Snakes and spiders in Kauai County, Hawaii
Kauai County, home of Līhuʻe, has 1 snake and 10 spider species on record, from 17 licensed snake and 338 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the western black widow and the brown widow are on the Hawaii list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What spiders are in Kauai County?
In all, 10 spider species are on the Kauai County list. The most recorded are the banana spider (82), the Asian spiny-backed spider (61) and Tetragnatha kauaiensis (43). Kauai County holds more than half of all Hawaii records of Tetragnatha kauaiensis, Tetragnatha pilosa, the banded garden spider and the spiny-backed orbweaver.
Same family (Tetragnathidae): Leucauge venusta
| # | Species | Records | Share of Hawaii records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banana spider Argiope appensa | 82 | 20% |
| 2 | Asian spiny-backed spider Thelacantha brevispina | 61 | 29% |
| 3 | Tetragnatha kauaiensis | 43 | 100% |
| 4 | Tetragnatha pilosa | 22 | 100% |
| 5 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 16 | 62% |
| 6 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 15 | 50% |
| 7 | Doryonychus raptor | 10 | 100% |
| 8 | Tetragnatha hawaiensis | 10 | 3% |
| 9 | Huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria | 7 | 12% |
| 10 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 2 | 4% |
When are spiders out in Kauai County?
Observation records of spiders in Kauai County run mostly September through May, peaking in March with 17% of them, the same peak as Hawaii as a whole.
What stands out in Kauai County
Species for which Kauai County holds a large share of all Hawaii records: Tetragnatha kauaiensis, 100% (43 of 43); Tetragnatha pilosa, 100% (22 of 22); the banded garden spider, 62% (16 of 26); the spiny-backed orbweaver, 50% (15 of 30); the Asian spiny-backed spider, 29% (61 of 212); the banana spider, 20% (82 of 412).
Common in Hawaii, not on the Kauai County list
Among the spiders most recorded across Hawaii, these do not reach the county list: Tetragnatha quasimodo (495 statewide), Tetragnatha anuenue (143 statewide), Tetragnatha brevignatha (120 statewide), Tetragnatha eurychasma (105 statewide), Tetragnatha perkinsi (100 statewide) and Neoscona theisi (92 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Kauai County among Hawaii counties
By licensed snake records Kauai County ranks 3rd of 4 Hawaii counties with any.
Other Hawaii counties with their own page: Honolulu County, Maui County and Hawaii County.
The whole state: venomous species in Hawaii, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.