Ohio is home to a lot of wildlife. Its diverse landscapes of crop fields and hills make it a great place for animals of all types, spiders included. In fact, Ohio is presently home to 649 species of spiders. Many of those species will even take up residence in your house, catching and eating all of those annoying bugs that end up in your home. Here’s a list of 14 common house spiders in Ohio.
14 Common House Spiders in Ohio
1. The Common House Spider
Scientific Name: Parasteatoda tepdariorium
As its name suggests, this is the most common spider you will see in your Ohio home. It’s a peaceful, non-toxic spider that will stow away in a corner and build its web to catch food.
They don’t mind if you go near them. In fact, they will play dead when scared. They can bite but rarely do.
2. Long Bodied Cellar Spider
Scientific Name: Pholcus Phalangioides
This Ohio spider is also known as the Daddy Long Legs. They have a body like a peanut with legs up to 2 inches long. The Cellar Spider is known to make his messy, odd-shaped webs in quiet places like attics, cellars, and sheds.
3. Parson Spider
Scientific Name: Herpyllus ecclesiasticus
While it is common to see them in your house, the Parson spider also enjoys a good wood pile or shed. This spider looks like a traditional Halloween spider.
Not one to bother making webs, they just chase down their prey. They are not poisonous but do deliver a painful bite.
4. Brown Recluse
Scientific Name: Loxoceles reclusa
These long-legged brown spiders like to live in dark, humid areas. You’ll most likely find them in cellars or crawl spaces. This is where they spin their webs and patiently wait for their prey.
Their bite is toxic, painful, and sometimes fatal. The upside is they are very shy, so you probably won’t encounter one.
5. Triangulate Cobweb Spider
Scientific Name: Steatoda triangulosa
If you have a spider in your home in Ohio, chances are it’s this guy. The cobweb spider is one of the most common house spiders. They get their name from the triangle shapes on their bellies.
They enjoy windows but also like dark areas. Though they can give a painful bite, these spiders mind their business and stay in their webs waiting for food.
6. Northern Black Widow Spider
Scientific Name: Latrodectus variolus
With her familiar red hourglass marking on an otherwise slick black body, this spider has historically instilled fear in many. However, being timid, they rarely bite people. Should they bite, they are highly venomous.
Though there are male black widows, they are virtually harmless. Probably because they don’t have a long lifespan. The female Black Widow eats him soon after mating.
Black Widows hang upside down in their webs made in hollow logs, sheds, and crawl spaces.
7. Spitting Spider
Scientific Name: Scytodes
This 6-eyed, dome-shaped critter catches its prey by spitting on them! The fluid comes out sticky and venomous. They will then wrap up their catch in their web like a cocoon and save it for later.
8. Yellow Sac Spider
Scientific Name: Cheirocanthium inclusum
The Yellow Sac spider has a one-inch leg span and a bulbous body. Rather than a traditional web, they expel a long thread that lets them float from place to place.
They are not poisonous but their bites can cause severe swelling. They can be found anywhere in homes, gardens, and garages.
9. Bold Jumping Spider
Scientific Name: Phidippus audax
This colorful, fuzzy-legged arachnid has the best eyesight of all spiders. They have a total of 8 eyes. The Bold Jumping spider can jump 4 times its body length.
This makes it easy for them to jump right into an open window, hole in a screen, etc. Once inside, they will hide under furniture, in curtains, and in cabinets. They have large fangs and do bite, but the bite is not serious.
10. Nursery Web Spider
Scientific Name: Pisaurina mira
One of the most plentiful of the species that can be found in Ohio. They are non-poisonous and nonaggressive towards pets and humans. Though their venom can kill creatures up to the size of a small fish.
This is another situation where the female spider will eat her partner after they mate. They get their name from the great care the female spider takes with her eggs. She carries them in her mouth until they’re ready to hatch.
11. Deadly Ground Crab Spider
Scientific Name: Xysticus funestus
With the appearance of a tiny crab, this spider’s demeanor is the exact opposite of its name. The Deadly Ground Spider is non-venomous, peaceful, and harmless.
Only their prey, ground insects, need be concerned. They will visit your house but chances are, at a teeny 3/16 of an inch, you probably won’t notice.
12. Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Scientific Name: Argiope aurantia
One of the largest house spiders in Ohio, these spiders are completely harmless. They make beautifully designed webs. They love to be anywhere there are insects.
13. Wolf Spider
Scientific Name: Lycosidou
The Wolf spider is one of the biggest and fastest of house spiders in Ohio. They prefer dark, damp areas like cellars, sheds, and the crevices of porches.
They are mildly venomous and their bite is painful. The good news is they avoid people at all costs.
14. Long-Legged Sac Spider
Scientific Name: Cheiracanthium
These mildly toxic spiders have a wicked bite. They are very common to find inside homes in Ohio.
Typically, they will settle into a corner, sit on their web and wait for a random bug. They are great if you have insects. Just keep your distance.
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