Most Georgia homes will only have three to four common spiders out of hundred species reported in the state.
While spiders are not liked by all, they are beneficial and feed on insects, spiders, and arthropods, which can reduce pests in your home and yard.
The most common 35 species of spider you may encounter in Georgia include:
Table of Contents
1. Yellow Garden Spider
Scientific name: Argiope aurantia.
Common name: yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider.
The yellow garden spider was first described in 1833 and is common in the United States.
It can be identified by its distinct yellow and black markings on the abdomen with an almost completely white cephalothorax.
The female is larger than the male and can grow to 1.10 inches (28mm) with males growing to around 0.35 inches (9mm) in body length.
They will bite if disturbed or provoked, but their venom is harmless to humans and is no worse than a bee sting.
They build webs in sunny fields, where they can remain hidden and protected.
They are often seen on the eaves of outbuildings and homes.
2. Joro Spider
Scientific name: Trichonephila clavata.
Common name: Joro spider.
Joro spiders are part of the golden orbweaver family and are native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. They were introduced to the United States and first recorded in 2015.
In 2019 they were moved to the Nephila genus.
They are colorful and large spiders with females growing larger than the male.
Females can reach up to 0.98 inches (2.5cm) in body length and males up to 0.39 inches (1cm) in body length.
Their leg span can measure up to four inches (10.16cm).
Females have blue and yellow banding on the legs with a red, yellow, and black abdomen with beautiful patterning.
Males are not attractive and tend to be plain brown.
3. Spinybacked Orbweaver
Scientific name: Gasteracantha cancriformis.
Common name: Spinybacked orbweaver.
Spinybacked orbweavers see females that are brightly colored with six spines on their shell-like abdomens. They are often confused with crab spiders due to their shape.
Males are considerably smaller than females and don’t have bright colors or spines.
They are widely distributed in both tropical and subtropical areas.
Their bites are harmless to humans, causing some pain, redness, and swelling.
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4. Twin-flagged Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Anasaitis canosa.
Common name: twin-flagged jumping spider.
Twin-flagged jumping spiders have what looks like a fifth pair of legs on their face, which helps the spider identify its environment.
They are mostly black and will have up to four white marks on the cephalothorax. The abdomen comes to a point at the tip with a white dash in the center. Legs are lighter in color with dark banding.
They are ambush predators and don’t rely on their webs to catch food. They are always moving and can be seen on the forest floor, on rocks, and on plants.
It’s not uncommon for them to wander into the home searching for food.
They are fast and able to jump great distances for their size which helps them escape threats, such as a human getting too close.
They also use their jumping abilities to capture prey, which they then drag back to their web, where they can eat in a safe place at their leisure.
5. Golden Silk Spider
Scientific name: Trichonephila clavipes.
Common name: golden silk orb-weaver, golden silk spider, banana spider.
Golden silk spiders are members of the orb-weaver family with females being one of the largest non-tarantula spiders in North America.
Females can grow up to 4cm in body length with distinct coloration.
Females have a silver to white cephalothorax with a long brown to orange abdomen with two rows of yellow to white spots. The color on the abdomen changes as the spider ages. Legs are dark yellow with brown banding.
Males are much smaller growing to 4mm in length with a slender abdomen and no bright colors. Males are uniform brown in body and leg color with a black band near the tibial segment.
6. Orchard Orbweaver
Scientific name: Leucauge venusta.
Common name: Orchard orbweaver.
Orchard orbweaver is a long-jawed orbweaver that is common in the United States and Canada.
They have leaf green legs with a spotted black and yellow thorax and silver with black and brown steaks on the upper half of the thorax.
Their abdomen has red, yellow, or orange spots near the back, which can vary in size.
7. Green Lynx Spider
Scientific name: Peucetia viridans.
Common name: green lynx spider.
The green lynx spider is a bright green spider usually found on green plants.
The female can reach 0.87 inches (22mm) in body length with males being smaller, trowing to around 0.47 inches (12mm) in body length.
They usually have a red patch right between the eyes, along with red spots on the body. They also have white hairs around the eyes.
Their abdomen has six chevrons pointing towards the front.
Legs are green to yellow with long black spines.
They tend to change color to green or plate allow with ed streaks during mating season, while gravid females are able to change their color over a period of a week or two to blend in with their environment.
They seldom bite, but if they do, you can experience some pain and swelling in the bite area.
8. Spotted Orbweaver
Scientific name: Neoscona crucifera.
Common name: Hentz orbweaver, spotted orbweaver, barn spider.
This spider belongs to the orb weaver family that is able to create webs of up to two feet in diameter.
They spend their day hidden on the edge of their webs.
They vary in color with some being tan, others yellow to brown and some are orange to red.
They have bristles on their thorax, head, legs, and abdomens.
