Spiders in Tennessee
Tennessee has 138 spider species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 3,738 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver, the Pocock's lampshade-web spider and the bold jumper. Medically significant: the brown recluse, the northern black widow and the southern black widow.
Widow spiders in Tennessee
Widow spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 1% of records between them. The most recorded is the northern black widow (20), ahead of the southern black widow (19).
Recluse spiders in Tennessee
One species of this group is listed for Tennessee: the brown recluse, with 37 records (1% of the state's spider records).
Observation records of the brown recluse in Tennessee run mostly March through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Davidson County, Williamson County and Montgomery County.
Jumping spiders in Tennessee
Jumping spiders: 31 species are listed for Tennessee, with 828 records (22% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the bold jumper (119), ahead of the familiar jumping spider (108).
Plus 19: Canopy jumping spider, Ribbon jumping spider, Dimorphic jumper, Habronattus coecatus, Whitman's jumping spider, Asian wall jumper, Common Hentz jumping spider, Common white-cheeked jumping spider, Hammerjawed jumper, Thin-spined jumping spider, Cardinal jumper, Slender ant mimicking jumping spider, Colonus puerperus, Four-lined slender jumping spider, Zebra spider, Bagheera prosper, High eye-lashed jumping spider, Habronattus decorus, Twin-flagged jumping spider.
Observation records of the bold jumper in Tennessee run mostly March through November, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Williamson County, Shelby County and Washington County. Observation records of the familiar jumping spider in Tennessee run mostly April through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Knox County, Williamson County and Montgomery County. Observation records of Paraphidippus aurantius in Tennessee run mostly March through July, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Williamson County, Knox County and Bradley County.
Wolf spiders in Tennessee
Wolf spiders: eleven species are listed for Tennessee, with 170 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the rabid wolf spider (48), ahead of the Georgia wolf spider (45).
Observation records of the rabid wolf spider in Tennessee run mostly April through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Davidson County, Hamilton County and Bradley County. Observation records of the Georgia wolf spider in Tennessee run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Wilson County and Cheatham County. Observation records of Tigrosa annexa in Tennessee run mostly March through November, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Bradley County, Hamilton County and Williamson County.
Orb weavers in Tennessee
Orb weavers: 30 species are listed for Tennessee, with 733 records (20% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the black-and-yellow argiope (111), ahead of the arrowhead orbweaver (81).
Plus 18: Labyrinth orbweaver, Difoliate orbweaver, Tuftlegged orbweaver, Red-femured spotted orbweaver, Heptagonal orbweaver, Sixspotted orbweaver, Banded garden spider, Nordmann's orbweaver spider, Spiny-backed orbweaver, Butterfly orbweaver, Humpbacked orbweaver, Giant lichen orbweaver, Lined orbweaver, Starbellied orbweaver, Greenlegged orbweaver, Red-spotted orbweaver, Barn spider, Metazygia wittfeldae.
Observation records of the black-and-yellow argiope in Tennessee run mostly July through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Shelby County, Knox County and Bradley County. Observation records of the arrowhead orbweaver in Tennessee run mostly July through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Knox County, Lincoln County and Marion County. Observation records of the spotted orbweaver in Tennessee run mostly July through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Knox County, Davidson County and Hamilton County.
Long-jawed orb weavers in Tennessee
Long-jawed orb weavers: two species are listed for Tennessee, with 187 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the orchard orbweaver (181), ahead of the eastern cave long-jawed spider (6).
Observation records of the orchard orbweaver in Tennessee run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Shelby County, Knox County and Sevier County.
Fishing and nursery web spiders in Tennessee
Fishing and nursery web spiders: seven species are listed for Tennessee, with 292 records (8% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the nursery web spider (89), ahead of the dark fishing spider (86).
Observation records of the nursery web spider in Tennessee run mostly March through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Shelby County, Knox County and Blount County. Observation records of the dark fishing spider in Tennessee run mostly February through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Sevier County and Cheatham County. Observation records of the banded fishing spider in Tennessee run mostly February through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Sevier County, Davidson County and Montgomery County.
