Spiders in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has 189 spider species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 4,629 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver, the nursery web spider and the familiar jumping spider. Medically significant: the northern black widow.
Widow spiders in Massachusetts
One species of this group is listed for Massachusetts: the northern black widow, with 162 records (3% of the state's spider records).
Observation records of the northern black widow in Massachusetts run mostly May through August, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Norfolk County, Middlesex County and Essex County.
Jumping spiders in Massachusetts
Jumping spiders: 36 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 1,129 records (24% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the familiar jumping spider (247), ahead of the bold jumper (192).
Plus 24: Common white-cheeked jumping spider, Common Hentz jumping spider, Hammerjawed jumper, Pseudeuophrys erratica, Whitman's jumping spider, Habronattus decorus, Thin-spined jumping spider, Slender ant mimicking jumping spider, Cardinal jumper, Four-lined slender jumping spider, Hakka himeshimensis, Boreal paradise spider, Habronattus coecatus, Marbled purple jumper, Habronattus calcaratus, Habronattus viridipes, Phlegra hentzi, Downy jumping spider, Hart's jumping spider, Pelegrina exigua, Phidippus pius, Short-bellied slender jumping spider, Hoy's jumper, Minute jumping spider.
Observation records of the familiar jumping spider in Massachusetts run mostly April through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Dukes County and Barnstable County. Observation records of the bold jumper in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Essex County and Norfolk County. Observation records of the dimorphic jumper in Massachusetts run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Worcester County and Dukes County.
Wolf spiders in Massachusetts
Wolf spiders: 23 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 272 records (6% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the drumming sword wolf spider (85), ahead of the rabid wolf spider (43).
Plus eleven: Trochosa terricola, Lance wolf spider, Shiny wolf spider, Trochosa ruricola, Pardosa saxatilis, Trochosa sepulchralis, Woodland giant wolf spider, Pale thin-legged wolf spider, Redlined wolf spider, Schizocosa bilineata, Shore spider.
Observation records of the drumming sword wolf spider in Massachusetts run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Barnstable County, Middlesex County and Norfolk County. Observation records of the rabid wolf spider in Massachusetts run mostly May through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Barnstable County, Middlesex County and Plymouth County. Observation records of the shoreline wolf spider in Massachusetts run mostly June through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Barnstable County, Plymouth County and Worcester County.
Orb weavers in Massachusetts
Orb weavers: 31 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 691 records (15% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the garden spider (119), ahead of the black-and-yellow argiope (95).
Plus 19: Shamrock orbweaver, Furrow orbweaver, Humpbacked orbweaver, Tuftlegged orbweaver, Heptagonal orbweaver, White micrathena, Red-spotted orbweaver, Starbellied orbweaver, Labyrinth orbweaver, Lattice orbweaver, Lined orbweaver, Red-femured spotted orbweaver, Barn spider, Openfield orbweaver, Fierce orbweaver, Nordmann's orbweaver spider, Black-spotted orbweaver, Greenlegged orbweaver, Marsh orbweaver.
Observation records of the garden spider in Massachusetts run mostly July through November, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Plymouth County and Suffolk County. Observation records of the black-and-yellow argiope in Massachusetts are concentrated in August and September (91% of them); most licensed records come from Dukes County, Barnstable County and Middlesex County. Observation records of the spined micrathena in Massachusetts are concentrated in July and August (90% of them); most licensed records come from Barnstable County, Hampden County and Middlesex County.
Long-jawed orb weavers in Massachusetts
Long-jawed orb weavers: six species are listed for Massachusetts, with 319 records (7% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the orchard orbweaver (297), ahead of the green long-jawed orbweaver (19).
Observation records of the orchard orbweaver in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Plymouth County, Middlesex County and Barnstable County.
Fishing and nursery web spiders in Massachusetts
Fishing and nursery web spiders: five species are listed for Massachusetts, with 391 records (8% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the nursery web spider (260), ahead of the sixspotted fishing spider (65).
Observation records of the nursery web spider in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Barnstable County and Dukes County. Observation records of the sixspotted fishing spider in Massachusetts run mostly March through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Plymouth County, Middlesex County and Norfolk County. Observation records of the dark fishing spider in Massachusetts run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Bristol County, Essex County and Middlesex County.
Crab spiders in Massachusetts
Crab spiders: 16 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 230 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the whitebanded crab spider (69), ahead of the flower crab spider (59).
