Venomous spiders in Virginia
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
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
Active months
Rare records
- Rare records Brown recluse 30 open records
- Rare records Brown widow 2 open records, latest 2024
Harmless spiders people mistake for them
- Black Widow vs False Widow False widow: harmless
Wolf spiderHarmlessHarmless
Southern house spiderHarmlessHarmless
Cellar spiderHarmlessHarmless
False widowHarmlessHarmless
Quick answers
- Rare records Are there brown recluses in Virginia?
- Lives here Are there black widows in Virginia?
- Not here Are there tarantulas in Virginia?
Questions
How many venomous spiders are in Virginia?
1 species live in the state: Black widow.
Which venomous spiders in Virginia are dangerous?
Black widow: bites or stings need medical care.
When are venomous spiders most active in Virginia?
Most open records fall in May, July to September.
Which harmless spiders get mistaken for venomous ones in Virginia?
False widow. See the side-by-side comparisons below.
More for Virginia
- All venomous animals in Virginia
- Venomous snakes in Virginia
- Scorpions in Virginia
- Centipedes in Virginia