Snakes and spiders in Hawaii County, Hawaii
Hawaii County, home of Hilo, has 1 snake and 31 spider species on record, from 12 licensed snake and 3,432 spider records. Venomous species here: the western black widow.
Are there venomous snakes or spiders in Hawaii County?
Yes. The western black widow: 10 licensed records, 100% of all Hawaii records of it.
What spiders are in Hawaii County?
In all, 31 spider species are on the Hawaii County list. The most recorded are Tetragnatha quasimodo (404), Tetragnatha hawaiensis (293) and the banana spider (146). Hawaii County holds more than half of all Hawaii records of Tetragnatha quasimodo, Tetragnatha hawaiensis, Tetragnatha anuenue and Tetragnatha brevignatha.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Hawaii records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tetragnatha quasimodo | 404 | 82% |
| 2 | Tetragnatha hawaiensis | 293 | 95% |
| 3 | Banana spider Argiope appensa | 146 | 35% |
| 4 | Tetragnatha anuenue | 143 | 100% |
| 5 | Tetragnatha brevignatha | 120 | 100% |
| 6 | Tetragnatha perkinsi | 100 | 100% |
| 7 | Asian spiny-backed spider Thelacantha brevispina | 72 | 34% |
| 8 | Black cobweb spider Steatoda capensis | 50 | 86% |
| 9 | Tenuiphantes tenuis | 48 | 100% |
| 10 | Gray house spider Badumna longinqua | 46 | 100% |
| 11 | Miller dwarf weaver Erigone aletris | 35 | 97% |
| 12 | Tetragnatha acuta | 31 | 56% |
| 13 | Meriola arcifera | 22 | 100% |
| 14 | Hawaiian happy face spider Theridion grallator | 21 | 78% |
| 15 | Tetragnatha restricta | 11 | 48% |
| 16 | Corner funnel weaver Hololena curta | 10 | 100% |
| 17 | Western black widow venomous introduced Latrodectus hesperus | 10 | 100% |
| 18 | Huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria | 9 | 15% |
| 19 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 8 | 31% |
| 20 | Gray wall jumper Menemerus bivittatus | 7 | 12% |
| 21 | Lami beach northern jumping spider Cosmophasis lami | 7 | 30% |
| 22 | Adanson's house jumper Hasarius adansoni | 6 | 10% |
| 23 | Neoscona theisi | 5 | 5% |
| 24 | Western spotted orbweaver Neoscona oaxacensis | 4 | 100% |
| 25 | Habronattus pyrrithrix | 3 | 100% |
| 26 | Ariamnes waikula | 2 | 100% |
| 27 | Ascyltus pterygodes | 2 | 25% |
| 28 | Hogna crispipes | 1 | 100% |
| 29 | Spiny-backed orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis | 1 | 3% |
| 30 | Habronattus mexicanus | — | — |
| 31 | Theridion acutitarse | — | — |
When are spiders out in Hawaii County?
Observation records of spiders in Hawaii County run mostly October through May, peaking in March with 31% of them, the same peak as Hawaii as a whole.
What stands out in Hawaii County
Species for which Hawaii County holds a large share of all Hawaii records: Meriola arcifera, 100% (22 of 22); Tetragnatha brevignatha, 100% (120 of 120); Tetragnatha anuenue, 100% (143 of 143); Tetragnatha perkinsi, 100% (100 of 100); the gray house spider, 100% (46 of 46); Tenuiphantes tenuis, 100% (48 of 48); the Miller dwarf weaver, 97% (35 of 36); Tetragnatha hawaiensis, 95% (293 of 307).
Common in Hawaii, not on the Hawaii County list
Among the spiders most recorded across Hawaii, these do not reach the county list: Tetragnatha eurychasma (105 statewide), Tetragnatha kamakou (78 statewide), Tetragnatha filiciphilia (77 statewide) and Tetragnatha stelarobusta (63 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Hawaii County among Hawaii counties
By licensed snake records Hawaii County ranks 4th of 4 Hawaii counties with any.
Other Hawaii counties with their own page: Honolulu County, Maui County and Kauai County.
The whole state: venomous species in Hawaii, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.