Crab spiders in Tennessee
Crab spiders: eight species are listed for Tennessee, with 114 records (3% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the American green crab spider (35), ahead of the whitebanded crab spider (32).
Observation records of the American green crab spider in Tennessee run mostly June through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Knox County, Williamson County and Davidson County. Observation records of the whitebanded crab spider in Tennessee run mostly June through September, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Knox County, Blount County and Hamilton County.
Cobweb spiders in Tennessee
Cobweb spiders are a small part of the spider record here: eight species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the triangulate bud spider (42), ahead of the common house spider (14).
Observation records of the triangulate bud spider in Tennessee run mostly June through February, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Bradley County, Davidson County and Hamilton County.
Funnel weavers and grass spiders in Tennessee
Funnel weavers and grass spiders are a small part of the spider record here: three species with 0.6% of records between them. The most recorded is Barronopsis texana (21), ahead of the dark-legged grass spider (2).
Lynx spiders in Tennessee
Lynx spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the green lynx spider (65), ahead of the striped lynx spider (17).
Observation records of the green lynx spider in Tennessee run mostly June through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Knox County, Blount County and Williamson County.
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders in Tennessee
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders are a small part of the spider record here: three species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the bowl and doily spider (30), ahead of the blacktailed red sheetweaver (18).
Most licensed records of the bowl and doily spider in Tennessee come from Knox County, Bradley County and Washington County.
Ground and sac spiders in Tennessee
Ground and sac spiders are a small part of the spider record here: nine species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the parson spider (14), ahead of the two-lined stealthy ground spider (13).
Other spiders in Tennessee
Other spiders: 21 species are listed for Tennessee, with 337 records (9% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the Pocock's lampshade-web spider (137), ahead of the Thorell's lampshade-web spider (92).
Plus nine: Featherlegged orbweaver, Red-legged purseweb spider, Pholcus crypticolens, Box spider, Ravine trapdoor spider, Southern house spider, Pholcus manueli, Scytodes atlacoya, Zora pumila.
Most licensed records of the Pocock's lampshade-web spider in Tennessee come from Carter County, Cocke County and Sevier County. Most licensed records of the Thorell's lampshade-web spider in Tennessee come from Morgan County, Marion County and Hamilton County.
Where in Tennessee are spiders recorded most?
Sevier County leads with 556 records (15%), followed by Knox County and Bradley County; the top five counties hold 46% of the total. 86 of Tennessee's 95 counties have at least one licensed spider record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sevier County | 556 | 14.9% |
| 2 | Knox County | 416 | 11.1% |
| 3 | Bradley County | 263 | 7.0% |
| 4 | Shelby County | 245 | 6.6% |
| 5 | Williamson County | 240 | 6.4% |
| 6 | Davidson County | 203 | 5.4% |
| 7 | Montgomery County | 159 | 4.3% |
| 8 | Blount County | 156 | 4.2% |
| 9 | Hamilton County | 151 | 4.0% |
| 10 | Washington County | 112 | 3.0% |
| 11 | Unicoi County | 100 | 2.7% |
| 12 | Marion County | 96 | 2.6% |
When do spiders come out in Tennessee?
Observation records of spiders in Tennessee run mostly March through October, peaking in July with 15% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 3% 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% | 5% | 9% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 8% | 3% | 1% |
Spiders: Tennessee compared with its neighbors
Tennessee ranks 23rd of 50 states by the number of spider species listed; Texas leads with 386 species.
Of the eight states bordering Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Alabama list more spider species (Tennessee: 138 species; Georgia 186, North Carolina 184, Virginia 176, Alabama 143, Mississippi 117, Missouri 117, Arkansas 114, Kentucky 103).
