Ohio’s Spiders

Ohio is rich in spider diversity.  At the time of this writing 700 native or “naturalized” species of spiders are known from Ohio.  The naturalized species have been accidentally introduced into Ohio and have established self-sustaining populations.  In addition, there are records of six additional introduced species that have been found in the state, but which have not established breeding populations here.  The majority of Ohio’s spiders belong to 20 common families. For an overview of these consult kinds of spiders.  Most of our spiders are harmless to humans and pets.  They represent a part of the natural environment as small or tiny predators which help to control their prey, mostly insects.  A few species that have been found in Ohio are know to be potentially hazardous.

For a guide to the spiders found in Ohio, their habits and biology, as well as notes about how to find and study spiders here, you may want to consult In Ohio’s Backyard: Spiders.  I wrote this book as a contribution to a series of books on familiar but misunderstood animals in Ohio published by the Ohio Biological Survey.  For more information about this book check here.