Spiders in Maryland
Maryland has 153 spider species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 5,679 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver, the bold jumper and the familiar jumping spider. Medically significant: the northern black widow and the southern black widow.
Widow spiders in Maryland
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 (37), ahead of the southern black widow (25).
Observation records of the northern black widow in Maryland run mostly April through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Harford County, Frederick County and Prince George's County.
Jumping spiders in Maryland
Jumping spiders dominate the spider record of Maryland: 31 species and 30% of all records. The most recorded is the bold jumper (273), ahead of the familiar jumping spider (257).
Plus 19: Ribbon jumping spider, Dimorphic jumper, Zebra spider, Canopy jumping spider, Asian wall jumper, Thin-spined jumping spider, Common white-cheeked jumping spider, Slender ant mimicking jumping spider, Whitman's jumping spider, Common Hentz jumping spider, Hammerjawed jumper, Four-lined slender jumping spider, Habronattus coecatus, Habronattus decorus, Hakka himeshimensis, Phidippus pius, Colonus puerperus, Eris floridana, Short-bellied slender jumping spider.
Observation records of the bold jumper in Maryland run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Frederick County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County. Observation records of the familiar jumping spider in Maryland run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Frederick County and Baltimore County. Observation records of Paraphidippus aurantius in Maryland run mostly May through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Harford County and Prince George's County.
Wolf spiders in Maryland
Wolf spiders: 16 species are listed for Maryland, with 263 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the rabid wolf spider (66), ahead of the wetland giant wolf spider (59).
Plus four: Lance wolf spider, Gladicosa pulchra, Shore spider, Varacosa avara.
Observation records of the rabid wolf spider in Maryland run mostly May through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Frederick County and Prince George's County. Observation records of the wetland giant wolf spider in Maryland run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Baltimore County, Montgomery County and Howard County.
Orb weavers in Maryland
Orb weavers dominate the spider record of Maryland: 39 species and 26% of all records. The most recorded is the spined micrathena (183), ahead of the black-and-yellow argiope (175).
Plus 27: Cone-shaped orbweaver, Banded garden spider, Cyclosa turbinata, Lattice orbweaver, Red-femured spotted orbweaver, Sixspotted orbweaver, Spiny-backed orbweaver, Heptagonal orbweaver, Toadlike bolas spider, Humpbacked orbweaver, Greenlegged orbweaver, American bolas spider, Joro spider, Lined orbweaver, Bridge orbweaver, Larinia directa, Mangora spiculata, Tuftlegged orbweaver, Difoliate orbweaver, Openfield orbweaver, Red-backed orbweaver, Starbellied orbweaver, Red-spotted orbweaver, Fierce orbweaver, Nordmann's orbweaver spider, Giant lichen orbweaver, Shamrock orbweaver.
Observation records of the spined micrathena in Maryland run mostly July through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County. Observation records of the black-and-yellow argiope in Maryland run mostly July through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Frederick County and Anne Arundel County. Observation records of the arrowhead orbweaver in Maryland run mostly June through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Howard County.
Long-jawed orb weavers in Maryland
Long-jawed orb weavers: three species are listed for Maryland, with 389 records (7% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the orchard orbweaver (384), ahead of the eastern cave long-jawed spider (5).
Observation records of the orchard orbweaver in Maryland run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Frederick County.
Fishing and nursery web spiders in Maryland
Fishing and nursery web spiders: seven species are listed for Maryland, with 624 records (11% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the dark fishing spider (225), ahead of the nursery web spider (222).
Observation records of the dark fishing spider in Maryland run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Prince George's County. Observation records of the nursery web spider in Maryland run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Harford County and Prince George's County. Observation records of the white-banded fishing spider in Maryland run through most of the year, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Howard County and Montgomery County.
Crab spiders in Maryland
Crab spiders: nine species are listed for Maryland, with 231 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the American green crab spider (104), ahead of the whitebanded crab spider (55).
Observation records of the American green crab spider in Maryland run mostly June through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Frederick County and Baltimore County. Observation records of the whitebanded crab spider in Maryland run mostly June through September, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County and Frederick County. Observation records of the black-banded crab spider in Maryland run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Howard County and Baltimore County.
Cobweb spiders in Maryland
Cobweb spiders: twelve species are listed for Maryland, with 211 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the common house spider (92), ahead of the triangulate bud spider (42).
Most licensed records of the common house spider in Maryland come from Montgomery County, Howard County and Baltimore County. Observation records of the triangulate bud spider in Maryland run mostly April through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Baltimore County and Montgomery County. Most licensed records of the boreal combfoot in Maryland come from Montgomery County, Howard County and Baltimore County.
Funnel weavers and grass spiders in Maryland
Funnel weavers and grass spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 0.5% of records between them. The most recorded is Barronopsis jeffersi (21), ahead of the barn funnel weaver (6).
Lynx spiders in Maryland
Lynx spiders are a small part of the spider record here: three species with 0.5% of records between them. The most recorded is the striped lynx spider (24), ahead of Oxyopes aglossus (4).
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders in Maryland
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders are a small part of the spider record here: four species with 1% of records between them. The most recorded is the bowl and doily spider (50), ahead of the filmy dome spider (18).
Observation records of the bowl and doily spider in Maryland run mostly April through September, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Howard County and Frederick County.
Ground and sac spiders in Maryland
Ground and sac spiders: twelve species are listed for Maryland, with 177 records (3% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the parson spider (53), ahead of the garden ghost spider (36).
Observation records of the parson spider in Maryland run mostly January through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County. Observation records of the garden ghost spider in Maryland run mostly March through November, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Howard County. Observation records of the broad-faced sac spider in Maryland run mostly April through October, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Harford County.
