Spiders in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 164 spider species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 7,351 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver, the bold jumper and the familiar jumping spider. Medically significant: the northern black widow and the southern black widow.
Widow spiders in Pennsylvania
Widow spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 0.1% of records between them. The most recorded is the northern black widow (9), ahead of the southern black widow (0).
Jumping spiders in Pennsylvania
Jumping spiders dominate the spider record of Pennsylvania: 41 species and 26% of all records. The most recorded is the bold jumper (370), ahead of the familiar jumping spider (203).
Plus 29: Putnam's jumper, Sylvan jumping spider, Hammerjawed jumper, Thin-spined jumping spider, Myrmarachne formicaria, Slender ant mimicking jumping spider, Brilliant jumping spider, Common Hentz jumping spider, Whitman's jumping spider, Ribbon jumping spider, Common white-cheeked jumping spider, Four-lined slender jumping spider, Short-bellied slender jumping spider, Hart's jumping spider, Habronattus decorus, Hoy's jumper, Heliophanus kochii, Phlegra hentzi, Pike slender jumper, Canopy jumping spider, Cardinal jumper, Habronattus coecatus, Boreal paradise spider, Marbled purple jumper, Habronattus calcaratus, Icius subinermis, Magnolia green jumper, Orbus paradise spider, Phidippus insignarius.
Observation records of the bold jumper in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. Observation records of the familiar jumping spider in Pennsylvania run mostly April through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Philadelphia County and Bucks County. Observation records of Paraphidippus aurantius in Pennsylvania run mostly April through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Bucks County and Montgomery County.
Wolf spiders in Pennsylvania
Wolf spiders: 16 species are listed for Pennsylvania, with 292 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the wetland giant wolf spider (130), ahead of the rabid wolf spider (35).
Plus four: Stone spider, Trochosa sepulchralis, Shore spider, Trochosa ruricola.
Observation records of the wetland giant wolf spider in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Bucks County, Allegheny County and Montgomery County. Observation records of the rabid wolf spider in Pennsylvania run mostly June through November, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Bucks County and Bedford County.
Orb weavers in Pennsylvania
Orb weavers: 36 species are listed for Pennsylvania, with 1,140 records (16% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the spined micrathena (187), ahead of the black-and-yellow argiope (108).
Plus 24: Garden spider, Bridge orbweaver, Heptagonal orbweaver, Labyrinth orbweaver, Lattice orbweaver, Tuftlegged orbweaver, Butterfly orbweaver, Cyclosa turbinata, Nordmann's orbweaver spider, Red-spotted orbweaver, Cone-shaped orbweaver, Difoliate orbweaver, Lined orbweaver, Shamrock orbweaver, Greenlegged orbweaver, Openfield orbweaver, Fierce orbweaver, Red-femured spotted orbweaver, Araneus alboventris, Humpbacked orbweaver, Toadlike bolas spider, American bolas spider, Red-backed orbweaver, Araneus iviei.
Observation records of the spined micrathena in Pennsylvania run mostly July through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Philadelphia County and Berks County. Observation records of the black-and-yellow argiope in Pennsylvania run mostly July through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Centre County, Monroe County and Chester County. Observation records of the furrow orbweaver in Pennsylvania run mostly March through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Bucks County, Bedford County and Westmoreland County.
Long-jawed orb weavers in Pennsylvania
Long-jawed orb weavers: five species are listed for Pennsylvania, with 457 records (6% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the orchard orbweaver (429), ahead of the long-jawed orb weaver (15).
Observation records of the orchard orbweaver in Pennsylvania run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Philadelphia County, Allegheny County and Montgomery County.
Fishing and nursery web spiders in Pennsylvania
Fishing and nursery web spiders: seven species are listed for Pennsylvania, with 515 records (7% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the nursery web spider (199), ahead of the dark fishing spider (176).