These spiders are mostly found in fields, parks, backyards, and gardens. They are nocturnal and are very seldom seen during the day.
9. Magnolia Green Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Lyssomanes viridis.
Common name: magnolia green jumper.
The magnolia green jumping spider is a small and bright spider that is not the same as other jumping spiders.
It is not furry and it has slender and long legs, though it is still able to jump incredible distances based on its size.
Females are larger than males, both are green in body color with black dots on the abdomen and they are covered in short hairs.
They are mostly observed in magnolia trees, but sometimes they live in oak, maple, pine, and other trees where there is an abundance of insects.
10. Tan Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Platycryptus undatus.
Common name: tan jumping spider.
Tan jumping spiders ambush their prey rather than creating webs.
They are fast and jump great distances for their size, sometimes up to five times their body length.
They are ambush predators, pouncing on their prey, using a single silk thread to ensnare the prey and reduce the risk of it escaping.
These small and hairy spiders are not dangerous to humans and tend to be rather curious, often happy to climb over your hand and fingers.
They will bite if you handle them roughly.
11. Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver
Scientific name: Neoscona domiciliorum.
Common name: spotted orbweaver, redfemured spotted orbweaver.
Red-femured spotted orbweavers have bright yellow or white markings on the back of their abdomen. Their undersides are dark with four white spots and red at the tip.
Females are almost double the size of males growing up to 063 inches (16mm) in body length with males growing to 0.31 inches (8mm) in body length.
They prefer woodland habitats and are nocturnal, seldom seen during the day.
They sometimes can be found under the eaves of homes and outbuildings.
12. Southern House Spider
Scientific name: Kukulcania hibernalis (formerly Filistata hibernalis).
Common name: Southern house spider.
It’s not uncommon to confuse the southern house spider with the brown recluse spider, due to their similar coloration and body shape.
The southern house spider does not have the violin shape on their heads and they do not have toxic venom.
They will bite if provoked, which can cause pain, redness, and swelling.
The males are large and wanderers. They are fast-moving, which can give you a fright due to their speed and size.
Males have spindly legs, where females have thicker legs. Females remain in their webs and seldom wander.
If you see a southern house spider wandering around the home, then chances are it’s a male searching for prey or a mate.
13. Common House Spider
Scientific name: Parasteatoda tepidariorum.
Common name: common house spider, American house spider.
Common house spiders are the spiders that create your classic cobweb, that is used for Halloween decorations. They are what creates messy webs in attics and on windows. In some cases, multiple females have their webs close to each other.
They are comb-footed spiders with long and skinny legs covered in comb-like hairs.
They have the ability to remain still for extended periods, avoiding being noticed by prey and humans.
Their bulb-like abdomens are brown with white and dark lines and patches.
They are small and very rarely bother humans in the home.
They are not aggressive and will likely play dead if threatened.
14. Arrowhead Orbweaver
Scientific name: Verrucosa arenata.
Common name: triangle orb weaver, arrowhead spider, arrowhead orbweaver.
Arrowhead orbweavers have an unusual abdomen shape that looks like the tip of an arrow with a white or yellow triangle stamped on the top. Their body color is brown to red, though shades can vary.
They prefer creating their webs in shady areas of forests where they sit head up in their web.
They are mostly active in mid to late summer and are common in wooded forests.
15. Mabel Orchard Orbweaver
Scientific name: Leucauge argyrobapta.
Common name: Mabel’s orchard orb weaver.
Mabel orchard orbweavers are members of the low jawed orb weaver family.
They have oval-shaped bodies with a red to orange triangular marking on the underside of their abdomens.
Females can grow up to 7.5mm with males being on the smaller side, growing to 4mm in body length.
They have green to green/black legs with black banding and a tan cephalothorax. The abdomen is silver to white with a dark stripe down the middle of the back.
16. Marbled Orbweaver
Scientific name: Araneus marmoreus.
Common name: marbled orbweaver, pumpkin spider.
Marbled orbweavers have a unique marble pattern on their abdomens with orange heads and upper legs with black and white banding, which can be seen on the lower legs.
They are stunning spiders with some having yellow and orange on their abdomens, others have black and white and then there are those that are yellow, orange, and black.
They prefer wooded areas near water, such as streams, ponds, marshes, rivers, and creeks.
Females are double the size of males.
They are mostly active in summer and fall and will drop to the ground and run away if they sense danger. They prefer to stay hidden than bite.
17. Long-bodied Cellar Spider
Scientific name: Pholcus phalangioides.
Common name: daddy long-legs spider, long-bodied cellar spider, skull spider.
Long-bodied cellar spiders have elongated abdomens in a tubular shape. They are often referred to as skull spiders or Daddy Long Legs.
They have the ability to bounce in their webs, which gives them a blurred appearance, making it harder to be seen by insects and humans.