Plus four: Eurasian leaflitter crab spider, Ground crab spider, Oblong running spider, Xysticus luctans.
Observation records of the whitebanded crab spider in Massachusetts run mostly July through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Worcester County and Barnstable County. Observation records of the flower crab spider in Massachusetts run mostly July through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Barnstable County, Worcester County and Middlesex County. Observation records of the goldenrod crab spider in Massachusetts run mostly May through August, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Worcester County, Middlesex County and Essex County.
Cobweb spiders in Massachusetts
Cobweb spiders: eleven species are listed for Massachusetts, with 200 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the triangulate bud spider (72), ahead of the common house spider (69).
Related species: Euryopis funebrisObservation records of the triangulate bud spider in Massachusetts run mostly April through December, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County. Most licensed records of the common house spider in Massachusetts come from Barnstable County, Middlesex County and Dukes County. Observation records of the boreal combfoot in Massachusetts run mostly April through November, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County.
Funnel weavers and grass spiders in Massachusetts
Funnel weavers and grass spiders are a small part of the spider record here: four species with 0.3% of records between them. The most recorded is the Potter's grass spider (7), ahead of the barn funnel weaver (6).
Lynx spiders in Massachusetts
Lynx spiders are a small part of the spider record here: two species with 0.4% of records between them. The most recorded is the striped lynx spider (16), ahead of the western lynx spider (2).
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders in Massachusetts
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders: twelve species are listed for Massachusetts, with 161 records (3% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the filmy dome spider (91), ahead of Neriene variabilis (19).
Same family (Linyphiidae): Frontinella pyramitela
Same family (Linyphiidae): Frontinella pyramitela
Observation records of the filmy dome spider in Massachusetts run mostly May through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Dukes County, Barnstable County and Plymouth County.
Ground and sac spiders in Massachusetts
Ground and sac spiders: 26 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 192 records (4% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the parson spider (63), ahead of the white sac spider (26).
Plus 14: Long-legged ghost spider, Drassyllus creolus, Gertsch antmimic, Haplodrassus signifer, Johnson's sac spider, Phrurolithus similis, Phrurotimpus minutus, Phrurotimpus palustris, Scotinella pugnata, Sergiolus decoratus, Zelotes duplex, Zelotes fratris, Zelotes hentzi, Zelotes laccus.
Observation records of the parson spider in Massachusetts run mostly March through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Barnstable County and Plymouth County.
Other spiders in Massachusetts
Other spiders: 16 species are listed for Massachusetts, with 237 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is Dysdera crocata (60), ahead of the black laceweaver (32).
Plus four: Spermophora senoculata, Triangle weaver, Red-legged purseweb spider, Lathys pallida.
Observation records of Dysdera crocata in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County. Most licensed records of the black laceweaver in Massachusetts come from Suffolk County, Barnstable County and Middlesex County. Observation records of the longbodied cellar spider in Massachusetts run through most of the year, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Middlesex County, Dukes County and Worcester County.
Where in Massachusetts are spiders recorded most?
Middlesex County leads with 1,041 records (22%), followed by Barnstable County and Worcester County; the top five counties hold 70% of the total. 14 of Massachusetts's 14 counties have at least one licensed spider record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlesex County | 1,041 | 22.5% |
| 2 | Barnstable County | 835 | 18.0% |
| 3 | Worcester County | 574 | 12.4% |
| 4 | Dukes County | 436 | 9.4% |
| 5 | Norfolk County | 352 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Plymouth County | 348 | 7.5% |
| 7 | Suffolk County | 308 | 6.7% |
| 8 | Essex County | 303 | 6.5% |
| 9 | Bristol County | 119 | 2.6% |
| 10 | Franklin County | 93 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Hampden County | 88 | 1.9% |
| 12 | Hampshire County | 73 | 1.6% |
When do spiders come out in Massachusetts?
Observation records of spiders in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in August with 17% of them. December through February together hold under 2% of the records, so spiders in Massachusetts are rarely recorded in winter. The sharpest rise comes from April to May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1% | 2% | 7% | 13% | 17% | 14% | 17% | 16% | 9% | 3% | 1% |
Spiders: Massachusetts compared with its neighbors
Massachusetts ranks 10th of 50 states by the number of spider species listed; Texas leads with 386 species.