Other spiders in Maryland
Other spiders are a small part of the spider record here: 13 species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is Dysdera crocata (38), ahead of the longbodied cellar spider (22).
Plus one: Marbled cellar spider.
Observation records of Dysdera crocata in Maryland run mostly February through October, peaking in March; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Prince George's County.
Where in Maryland are spiders recorded most?
Montgomery County leads with 1,232 records (22%), followed by Prince George's County and Frederick County; the top five counties hold 69% of the total. 23 of Maryland's 23 counties have at least one licensed spider record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery County | 1,232 | 21.7% |
| 2 | Prince George's County | 877 | 15.4% |
| 3 | Frederick County | 647 | 11.4% |
| 4 | Baltimore County | 600 | 10.6% |
| 5 | Howard County | 536 | 9.4% |
| 6 | Anne Arundel County | 463 | 8.2% |
| 7 | Harford County | 310 | 5.5% |
| 8 | Carroll County | 152 | 2.7% |
| 9 | Worcester County | 148 | 2.6% |
| 10 | Garrett County | 99 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Calvert County | 97 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Washington County | 89 | 1.6% |
When do spiders come out in Maryland?
Observation records of spiders in Maryland run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 16% 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% | 4% | 8% | 14% | 16% | 13% | 16% | 15% | 8% | 2% | 1% |
Spiders: Maryland compared with its neighbors
Maryland ranks 17th of 50 states by the number of spider species listed; Texas leads with 386 species.
Of the four states bordering Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania list more spider species (Maryland: 153 species; Virginia 176, Pennsylvania 164, West Virginia 90, Delaware 71).
What spiders are in Maryland? All 153 species
Ranked by licensed records in Maryland. The table shows the 60 most recorded of 153 listed spiders.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | Tetragnathidae | 384 | 6.8% |
| 2 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | Salticidae | 273 | 4.8% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | Salticidae | 257 | 4.5% |
| 4 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | Pisauridae | 225 | 4.0% |
| 5 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | Pisauridae | 222 | 3.9% |
| 6 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | Araneidae | 183 | 3.2% |
| 7 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | Araneidae | 175 | 3.1% |
| 8 | Paraphidippus aurantius | Salticidae | 161 | 2.8% |
| 9 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | Araneidae | 156 | 2.7% |
| 10 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | Salticidae | 149 | 2.6% |
| 11 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | Araneidae | 133 | 2.3% |
| 12 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | Thomisidae | 104 | 1.8% |
| 13 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | Araneidae | 99 | 1.7% |
| 14 | Magnolia green jumper Lyssomanes viridis | Salticidae | 95 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | Theridiidae | 92 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | Salticidae | 87 | 1.5% |
| 17 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | Salticidae | 80 | 1.4% |
| 18 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | Salticidae | 74 | 1.3% |
| 19 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | Araneidae | 70 | 1.2% |
| 20 | Basilica orbweaver Mecynogea lemniscata | Araneidae | 66 | 1.2% |
| 21 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | Lycosidae | 66 | 1.2% |
| 22 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | Salticidae | 65 | 1.1% |
| 23 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | Pisauridae | 63 | 1.1% |
| 24 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | Araneidae | 60 | 1.1% |
| 25 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | Lycosidae | 59 | 1.0% |
| 26 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | Araneidae | 57 | 1.0% |
| 27 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | Thomisidae | 55 | 1.0% |
| 28 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | Salticidae | 54 | 1.0% |
| 29 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | Salticidae | 53 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | Gnaphosidae | 53 | 0.9% |
| 31 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | Salticidae | 52 | 0.9% |
| 32 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | Linyphiidae | 50 | 0.9% |
| 33 | Ribbon jumping spider Metacyrba taeniola | Salticidae | 49 | 0.9% |
| 34 | Butterfly orbweaver Araneus pegnia | Araneidae | 48 | 0.8% |
| 35 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | Pisauridae | 48 | 0.8% |
| 36 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | Salticidae | 47 | 0.8% |
| 37 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | Araneidae | 45 | 0.8% |
| 38 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | Theridiidae | 42 | 0.7% |
| 39 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | Araneidae | 40 | 0.7% |
| 40 | Dysdera crocata | Dysderidae | 38 | 0.7% |
| 41 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | Theridiidae | 37 | 0.7% |
| 42 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | Anyphaenidae | 36 | 0.6% |
| 43 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | Thomisidae | 34 | 0.6% |
| 44 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | Trachelidae | 34 | 0.6% |
| 45 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | Theridiidae | 33 | 0.6% |
| 46 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | Araneidae | 33 | 0.6% |
| 47 | Georgia wolf spider Tigrosa georgicola | Lycosidae | 29 | 0.5% |
| 48 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | Salticidae | 28 | 0.5% |
| 49 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | Pisauridae | 27 | 0.5% |
| 50 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | Araneidae | 27 | 0.5% |
| 51 | Cyclosa turbinata | Araneidae | 25 | 0.4% |
| 52 | Lattice orbweaver Araneus thaddeus | Araneidae | 25 | 0.4% |
| 53 | Southern black widow venomous Latrodectus mactans | Theridiidae | 25 | 0.4% |
| 54 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | Oxyopidae | 24 | 0.4% |
| 55 | Canopy jumping spider Phidippus otiosus | Salticidae | 23 | 0.4% |
| 56 | Red-femured spotted orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum | Araneidae | 23 | 0.4% |
| 57 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | Araneidae | 23 | 0.4% |
| 58 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae | 22 | 0.4% |
| 59 | Barronopsis jeffersi | Agelenidae | 21 | 0.4% |
| 60 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | Amaurobiidae | 21 | 0.4% |
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.