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Rhode Island Spiders: Identification, Pictures & Which Bite

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

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

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

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

All 2 spiders

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

No confirmed photo of Black Widow

Black Widow

Latrodectus (genus; species not stated)

Venomous per CDC / NIOSH

Danger to people
“La mordedura de cualquiera de estas arañas se considera venenosa, pero el encontrarse con ambas arañas es raro en Nueva Inglaterra.” Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center
What the sources say

Venom: “Black widows and brown recluses are two types of venomous spiders in the United States.” (CDC / NIOSH)

Brown Recluse
Photo: Meghan Cassidy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized

Brown Recluse

Loxosceles reclusa

Venomous per CDC / NIOSH

Danger to people
“La mordedura de cualquiera de estas arañas se considera venenosa, pero el encontrarse con ambas arañas es raro en Nueva Inglaterra.” Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center
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
What the sources say

Venom: “Black widows and brown recluses are two types of venomous spiders in the United States.” (CDC / NIOSH)

Full Brown Recluse guide

When spiders are active in Rhode Island

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

160 records of spiders in Rhode Island 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.

What official sources say

Are there black widows in Rhode Island?

Yes. The Connecticut Poison Control Center (UConn Health) names Rhode Island in the black widow range and says true sightings or bites are uncommon in New England. Connecticut Poison Control Center, UConn Health

“Black widows may be found in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the southern parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.”

Are there brown recluse spiders in Rhode Island?

The MA & RI Poison Center includes Rhode Island in its range and says encounters are rare; the Connecticut Poison Control Center says it is not native to any New England state. Connecticut Poison Control Center, UConn Health

“The brown recluse is not native to any of the New England States.”

About this list

The species list comes from No official Rhode Island spider checklist. Entries from the MA & RI Poison Center, Connecticut Poison Control Center and CDC/NIOSH (Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center, Undated page; retrieved 2026-11-03). 1 more entry comes 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. Learn about RI wildlife. Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured June 8, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Peligros en el Aire Libre (Outdoor Hazards; Spanish-language page). Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “La mordedura de cualquiera de estas arañas se considera venenosa, pero el encontrarse con ambas arañas es raro en Nueva Inglaterra.”
  3. Brown Recluse and Black Widow Spiders. Connecticut Poison Control Center, UConn Health. Page modified 2022-12-09; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Black widows may be found in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the southern parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.”
    “The brown recluse is not native to any of the New England States.”
  4. Venomous Spiders at Work. CDC / NIOSH. archived copy, captured October 13, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Black widows and brown recluses are two types of venomous spiders in the United States.”
  5. 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.