Spiders in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has 53 spider species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 171 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the familiar jumping spider, the orchard orbweaver and the zebra spider. Medically significant: the northern black widow.
Widow spiders in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the northern black widow, with 5 records (3% of the state's spider records).
Jumping spiders in Rhode Island
Jumping spiders dominate the spider record of Rhode Island: 13 species and 35% of all records. The most recorded is the familiar jumping spider (12), ahead of the zebra spider (9).
Plus one: Whitman's jumping spider.
Wolf spiders in Rhode Island
Wolf spiders are a small part of the spider record here: four species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is the wetland giant wolf spider (4), ahead of the drumming sword wolf spider (1).
Orb weavers in Rhode Island
Orb weavers: ten species are listed for Rhode Island, with 28 records (16% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the garden spider (8), ahead of the sixspotted orbweaver (5).
Long-jawed orb weavers in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the orchard orbweaver, with 11 records (6% of the state's spider records).
Fishing and nursery web spiders in Rhode Island
Fishing and nursery web spiders: five species are listed for Rhode Island, with 14 records (8% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the banded fishing spider (5), ahead of the dark fishing spider (4).
Crab spiders in Rhode Island
Crab spiders are a small part of the spider record here: five species with 3% of records between them. The most recorded is the whitebanded crab spider (3), ahead of the goldenrod crab spider (2).
Cobweb spiders in Rhode Island
Cobweb spiders are a small part of the spider record here: three species with 0% of records between them. The most recorded is the boreal combfoot (0), ahead of the common house spider (0).
Sheetweb and dwarf spiders in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the filmy dome spider, with 3 records (2% of the state's spider records).
Ground and sac spiders in Rhode Island
Ground and sac spiders are a small part of the spider record here: four species with 1% of records between them. The most recorded is the parson spider (2), ahead of the broad-faced sac spider (0).
Other spiders in Rhode Island
Other spiders: six species are listed for Rhode Island, with 8 records (5% of the state's spider records). The most recorded is the spitting spider (3), ahead of Dysdera crocata (2).
Where in Rhode Island are spiders recorded most?
Washington County dominates: 37% of the state's licensed spider records come from it alone, and the top five counties hold 100%. 5 of Rhode Island's 5 counties have at least one licensed spider record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 63 | 36.8% |
| 2 | Providence County | 51 | 29.8% |
| 3 | Bristol County | 28 | 16.4% |
| 4 | Kent County | 19 | 11.1% |
| 5 | Newport County | 10 | 5.8% |
When do spiders come out in Rhode Island?
Observation records of spiders in Rhode Island run mostly April through October, peaking in June with 24% of them. December through February together hold under 2% of the records, so spiders in Rhode Island 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% | 4% | 7% | 22% | 24% | 9% | 13% | 13% | 5% | 1% | 1% |
Spiders: Rhode Island compared with its neighbors
Rhode Island ranks 48th of 50 states by the number of spider species listed; Texas leads with 386 species.
Every state bordering Rhode Island lists more spider species (Rhode Island: 53 species; Massachusetts 189, Connecticut 86).
What spiders are in Rhode Island? All 53 species
Ranked by licensed records in Rhode Island. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | Salticidae | 12 | 7.0% |
| 2 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | Tetragnathidae | 11 | 6.4% |
| 3 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | Salticidae | 9 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | Salticidae | 8 | 4.7% |
| 5 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | Salticidae | 8 | 4.7% |
| 6 | Garden spider Araneus diadematus | Araneidae | 8 | 4.7% |
| 7 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | Salticidae | 6 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | Pisauridae | 5 | 2.9% |
| 9 | Northern black widow venomous Latrodectus variolus | Theridiidae | 5 | 2.9% |
| 10 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | Araneidae | 5 | 2.9% |
| 11 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | Pisauridae | 4 | 2.3% |
| 12 | Hakka himeshimensis | Salticidae | 4 | 2.3% |
| 13 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | Araneidae | 4 | 2.3% |
| 14 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | Lycosidae | 4 | 2.3% |
| 15 | Filmy dome spider Neriene radiata | Linyphiidae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 16 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | Salticidae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 17 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | Pisauridae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 18 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | Scytodidae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 19 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | Araneidae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 20 | Whitebanded crab spider Misumenoides formosipes | Thomisidae | 3 | 1.8% |
| 21 | Dysdera crocata | Dysderidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 22 | Giant lichen orbweaver Araneus bicentenarius | Araneidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 23 | Goldenrod crab spider Misumena vatia | Thomisidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 24 | Grayish jumping spider Phidippus princeps | Salticidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 25 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | Gnaphosidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 26 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | Salticidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 27 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | Araneidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 28 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | Salticidae | 2 | 1.2% |
| 29 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | Araneidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 30 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | Amaurobiidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 31 | Black purse-web spider Sphodros niger | Atypidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 32 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | Araneidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 33 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | Salticidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 34 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | Araneidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 35 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | Pisauridae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 36 | Drumming sword wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa | Lycosidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 37 | Featherlegged orbweaver Uloborus glomosus | Uloboridae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 38 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | Araneidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 39 | Paraphidippus aurantius | Salticidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 40 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | Pisauridae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 41 | Whitman's jumping spider Phidippus whitmani | Salticidae | 1 | 0.6% |
| 42 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | Thomisidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | Theridiidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 44 | Broad-faced sac spider Trachelas tranquillus | Trachelidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 45 | Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum | Theridiidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 46 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | Thomisidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 47 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | Pholcidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 48 | Nearctic white-striped running crab spider Philodromus rufus | Philodromidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 49 | Northern yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium mildei | Cheiracanthiidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 50 | Rabid wolf spider Rabidosa rabida | Lycosidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 51 | Shoreline wolf spider Arctosa littoralis | Lycosidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 52 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | Theridiidae | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | White sac spider Elaver excepta | Clubionidae | 0 | 0.0% |
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.