Spiders are a common sight anywhere you are, with many locations hosting more than their fair share of large and venomous arachnids. Most people are probably familiar with black widow spiders, wolf spiders and the hobo spider, but what are the bright red spiders that can be found in houses and yards?
Red Spider Facts and Information
Find out about the characteristics and habitats of the different types of red spider. Learn about and identify the clover mite, red house spider, woodlouse spider, jumping Johnson’s spider and the black widow.
Spiders come in all shapes, sizes and colors and with a variety of different traits and behaviors. If you see a red spider and you don’t know what it is, the main question you might have is: is it dangerous? Check out the information on each spider to see whether you should be worried or not and learn more about each arachnid on the way.
Red Spider FAQs
Are red spiders poisonous?
This is a common question about red spiders and most spiders in general. For the vast majority of spiders, even if they have poison or venom, the amount they can inject into a human is very small and usually will not cause any serious health issues. The exceptions are: if you happen to be allergic to spider venom and also, if a black widow bites you. In either case, the reaction can be treated and it’s extremely rare for severe symptoms to occur.
Is a bright red spider dangerous?
In nature, bright colors usually have two purposes:
- To attract other creatures for mating or pollination
- To act as a warning that the creature is toxic. This is sometimes true and sometimes just used as a survival mechanism
So if you see a bright red spider, should you be scared of it? In reality, red spiders do not pose any more of a threat than their counterparts of any other color. While it’s possible that you could be bitten by a red house spider or a woodlouse spider, neither one will cause you serious harm. If you see tiny little bright red clover mites, these are also totally safe for humans, if very annoying.
What kind of red spiders are there?
The most common red spider you’ll see is the woodlouse spider. These can be found in homes and yards across the nation. You may see a red house spider but these are not frequently found in the western states. Clover mites are tiny arachnids that may be mistaken for little spiders and are common almost everywhere. There are also a couple of species of spider with black bodies and bright red markings, such as the Johnson’s jumping spider and the black widow. Certain hobo spiders may also seem reddish in color, and can be identified by their large palpi or mouth parts, which can look like boxing gloves.
Fun Facts About Red Spiders
- The most venomous red spider is the redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) that is mainly found in Australia.
- Clover mites found in the US are female and do not need males to reproduce. This is called “parthenogenesis” and means that the offspring are full clones of the mother.
- The woodlouse spider is so-called because it mainly eats woodlice. Woodlice also go by different names, which means that this spider is also known by a few different handles such as: sowbug spider, pillbug hunter, slater spider and wood spider.
- Jumping spiders, such as the red backed Johnson’s jumping spider, can leap many times their own body length if they need to get away quickly. The Johnson’s jumping spider does this by changing its blood pressure to increase the amount of blood going to its legs. The sudden expansion of its eight legs causes the spider to fly through the air.
- The web of a black widow can look like a bit of a mess but they are deliberately tangled to trap prey until the spider can paralyze it with its venom. The eggs of the black widow are also stored in the web, attached in a cocoon until they hatch.