Observation records of the nursery web spider in Pennsylvania run mostly May through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Monroe County, Westmoreland County and Allegheny County. Observation records of the dark fishing spider in Pennsylvania run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Westmoreland County, Allegheny County and Philadelphia County. Observation records of the white-banded fishing spider in Pennsylvania run through most of the year, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Chester County, Bucks County and Montgomery County.
Crab spiders in Pennsylvania
Crab spiders are a small part of the spider record here: eleven species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is the American green crab spider (84), ahead of the flower crab spider (36).
Observation records of the American green crab spider in Pennsylvania run mostly June through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Bucks County, Allegheny County and Montgomery County. Observation records of the flower crab spider in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Somerset County and Centre County.
Cobweb spiders in Pennsylvania
Cobweb spiders are a small part of the spider record here: nine species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the triangulate bud spider (107), ahead of the common house spider (19).
Observation records of the triangulate bud spider in Pennsylvania run through most of the year, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Montgomery County and Bucks County.
Funnel weavers and grass spiders in Pennsylvania
Funnel weavers and grass spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 0.4% of records between them. The most recorded is the barn funnel weaver (29), ahead of the dark-legged grass spider (1).
Lynx spiders in Pennsylvania
Lynx spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 0.3% of records between them. The most recorded is the striped lynx spider (15), ahead of the western lynx spider (10).
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders in Pennsylvania
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders are a small part of the spider record here: five species with 1% of records between them. The most recorded is the bowl and doily spider (65), ahead of the filmy dome spider (19).
Observation records of the bowl and doily spider in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Bucks County and Westmoreland County.
Ground and sac spiders in Pennsylvania
Ground and sac spiders are a small part of the spider record here: eleven species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is the parson spider (67), ahead of the broad-faced sac spider (34).
Observation records of the parson spider in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Centre County, Allegheny County and Westmoreland County. Observation records of the broad-faced sac spider in Pennsylvania run mostly August through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Bucks County, Berks County and Lancaster County.
Other spiders in Pennsylvania
Other spiders: 17 species are listed for Pennsylvania, with 265 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is Dysdera crocata (86), ahead of the black laceweaver (37).
Plus five: Bennett's laceweaver, Common pirate spider, Box spider, Ray spider, Zora pumila.
Observation records of Dysdera crocata in Pennsylvania run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. Observation records of the black laceweaver in Pennsylvania run through most of the year, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Centre County and Dauphin County. Observation records of the longbodied cellar spider in Pennsylvania run through most of the year, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Allegheny County, Montgomery County and Westmoreland County.
Where in Pennsylvania are spiders recorded most?
Westmoreland County leads with 812 records (11%), followed by Lebanon County and Allegheny County; the top five counties hold 47% of the total. 67 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have at least one licensed spider record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westmoreland County | 812 | 11.0% |
| 2 | Lebanon County | 805 | 11.0% |
| 3 | Allegheny County | 781 | 10.6% |
| 4 | Centre County | 543 | 7.4% |
| 5 | Bucks County | 543 | 7.4% |
| 6 | Montgomery County | 436 | 5.9% |
| 7 | Philadelphia County | 420 | 5.7% |
| 8 | Dauphin County | 348 | 4.7% |
| 9 | Berks County | 227 | 3.1% |
| 10 | Chester County | 211 | 2.9% |
| 11 | Lancaster County | 173 | 2.4% |
| 12 | Lackawanna County | 157 | 2.1% |
When do spiders come out in Pennsylvania?
Observation records of spiders in Pennsylvania run mostly April through October, peaking in June with 17% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 2% of the records. The sharpest rise comes from April to May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1% | 3% | 9% | 17% | 17% | 13% | 16% | 13% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
Spiders: Pennsylvania compared with its neighbors
Pennsylvania ranks 14th of 50 states by the number of spider species listed; Texas leads with 386 species.
Of the six states bordering Pennsylvania, Ohio lists more spider species (Pennsylvania: 164 species; Ohio 332, Maryland 153, New York 149, New Jersey 127, West Virginia 90, Delaware 71).