They hang upside down in their webs.
Their mouths are tiny and their fangs are too short to insect any venom into humans.
18. Rabid Wolf Spider
Scientific name: Rabidosa rabida.
Common name: rabid wolf spider.
Rabid wolf spiders are fast-moving and erratic, which makes them look crazed, which is how they got their name.
Do not worry, they do not carry Rabies and are completely harmless to humans.
They are aggressive and will pretend to challenge you or your pets, but they will only bite if they have no other choice. Bites are painful, but not medically significant and can be managed at home with a cold compress to reduce redness and swelling.
They are light brown in color with two dark lines down the side of the head. They have a dark center line on their abdomen with two thinner lines on the sides.
19. Spined Micrathena
Scientific name: Micrathena gracilis.
Common name: spined micrathena, castleback orbweaver.
The female spined micrathena has spines which makes it less appealing to predators.
They are black, white, and brown in color, helping them camouflage themselves against the forest floor. Colors do vary slightly from one spider to the next, some may be black and white and others may be mostly brown.
Males do not have the ridges and are more black and white in color with a narrower waist than the female.
They can be found in forests and dense woods, where they are mostly active during the summer months.
20. Golden Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Paraphidippus aurantius.
Common name: golden jumping spider.
The golden jumping spider is also known as the emerald jumping spider is an ambush predator.
They are relatively large for a jumping spider with black and white stripes on both sides of the head with a white broad stripe around the top of the abdomen.
These spiders are not dangerous to humans and can leap considerable distances for their size.
Their jumping is what helps them escape predators and ambush prey.
21. Brown Widow
Scientific name: Latrodectus geometricus.
Common name: brown widow, brown button spider, grey widow, brown black widow, house button spider, geometric button spider.
The brown widow is smaller and lighter in color than the black widow spider. They range from dark brown to black and tan in color with shades of grey.
They have an hourglass shape on their belly, which is bright orange or yellow in color.
There is a black and white geometric pattern on their backs with stripes on the legs.
The bites can cause local reactions, with symptoms related to the bite rather than the venom. This can mean pain, swelling, and redness in the bite area.
22. Grass Spiders
Scientific name: Genus Agelenopsis.
Common name: American grass spiders, grass spiders.
Grass spiders are common during the summer months in Georgia.
They belong to the funnel-web weaver family, creating cave-like webs in lawns. Their webs are found in low-lying shrubs, building crevices, the base of the fences, and in the grass.
These fast-moving spiders and ambush predators and will catch and drag their prey to their webs.
It is not uncommon for these spiders to be confused with the wolf spider family with similar colors on their head regions.
They have two black lines that run down the sides of the midline in tan. Their abdomen has dark lines with chevrons, where wolf spiders are black with a line that runs down the middle, ending in a point without the chevrons.
Females are larger than males and they are mostly observed after rain.
23. Southern Black Widow
Scientific name: Latrodectus mactans.
Common name: southern black widow, simply black widow, shoe-button spider.
Female black widow spiders are known around the world for their toxic venom, something the males lack.
Both males and females have hairless and shiny bodies.
Females are completely black with a red hourglass shape on their bellies.
Males can change patterns and color as they age.
Females eat the male after mating.
They have a habit of spinning their webs where you may encounter them, which is why the risk of encountering one of these spiders is relatively high.
The venom from the female black widow is very poisonous and requires immediate medical attention. Pain will start at the bite site, spending the back and stomach for hours. Other symptoms include nausea, fever, headache, sweating, and restlessness.
24. Sylvan Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Colonus sylvanus.
Common name: Sylvan Jumping Spider.
Sylvan jumping spiders are members of the jumping spider family and are common in the United States.
They can jump four to five times their body length, which they use to ambush prey and escape predators.
While unlikely to bite, they will bite if handled too roughly, which can result in pain, swelling, and redness. Symptoms of a Sylvan jumping spider bite can be managed at home with a cold compress on the bite site.
25. Bold Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Phidippus audax.
Common name: daring jumping spider, bold jumping spider.
Bold jumping spiders are small jumping spiders that can jump four times their body length.
They will bite if they feel threatened, but their venom is not dangerous and will cause a stinging sensation.
These are black spiders with a white line that runs on the upper part of the abdomen with two white dots close to the rear. They have hairs on their legs and pedipalps.
They are common in homes, offices, cars, and outbuildings.
They are wandering hunters and do not rely on a web to capture passing prey.
26. Dark Fishing Spider
Scientific name: Dolomedes tenebrosus.
Common name: dark fishing spider.
Dark fishing spiders are often observed in wooded areas, where they spend most of their time in trees.
Females are larger than the males with an adult female growing up to 26mm and males to 13mm in body length.
They can grow up to 90mm in leg span.
