Striped lynx spider (Oxyopes salticus)

The striped lynx spider is a spider in the family Oxyopidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 1,801 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 35 states, most of all California (662), Texas (579) and Oklahoma (98). Its observation records peak in April.

35states on record

1,801licensed U.S. records

Aprpeak month, observations

Novenomous to people

Oxyopes salticus is a species of lynx spider, commonly known as the striped lynx spider, first described by Hentz in 1845. Its habitat tends to be grasses and leafy vegetation; grassy, weedy fields, and row crops.

From Wikipedia: Oxyopes salticus, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Bitten? Call 911 for a venomous snakebite or any bite with trouble breathing. For advice on any bite or sting, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7, U.S.-wide). Do not cut the wound, suck out venom or use a tourniquet. General information, not medical advice. Do not handle or try to identify a snake or spider by this page; if unsure, treat it as venomous.

Is the striped lynx spider poisonous or venomous?

Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the striped lynx spider (family Oxyopidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.

Which states have the striped lynx spider?

Records are spread over 35 states; the top three, California, Texas and Oklahoma, hold 74% of them.

Source: GBIF, read 2026-09-29. A state is listed once GBIF holds at least 10 records of the species there under any license; Records counts only CC0 and CC BY records, so a listed state can show fewer.
#	State	Records	Share of state spiders	Rank in state
1	California	662	1.3%	16th of 309
2	Texas	579	2.0%	8th of 386
3	Oklahoma	98	1.9%	8th of 149
4	Illinois	79	0.4%	38th of 243
5	Florida	33	0.3%	59th of 237
6	Indiana	31	0.7%	29th of 133
7	Kansas	29	1.8%	10th of 94
8	Georgia	28	0.4%	51st of 186
9	New York	25	0.4%	49th of 149
10	Maryland	24	0.4%	54th of 153
11	Arkansas	19	1.2%	25th of 114
12	Tennessee	17	0.5%	50th of 138
13	Virginia	17	0.1%	91st of 176
14	Massachusetts	16	0.3%	55th of 189
15	Pennsylvania	15	0.2%	67th of 164
16	Nebraska	14	1.1%	18th of 71
17	Louisiana	13	0.3%	52nd of 107
18	North Carolina	12	0.1%	82nd of 184
19	Ohio	12	0.2%	79th of 332
20	Alabama	11	0.3%	71st of 143
21	Mississippi	9	0.6%	31st of 117
22	Missouri	9	0.4%	50th of 117
23	Kentucky	8	0.4%	51st of 103
24	Delaware	7	0.3%	55th of 71
25	Minnesota	7	0.2%	69th of 145
26	New Jersey	5	0.2%	80th of 127
27	Oregon	4	0.1%	56th of 88
28	Hawaii	3	0.1%	49th of 57
29	Michigan	3	0.1%	74th of 122
30	South Carolina	3	0.1%	82nd of 121
31	Arizona	2	0.0%	120th of 162
32	Connecticut	1	0.1%	69th of 86
33	Iowa	1	0.1%	50th of 57
34	Wisconsin	1	0.0%	130th of 149
35	Colorado	0	—	—

When is the striped lynx spider seen?

Across the U.S., observation records of the striped lynx spider run mostly March through September, peaking in April with 23% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 6% of them.

Season by state

The main season starts in the same month, March, in all 3 states whose main season falls within one calendar year. Each of these states peaks in a different month: April in Texas, May in California and July in Oklahoma.

Source: GBIF observation records (CC0, CC BY) by state and month, read 2026-09-29. States with fewer than 30 observation records with a month are left out.
State	Main season	Peak month	Observation records
Texas	March through September	April	552
California	March through October	May	540
Oklahoma	March through September	July	53

Where the striped lynx spider is recorded in each state

California

California holds 662 licensed records, the 16th most recorded of 309 spiders listed there. Its observation records in California run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Solano County, Merced County and San Diego County. Next come Santa Barbara County (36) and Los Angeles County (26).

Texas

Texas holds 579 licensed records, the 8th most recorded of 386 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Texas run mostly March through September, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Dallas County, Tarrant County and Denton County. Next come Travis County (38) and Collin County (36).

Oklahoma

Oklahoma holds 98 licensed records, the 8th most recorded of 149 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Oklahoma run mostly March through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Marshall County, Mayes County and Comanche County. Next come Cleveland County (9) and Tulsa County (8).

Illinois

Illinois holds 79 licensed records, the joint 38th most recorded of 243 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Illinois come from Jo Daviess County, Effingham County and Champaign County. Next come Marion County (4) and Lake County (3).

Florida

Florida holds 33 licensed records, the 59th most recorded of 237 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Florida come from Orange County, Okeechobee County and Collier County. Next come Alachua County (3) and Highlands County (3).

Indiana

Indiana holds 31 licensed records, the joint 29th most recorded of 133 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Indiana come from Lake County, Newton County and Porter County. Next come Greene County (1) and Johnson County (1).

Top counties in the U.S.

Source: GBIF licensed records by county (GADM level 2), read 2026-09-29.
#	County	State	Records	Share of U.S.
1	Solano County	California	411	22.8%
2	Dallas County	Texas	168	9.3%
3	Tarrant County	Texas	96	5.3%
4	Denton County	Texas	39	2.2%
5	Travis County	Texas	38	2.1%
6	Merced County	California	37	2.1%
7	San Diego County	California	36	2.0%
8	Santa Barbara County	California	36	2.0%
9	Collin County	Texas	36	2.0%
10	Los Angeles County	California	26	1.4%
11	Lake County	Indiana	24	1.3%
12	Jo Daviess County	Illinois	23	1.3%
13	Marshall County	Oklahoma	22	1.2%
14	Mayes County	Oklahoma	22	1.2%
15	Bexar County	Texas	22	1.2%

How recent are the striped lynx spider records?

Most of what is known about the striped lynx spider is recent: 79% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2023 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1926; the busiest year was 2024, with 316 records.

Source: GBIF licensed U.S. records with a year, read 2026-09-29.
Decade	Records	Share
1920s	15	0.8%
1930s	4	0.2%
1940s	3	0.2%
1960s	6	0.3%
1970s	9	0.5%
1980s	21	1.2%
1990s	36	2.0%
2000s	51	2.8%
2010s	385	21.2%
2020s	1,289	70.9%

Species recorded in the same counties

Of the 78 counties where the striped lynx spider is most recorded, 47 are also top counties for the bold jumper, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.

Source: GBIF licensed records, top counties per species and state, read 2026-09-29.
Species	Shared counties
Bold jumper	47
Banded garden spider	43
Black-and-yellow argiope	39
Spotted orbweaver	39
Whitebanded crab spider	38
Familiar jumping spider	33
Arabesque orbweaver	32
Green lynx spider	31

Other species of the genus Oxyopes with profiles here: Western lynx spider.

Green lynx spiderPeucetia viridans

Western lynx spiderOxyopes scalaris

GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.

About these numbers

A species is listed for a state once GBIF holds at least 10 records of it located inside the state by coordinates, under any license. Every count, share, month and county shown is computed only from records published under CC0 or CC BY, so a listed species can show few or no counted records. Monthly patterns show when people record spiders, which also reflects when people are outdoors. Venomous status follows taxonomy: pit vipers and coral snakes; widow and recluse spiders; the Arizona bark scorpion. Records filed under older names count for the species they belong to today. Full methodology.