What spiders are in Pennsylvania? All 164 species
Ranked by licensed records in Pennsylvania. The table shows the 60 most recorded of 164 listed spiders.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | Tetragnathidae | 429 | 5.8% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | Salticidae | 370 | 5.0% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | Salticidae | 203 | 2.8% |
| 4 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | Pisauridae | 199 | 2.7% |
| 5 | Paraphidippus aurantius | Salticidae | 187 | 2.5% |
| 6 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | Araneidae | 187 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | Pisauridae | 176 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | Salticidae | 137 | 1.9% |
| 9 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | Salticidae | 135 | 1.8% |
| 10 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | Lycosidae | 130 | 1.8% |
| 11 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | Araneidae | 108 | 1.5% |
| 12 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | Araneidae | 108 | 1.5% |
| 13 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | Theridiidae | 107 | 1.5% |
| 14 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | Salticidae | 97 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Dysdera crocata | Dysderidae | 86 | 1.2% |
| 16 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | Araneidae | 85 | 1.2% |
| 17 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | Thomisidae | 84 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | Salticidae | 81 | 1.1% |
| 19 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | Araneidae | 77 | 1.0% |
| 20 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | Araneidae | 74 | 1.0% |
| 21 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | Araneidae | 71 | 1.0% |
| 22 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | Gnaphosidae | 67 | 0.9% |
| 23 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | Linyphiidae | 65 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | Salticidae | 64 | 0.9% |
| 25 | Pseudeuophrys erratica | Salticidae | 62 | 0.8% |
| 26 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | Araneidae | 61 | 0.8% |
| 27 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | Salticidae | 58 | 0.8% |
| 28 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | Salticidae | 57 | 0.8% |
| 29 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | Salticidae | 56 | 0.8% |
| 30 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | Araneidae | 52 | 0.7% |
| 31 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | Salticidae | 49 | 0.7% |
| 32 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | Araneidae | 45 | 0.6% |
| 33 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | Araneidae | 41 | 0.6% |
| 34 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | Salticidae | 39 | 0.5% |
| 35 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | Pisauridae | 39 | 0.5% |
| 36 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | Amaurobiidae | 37 | 0.5% |
| 37 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | Pisauridae | 36 | 0.5% |
| 38 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | Thomisidae | 36 | 0.5% |
| 39 | Hammerjawed jumper Zygoballus rufipes | Salticidae | 36 | 0.5% |
| 40 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | Salticidae | 36 | 0.5% |
| 41 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | Lycosidae | 35 | 0.5% |
| 42 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | Trachelidae | 34 | 0.5% |
| 43 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae | 34 | 0.5% |
| 44 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | Pisauridae | 31 | 0.4% |
| 45 | Myrmarachne formicaria | Salticidae | 30 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Slender ant mimicking jumping spider Synemosyna formica | Salticidae | 30 | 0.4% |
| 47 | Barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica | Agelenidae | 29 | 0.4% |
| 48 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | Thomisidae | 28 | 0.4% |
| 49 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | Araneidae | 26 | 0.4% |
| 50 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | Salticidae | 24 | 0.3% |
| 51 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | Araneidae | 24 | 0.3% |
| 52 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | Salticidae | 23 | 0.3% |
| 53 | Drumming sword wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa | Lycosidae | 23 | 0.3% |
| 54 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | Uloboridae | 22 | 0.3% |
| 55 | Goldenrod crab spider Misumena vatia | Thomisidae | 22 | 0.3% |
| 56 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | Pisauridae | 22 | 0.3% |
| 57 | Bridge orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius | Araneidae | 21 | 0.3% |
| 58 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | Cheiracanthiidae | 20 | 0.3% |
| 59 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | Theridiidae | 19 | 0.3% |
| 60 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | Linyphiidae | 19 | 0.3% |
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.