Venomous spiders in New Mexico

Venomous spiders living in New Mexico

2species, plus 3 with rare records

Black widow, Tarantula.

How to recognize them

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

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

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

None recorded
1 species
2
3 to 4
5 or more

Venomous spiders with open GBIF records, by county: 30 counties so far. Blank does not mean absent.

Active months

Open records of venomous spiders in New Mexico by month; most fall in July to October.

Rare records

Rare records Brown recluse 2 open records, latest 2006
Rare records Desert recluse 2 open records, latest 1971
Rare records Brown widow 1 open record

Harmless spiders people mistake for them

Black Widow vs False Widow False widow: harmless

Quick answers

Questions

How many venomous spiders are in New Mexico?

2 species live in the state: Black widow and Tarantula.

Which venomous spiders in New Mexico are dangerous?

Black widow: bites or stings need medical care.

When are venomous spiders most active in New Mexico?

Most open records fall in July to October.

Which harmless spiders get mistaken for venomous ones in New Mexico?

False widow. See the side-by-side comparisons below.