Common Spiders Found in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma

The brown recluse spider lives inside houses as well as in its surroundings. Inside homes, they like dark places, such as cracks, corners, seldom used clothes, curtains, and inside furniture. Yet, it is prevalent for a spider to get trapped in showers and bathtubs because of its smooth surface.

Wolf spiders are large, hairy spiders usually patterned with a mixture of black, gray, and brown. Wolf spider is a common name for the spider family Lycosidae. Wolf spiders look particularly malicious; however, they are generally considered innocuous to humans because they will not bite unless absolutely provoked.

Size: Range from 1/2 to 2 inches in length

Behavior: Wolf spiders are active hunters during the day and night (depending on the species).

They are a common spider and usually enter structures underneath doors or through cracks in the exterior walls. In many species, female wolf spiders lay dozens of eggs at one time and wrap them in a large ball of web. The female will then carry the egg sac with them until the spiderlings hatch. Upon hatching, the spiderlings will live on the mother’s back for a few weeks until they are large enough to hunt independently.

The female black widow is easily recognized by her shiny black body and red hourglass marking underneath her round abdomen. Although black widows can be found in nearly every state, they are most common in the southern areas of the United States. The black widow makes her home in woodpiles, under eaves, and other undisturbed places.

The bite of a black widow spider can be serious and require medical attention. Symptoms include pain radiating from the site of the bite, nausea, overall aching of the body, profuse sweating, and labored breathing.

Long-bodied Cellar Spiders are common spiders that build loose webs in the corners of the ceiling or other quiet corners. These are also called vibrating spiders. When disturbed, they violently spin in a fast circular motion.

The Yellow Garden Spider is part of the orb-weaving spider family. The females are black and yellow in color and much larger than the males. The males have less coloring and are smaller than the female. The spiders enjoy building the web in flower beds, gardens, or by a field, and sometimes they build a web on the eve of homes or near a porch light. They produce venom, which immobilizes their prey like bugs, wasps, grasshoppers; however, they are harmless to humans. The spiders rebuild their webs daily; they eat and then rebuild the web. They have a distinctive zigzag pattern in their webs