They are dark to pale brown with chevron markings and light stripes near their legs. They have legs which are banded in brown and black
27. American Nursery Web Spider
Scientific name: Pisaurina mira.
Common name: American Nursery Web Spider.
Nursery web spiders get their name from the caring nature of the female when she cares for her eggs.
Female nursery web spiders will carry their egg sac with their fangs, building a web out of reach for her precious package. The sac is then surrounded by layers of silk which is then guarded by her until the eggs hatch.
Their webs are not to catch prey but are designed to provide protection and safety for baby spiderlings.
28. White-banded Fishing Spider
Scientific name: Dolomedes albineus.
Common name: white-banded fishing spider.
The white-banded fishing spider is a member of the nursery web spider family Pisauridae and is common in the United States.
They hunt mostly in ponds and streams with hair that can repel the water, which enables the spider to walk on water.
They also have the ability to tray an air bubble on the abdomen, which enables it to dive and swim, capturing aquatic invertebrates and tadpoles.
29. Six-spotted Fishing Spider
Scientific name: Dolomedes triton.
Common name: six-spotted fishing spider, dock spider.
Six spotted fishing spiders are large spiders with eight eyes and a grey to brown body.
They have a pale stripe that runs down either side of the cephalothorax. Their abdomen has light spots and lines that run down the side. There are six dark spots on the base of the cephalothorax.
Females are larger than males growing to around 2.4 inches (60mm) in body length when adult. Males grow to around 0.51 inches (13mm) in body length.
They have three pairs of dark spots and some light spots on the abdomen.
Being semi-aquatic, these spiders can be found in wetland habitats in Georgia.
30. White-jawed Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Hentzia mitrata.
Common name: white-jawed jumping spider.
White jawed jumping spiders belong to the Salticidae family and are common in the United States.
They can grow up to 3mm in body length and are almost invisible unless they move.
Mitrata stands for “head dress” in Latin and refers to the red hairs on the ales head that look like a headband.
They are copper in color and are able to jump considerable distances for their small body size.
31. False Black Widow
Scientific name: Steatoda grossa.
Common name: False black widow, cupboard spider.
False black widow spiders are also called cupboard spiders and are common spiders in the United States found in cosmopolitan areas.
This spider closely resembles the black widow, which is the most venomous spider in Georgia.
Females can grow to 10.5mm in body length and are dark in color with a bulb-shaped abdomen.
Their color ranges from black to purple-brown with lighter colored markings. They do not have the red hourglass patterns or any other bright markings, which helps you distinguish them from the black widow.
Males grow to around 10mm in body length and are thinner than females. Males are lighter in color once adults.
32. Wolf Spider
Scientific name: Tigrosa annexa.
Common name: Wolf spider.
The Tigrosa annexa was originally a member of the Hogna genus with five species in North America.
It has stripes on the dorsal legs and body.
They grow to around 20mm in body length without the legs.
They are mobile hunters that are sturdy with excellent eyesight.
They will only bite if they feel threatened, which will cause redness and swelling at the bite site.
33. Furrow Orbweaver
Scientific name: Larinioides cornutus.
Common name: furrow spider, furrow orb weaver, foliate spider.
The female furrow orbweaver is larger than the male growing to 14mm in body length, while males grow to around 9mm in body length, include the legs and these small spiders can grow to 35mm.
They have bulb-shaped abdomens in gray, black, or red. The carapace has a light shaded arrow that points towards the head area. Legs have the same arrow pattern.
They prefer moist areas and are usually found near water, where they build their webs in low shrubs and grasses.
They are nocturnal, hiding during the day and coming out at night to hunt.
34. Eastern Parson Spider
Scientific name: Herpyllus ecclesiasticus.
Common name: eastern parson spider.
Eastern parson spiders have a ruffled necktie that is commonly associated with clergymen in the eighteenth century.
They are medium-sized spiders that are hairy and fast, so they are likely to give you a fright if you come across one.
They are wandering predators that hide during the day. They are known to make their way indoors searching for their next meal.
They are not venomous, but their bite can cause an allergic reaction.
35. Pantropical Jumping Spider
Scientific name: Plexippus paykulli.
Common name: pantropical jumping spider.
Pantropical jumping spiders are usually found in buildings, close to light sources where they are attracted by the insects that are coming to the light at night.
They are robust jumping spiders with short grey hairs
Females grow slightly larger than the male, growing to 0.47 inches (12mm) in body length with males growing to 0.43 inches (11mm) in body length.
Males have black carapaces and abdomens with a wide white central stripe and another white stripe on both sides with white spots near the back of the abdomen. There are also three white stripes on the face.
Females are brown to gray with a darker carapace and a tan stripe that runs down the abdomen and ends in two chevrons. She has white spots on both sides of the belly.
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