There are almost 400 known species of spider in Indiana.
There are almost 400 species of spiders in Indiana, says Purdue University. There are only two species you need to worry about in this state: the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider. These spiders do not generally bite unless they are bothered. If you are bitten by either the black widow or brown recluse, you should see a physician immediately, although fatalities from these bites are rare. Identify these and other common spiders in Indiana, through observing the arachnids' size, color, markings and webs.
Instructions
1. A garden spider with distinctive yellow markings on its abdomen.
Learn the basics about spiders. They are actually not insects. Instead of having three body parts and six legs, they have eight legs and two body parts, called the abdomen and the cephalothorax. McMahon Exterminating says some of the more common spiders in Indiana are the brown recluse spider, golden orb spider, wolf spider, black widow spider, garden spider and the grass spider.
2. Collect some spider identification tools. A ruler comes in handy to measure approximate body length. Use a magnifying glass to have a closer look at distinctive markings. If you think the spiders are black widows or brown recluses, keep your distance when observing. Borrow a spider identification book from the library or look at pictures online.
3. Determine the size of the spider you wish to identify. Most males are smaller than their female counterparts, so size is not always a determining factor for identification.
Wolf spiders are the largest and have a leg span of 4 inches.
Black widow bodies have a length between 1/2 and 1-1/2 inches.
Golden orb spiders range from 3/8 inch to over 1 inch.
Grass spiders range from 1/2 inch to almost 1 inch.
Garden spiders range from 1/4 inch to 1 inch.
Brown recluse bodies range from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inches.
4. A golden orb spider, also called a banana spider.
Use the spider's color and markings as hints for identification.
Brown recluse spiders have a light brown or orangy-yellow color and a distinctive violin-shaped pattern on their cephalothorax.
Golden orb spiders are black with yellow or orange stripes or spots. Their legs may have orange and yellow segments as well. Their abdomens are elongated and ovate.
Wolf spiders are brownish-gray, hairy and have long fangs. They are sometimes mistaken for tarantulas.
Black widow spiders are shiny black and have sphere-shaped abdomens. Females usually have a red hourglass shape on their undersides and males usually have yellow or red spots on their backs.
Garden spiders have silver hairs all over their cephalothorax and a black, egg-shaped abdomen with distinctive orange or yellow bands.
Grass spiders are light brown with two thick, black stripes on either side of their thorax. They also have three rows of eyes that you may notice with a magnifying glass.
5. An orb-shaped web.
Observe the spider's web. (Wolf spiders do not weave webs.)
Grass spiders have a distinctive web formed in the shape of a funnel.
Golden orb spiders create the largest webs that are naturally orb-shaped.
Garden spiders also weave orb-shaped webs.
Brown recluses form loose strands of silk.
Black widows create irregular, crisscrossed webs.
Tags: from inch, range from, range from inch, Garden spiders, Golden spiders, Grass spiders