Kinds of spiders in Ohio

There are over 682 species of spiders known to occur in Ohio.  Many of these are widespread and common.  The 20 families of spiders in Ohio that include the largest proportion of species are:

Orb Web builders

• orbweavers (Family Araneidae)
• longjawed orbweavers (Family Tetragnathidae)

Funnel-shaped web builders

• funnel weavers (Family Agelenidae)
• hackledmesh weavers (Family Amaurobiidae)

Sheet web builders

• sheetweavers (Family Linyphiidae)

Space-filling web builders

• meshweavers (Family Dictynidae)
• cellar spiders (Family Pholcidae)
• cobweb weavers (Family Theridiidae)

Wandering hunters

day-hunting, active jumping, hopping in vegetation

• jumping spiders (Family Salticidae)
• lynx spiders (Family Oxyopidae)

day-hunting in flowers

• crab spiders (Family Thomisidae) some are found on ground, in woodpiles etc.

hunt on ground, day or night

• wolf spiders (Family Lycosidae)
• antmimic spiders (Family Corinnidae) usually daytime, sunny areas
• dwarf antmimic spiders (Family Phrurolithidae)
• stealthy ground spiders (Family Gnaphosidae) often hiding under cover

hunt on surfaces (tree trunks, logs, walls, rocks, water)

• nursery web or fishing spiders (Family Pisauridae)
• running crab spiders (Family Philodromidae)

night active on vegetation, in silken sac during the day

• sac spiders (Family Clubionidae)
• yellow sac spiders (Family Cheiracanthiidae; formerly known as Miturgidae or Eutichuridae)
• ghost spiders (Family Anyphaenidae)

These 20 families include 93 % of all spiders in our region.