What spiders are in Tennessee? All 138 species
Ranked by licensed records in Tennessee. The table shows the 60 most recorded of 138 listed spiders.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | Tetragnathidae | 181 | 4.8% |
| 2 | Pocock's lampshade-web spider Hypochilus pococki | Hypochilidae | 137 | 3.7% |
| 3 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | Salticidae | 119 | 3.2% |
| 4 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | Araneidae | 111 | 3.0% |
| 5 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | Salticidae | 108 | 2.9% |
| 6 | Paraphidippus aurantius | Salticidae | 97 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Thorell's lampshade-web spider Hypochilus thorelli | Hypochilidae | 92 | 2.5% |
| 8 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | Pisauridae | 89 | 2.4% |
| 9 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | Pisauridae | 86 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | Salticidae | 84 | 2.2% |
| 11 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | Araneidae | 81 | 2.2% |
| 12 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | Araneidae | 80 | 2.1% |
| 13 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | Araneidae | 67 | 1.8% |
| 14 | Green lynx spider Peucetia viridans | Oxyopidae | 65 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | Araneidae | 57 | 1.5% |
| 16 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | Lycosidae | 48 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | Salticidae | 46 | 1.2% |
| 18 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | Salticidae | 46 | 1.2% |
| 19 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | Lycosidae | 45 | 1.2% |
| 20 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | Salticidae | 44 | 1.2% |
| 21 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | Araneidae | 43 | 1.2% |
| 22 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | Theridiidae | 42 | 1.1% |
| 23 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | Salticidae | 40 | 1.1% |
| 24 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | Araneidae | 39 | 1.0% |
| 25 | Brown recluse venomous Loxosceles reclusa | Sicariidae | 37 | 1.0% |
| 26 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | Salticidae | 37 | 1.0% |
| 27 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | Thomisidae | 35 | 0.9% |
| 28 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | Pisauridae | 34 | 0.9% |
| 29 | Tigrosa annexa | Lycosidae | 34 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | Araneidae | 33 | 0.9% |
| 31 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | Thomisidae | 32 | 0.9% |
| 32 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | Araneidae | 31 | 0.8% |
| 33 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | Salticidae | 31 | 0.8% |
| 34 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | Linyphiidae | 30 | 0.8% |
| 35 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | Pisauridae | 30 | 0.8% |
| 36 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | Pisauridae | 30 | 0.8% |
| 37 | Joro spider Trichonephila clavata | Araneidae | 29 | 0.8% |
| 38 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | Thomisidae | 28 | 0.7% |
| 39 | Cyclosa turbinata | Araneidae | 27 | 0.7% |
| 40 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | Salticidae | 26 | 0.7% |
| 41 | Southeastern wandering spider Anahita punctulata | Ctenidae | 24 | 0.6% |
| 42 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | Salticidae | 22 | 0.6% |
| 43 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | Araneidae | 22 | 0.6% |
| 44 | Barronopsis texana | Agelenidae | 21 | 0.6% |
| 45 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | Pisauridae | 20 | 0.5% |
| 46 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | Theridiidae | 20 | 0.5% |
| 47 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | Theridiidae | 19 | 0.5% |
| 48 | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea | Linyphiidae | 18 | 0.5% |
| 49 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | Salticidae | 18 | 0.5% |
| 50 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | Linyphiidae | 17 | 0.5% |
| 51 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | Oxyopidae | 17 | 0.5% |
| 52 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae | 16 | 0.4% |
| 53 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | Araneidae | 15 | 0.4% |
| 54 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | Theridiidae | 14 | 0.4% |
| 55 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | Gnaphosidae | 14 | 0.4% |
| 56 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | Salticidae | 14 | 0.4% |
| 57 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | Salticidae | 13 | 0.3% |
| 58 | Habronattus coecatus | Salticidae | 13 | 0.3% |
| 59 | Two-lined stealthy ground spider Cesonia bilineata | Gnaphosidae | 13 | 0.3% |
| 60 | Dotted wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata | Lycosidae | 12 | 0.3% |
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.