central Oregon (collection). Oregon State University Extension Service. Jul 2018; checked November 3, 2026.
  6. Oregon Invasives Hotline. Oregon Invasives Hotline (Oregon Invasive Species Council; "Maintained by Oregon State University"). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Report potential invasive species you've found to the Online Hotline. Your submission will provide vital early detection information to the experts working to stop the next invasion before it starts!”
  7. 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.