Snakes and spiders in Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Jo Daviess County, home of Galena, has 2 snake and 71 spider species on record, from 67 licensed snake and 3,361 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the northern cottonmouth, the eastern copperhead, the eastern massasauga, the timber rattlesnake and 3 more are on the Illinois list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What spiders are in Jo Daviess County?
In all, 71 spider species are on the Jo Daviess County list. The most recorded are Piratula minuta (134), the brush-legged split wolf spider (130) and the pale sheetweb weaver (121). Jo Daviess County holds more than half of all Illinois records of Piratula minuta, the brush-legged split wolf spider, the pale sheetweb weaver and the tan crab spider.
Related species: Drassyllus insularis
Related species: Ozyptila conspurcata
| # | Species | Records | Share of Illinois records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piratula minuta | 134 | 64% |
| 2 | Brush-legged split wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata | 130 | 68% |
| 3 | Pale sheetweb weaver Bathyphantes pallidus | 121 | 62% |
| 4 | Tan crab spider Xysticus ferox | 118 | 63% |
| 5 | Drassyllus depressus | 110 | 89% |
| 6 | Ozyptila georgiana | 110 | 92% |
| 7 | Pardosa saxatilis | 110 | 20% |
| 8 | Trochosa ruricola | 105 | 67% |
| 9 | Shiny wolf spider Pardosa moesta | 97 | 57% |
| 10 | Eridantes erigonoides | 88 | 68% |
| 11 | Agyneta unimaculata | 73 | 74% |
| 12 | Zelotes fratris | 62 | 87% |
| 13 | Scotinella madisonia | 61 | 86% |
| 14 | Unequal whiskered money spider Islandiana flaveola | 57 | 77% |
| 15 | Trochosa terricola | 55 | 77% |
| 16 | Neoantistea agilis | 54 | 52% |
| 17 | Schizocosa bilineata | 53 | 38% |
| 18 | Greater ant-mimic corinne spider Phrurotimpus borealis | 44 | 29% |
| 19 | Clubiona abboti | 42 | 69% |
| 20 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 38 | 27% |
| 21 | Phrurotimpus dulcineus | 37 | 77% |
| 22 | Agyneta fabra | 33 | 70% |
| 23 | Autumn money spider Erigone autumnalis | 33 | 33% |
| 24 | Schizocosa crassipalpata | 31 | 82% |
| 25 | Scotinella fratrella | 31 | 63% |
| 26 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 29 | 48% |
| 27 | Diplostyla concolor | 29 | 37% |
| 28 | Four-lined slender jumping spider Marpissa lineata | 29 | 63% |
| 29 | Gnaphosa parvula | 27 | 77% |
| 30 | Eastern spurred sheetweaver Centromerus cornupalpis | 24 | 55% |
| 31 | Long-palped ant-mimic sac spider Castianeira longipalpa | 24 | 41% |
| 32 | Xysticus luctans | 24 | 86% |
| 33 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | 23 | 29% |
| 34 | Castianeira trilineata | 22 | 81% |
| 35 | Euryopis pepini | 22 | 100% |
| 36 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 20 | 17% |
| 37 | Oblong running spider Tibellus oblongus | 20 | 44% |
| 38 | Zelotes hentzi | 20 | 83% |
| 39 | Grammonota inornata | 19 | 38% |
| 40 | Pirata montanoides | 19 | 86% |
| 41 | Big-eyed thick long-jawed spider Pachygnatha autumnalis | 18 | 60% |
| 42 | Glossy ant-spider Micaria pulicaria | 18 | 69% |
| 43 | Phrurotimpus alarius | 18 | 13% |
| 44 | Trilobate dwarf weaver Mermessus trilobatus | 18 | 49% |
| 45 | Agroeca pratensis | 17 | 89% |
| 46 | Cicurina arcuata | 17 | 20% |
| 47 | Long-legged ghost spider Wulfila saltabundus | 17 | 40% |
| 48 | Ceraticelus similis | 16 | 59% |
| 49 | Deadly ground crab spider Xysticus funestus | 16 | 89% |
| 50 | Spiraling sheet-web weaver Walckenaeria spiralis | 16 | 39% |
| 51 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 14 | 10% |
| 52 | Latticed sheet-web weaver Neriene clathrata | 14 | 48% |
| 53 | McCook's split wolf spider Schizocosa mccooki | 14 | 82% |
| 54 | Callilepis pluto | 13 | 54% |
| 55 | Notch-tipped shield sheetweaver Bathyphantes alboventris | 13 | 42% |
| 56 | Long-jawed orb weaver Tetragnatha laboriosa | 12 | 39% |
| 57 | Thrifty short-legged sheetweaver Agyneta micaria | 12 | 55% |
| 58 | Woodland giant wolf spider Tigrosa aspersa | 12 | 67% |
| 59 | Collinsia plumosa | 11 | 52% |
| 60 | Lined orbweaver Mangora gibberosa | 11 | 33% |
What stands out in Jo Daviess County
Species for which Jo Daviess County holds a large share of all Illinois records: Euryopis pepini, 100% (22 of 22); Ozyptila georgiana, 92% (110 of 120); Drassyllus depressus, 89% (110 of 124); Zelotes fratris, 87% (62 of 71); Pirata montanoides, 86% (19 of 22); Scotinella madisonia, 86% (61 of 71); Xysticus luctans, 86% (24 of 28); Zelotes hentzi, 83% (20 of 24).
Common in Illinois, not on the Jo Daviess County list
Among the spiders most recorded across Illinois, these do not reach the county list: the brown recluse (313 statewide), the zebra spider (173 statewide) and the spotted orbweaver (155 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Jo Daviess County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Illinois list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the eastern milksnake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Illinois under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Illinois list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the Pennsylvania grass spider.
Jo Daviess County among Illinois counties
By licensed snake records Jo Daviess County ranks 13th of 90 Illinois counties with any.
Other Illinois counties with their own page: Union County, Cook County, Will County, Champaign County, Mason County, Iroquois County, Effingham County and Lee County.
The whole state: venomous species in Illinois, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.