Massachusetts lists more spider species than any state it borders (Massachusetts: 189 species; New York 149, Connecticut 86, Vermont 74, New Hampshire 72, Rhode Island 53).
What spiders are in Massachusetts? All 189 species
Ranked by licensed records in Massachusetts. The table shows the 60 most recorded of 189 listed spiders.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | Tetragnathidae | 297 | 6.4% |
| 2 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | Pisauridae | 260 | 5.6% |
| 3 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | Salticidae | 247 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | Salticidae | 192 | 4.1% |
| 5 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | Theridiidae | 162 | 3.5% |
| 6 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | Araneidae | 119 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | Araneidae | 95 | 2.1% |
| 8 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | Salticidae | 94 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | Linyphiidae | 91 | 2.0% |
| 10 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | Salticidae | 86 | 1.9% |
| 11 | Drumming sword wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa | Lycosidae | 85 | 1.8% |
| 12 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | Salticidae | 82 | 1.8% |
| 13 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | Theridiidae | 72 | 1.6% |
| 14 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | Theridiidae | 69 | 1.5% |
| 15 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | Thomisidae | 69 | 1.5% |
| 16 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | Salticidae | 68 | 1.5% |
| 17 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | Pisauridae | 65 | 1.4% |
| 18 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | Gnaphosidae | 63 | 1.4% |
| 19 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | Araneidae | 62 | 1.3% |
| 20 | Dysdera crocata | Dysderidae | 60 | 1.3% |
| 21 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | Thomisidae | 59 | 1.3% |
| 22 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | Araneidae | 59 | 1.3% |
| 23 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | Salticidae | 56 | 1.2% |
| 24 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | Pisauridae | 51 | 1.1% |
| 25 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | Araneidae | 49 | 1.1% |
| 26 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | Araneidae | 47 | 1.0% |
| 27 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | Lycosidae | 43 | 0.9% |
| 28 | Shoreline wolf spider Arctosa littoralis | Lycosidae | 42 | 0.9% |
| 29 | Bridge orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius | Araneidae | 36 | 0.8% |
| 30 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | Salticidae | 35 | 0.8% |
| 31 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | Araneidae | 35 | 0.8% |
| 32 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | Theridiidae | 34 | 0.7% |
| 33 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | Amaurobiidae | 32 | 0.7% |
| 34 | Goldenrod crab spider Misumena vatia | Thomisidae | 32 | 0.7% |
| 35 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae | 32 | 0.7% |
| 36 | Paraphidippus aurantius | Salticidae | 32 | 0.7% |
| 37 | Bennett's laceweaver Callobius bennetti | Amaurobiidae | 30 | 0.6% |
| 38 | Giant lichen orbweaver Araneus bicentenarius | Araneidae | 29 | 0.6% |
| 39 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | Lycosidae | 26 | 0.6% |
| 40 | White sac spider Elaver excepta | Clubionidae | 26 | 0.6% |
| 41 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | Thomisidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 42 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | Araneidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 43 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | Salticidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 44 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | Anyphaenidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 45 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | Salticidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 46 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | Salticidae | 25 | 0.5% |
| 47 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | Uloboridae | 23 | 0.5% |
| 48 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | Salticidae | 22 | 0.5% |
| 49 | Green long-jawed orbweaver Tetragnatha viridis | Tetragnathidae | 19 | 0.4% |
| 50 | Neriene variabilis | Linyphiidae | 19 | 0.4% |
| 51 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | Araneidae | 18 | 0.4% |
| 52 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | Araneidae | 18 | 0.4% |
| 53 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | Scytodidae | 18 | 0.4% |
| 54 | Variegated ground spider Sergiolus capulatus | Gnaphosidae | 17 | 0.4% |
| 55 | Striped lynx spider Oxyopes salticus | Oxyopidae | 16 | 0.3% |
| 56 | Common Hentz jumping spider Hentzia palmarum | Salticidae | 15 | 0.3% |
| 57 | Hammerjawed jumper Zygoballus rufipes | Salticidae | 15 | 0.3% |
| 58 | Pseudeuophrys erratica | Salticidae | 15 | 0.3% |
| 59 | Shamrock orbweaver Araneus trifolium | Araneidae | 15 | 0.3% |
| 60 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | Linyphiidae | 14 | 0.3% |
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.