Venomous spiders in Louisiana

Venomous spiders living in Louisiana

4species

Black widow, Brown recluse, Tarantula, Brown widow.

How to recognize them

• Black widowMedically significant30 records, 12 counties
• Brown recluseMedically significant1 record, 1 county
• TarantulaPainful, rarely serious8 records, 3 counties
• Brown widowPainful, rarely serious32 records, 9 counties

Black widow Latrodectus mactans, L. variolus, L. hesperus

• Shiny black female with a round abdomen
• Red hourglass or two red marks under the abdomen
• Messy, strong web low to the ground, often in garages, wood piles and water meters

Brown recluse Loxosceles reclusa

• Dark violin shape on the back, neck of the violin points to the rear
• Six eyes in three pairs (most spiders have eight)
• Plain tan abdomen and legs with no bands or spines

Tarantula Aphonopelma spp.

• Large, hairy, brown to black spider
• Lives in a burrow with silk around the entrance
• Males wander in late summer and fall looking for mates

Brown widow Latrodectus geometricus

• Tan to dark brown female with an orange hourglass
• Spiky round egg sacs that look like burrs
• Webs under patio chairs, mailboxes and eaves

Almost all spiders have venom, but very few can hurt people. We list the ones with medically significant bites plus a few that people often worry about.

Counties with records

Active months

Harmless spiders people mistake for them

• Brown Recluse vs Wolf Spider Wolf spider: harmless
• Brown Recluse vs Southern House Spider Southern house spider: harmless

• Wolf spiderHarmlessHarmless
• Southern house spiderHarmlessHarmless

Quick answers

• Lives here Are there brown recluses in Louisiana?
• Lives here Are there black widows in Louisiana?
• Lives here Are there tarantulas in Louisiana?

More for Louisiana

• All venomous animals in Louisiana
• Venomous snakes in Louisiana
• Scorpions in Louisiana
• Centipedes in Louisiana

Venomous spiders in neighboring states

• Arkansas
• Mississippi
• Texas