19 Spiders Found in Georgia (With Pictures)

If you are from Georgia, you know it is quite common to find lots of different kinds of spiders in your yard, and it can be quite confusing trying to identify them all, and it’s important to know which ones, if any, are poisonous. If this sounds like you, keep reading while we list several of the most common species to help you stay better informed. We’ll provide you with a picture and a short description of each kind so you will know what you are looking at when you see it.

The 19 Spiders Found in Georgia

1. Starbellied Orb Weaver

The Starbellied Orb Weaver is a small spider that is not dangerous to humans, but it can produce a painful bite if cornered. However, this spider prefers to play dead, and spider bites from this species are extremely rare.

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2. American Grass Spider

The American Grass Spider has a pattern of stripes running from front to back with two white stripes on the abdomen. People often confuse it with the similar-looking wolf spider. Its bite is harmless to humans, and it rarely ventures outside its web.

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3. Giant Lichen Orb Weaver

The Giant lichen Orb Weaver is one of the heaviest types of orb weavers due to its large abdomen. It can be any of several colors, including orange, black, gray, green, and white. It’s a nocturnal species that rarely bites and is not poisonous.

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4. The European Garden Spider

The European Garden Spider is a non-venomous spider that can produce a painful bite if cornered. It is extremely common in the United States, and you can find them in every state. These spiders have thick hairs that give them a furry appearance.

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5. Marbled Orb Weaver

The Marbled Orb Weaver is similar to other orb weavers with its large round body. The body usually has elaborate and colorful stripes on it, and it isn’t dangerous to humans. Its rare bite resembles a bee sting. These spiders have short lifespans that usually begin in early spring and end in the winter.

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6. Shamrock Spider

The Shamrock Spider is another spider that you can find in many different colors, including red, orange, white, yellow, brown, and green. It has white bands on its legs that make it easy to identify. Its bite can be quite painful, but it is not venomous.

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7. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

The Black and Yellow Garden Spider is a slightly larger spider that you can find all over Georgia. It’s easy to identify thanks to the black and white coloring along with a banding pattern on its legs. It also creates a special pattern in the web center that may help it look larger to predators. Its bite is not dangerous to humans.

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8. Banded Garden Spider

The Banded Garden Spider has a white abdomen with several thin black and yellow bands across it. It usually creates webs between two and six feet wide and kills its prey using venom. However, this venom is not dangerous to humans and will usually only cause pain and mild swelling.

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9. Red-Spotted Ant Mimic Spider

The Red-Spotted Ant Mimic Spider is easily mistaken for the Black Widow, which is a poisonous spider. However, this breed is not dangerous to humans, though it can produce a painful bite. It gets its name from its ability to mimic ants by holding its front legs up to look like antennae. When it gets close enough to an ant, it attacks instead of using a web, making it one of the most aggressive spiders in Georgia.

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10. Long-Palped Ant Mimic Sac Spider

The Long-Palped Ant Mimic Sac Spider is another tiny spider that rarely gets larger than .5-inch long. Its body is mostly black with thin white stripes. It’s a hunter spider that attacks its prey instead of building a web, and it is fast-moving, which can give it the appearance of being aggressive. However, it rarely attacks humans or anything larger than what it considers prey, so attacks are rare. While painful, the bite I not harmful to humans.

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11. Northern Yellow Sac Spider

The Northern Yellow Sac Spider is one of the more dangerous spiders that you can find in Georgia. These little spiders are aggressive and are more likely o bite than almost any other spider, and it is often mistaken for the Brown Recluse. Its venom is not as deadly as the Brown Recluse, but it can cause severe swelling and open sores. We recommend taking a trip to the emergency room if you think one has bitten you.

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12. Leaf-Curling Sac Spider

The Leaf Curling Sac Spider is very small and almost looks like a large tick. There are many subspecies, and they all prefer to hide under rocks or leaves in a silk retreat. These species are not dangerous to humans and rarely bite.

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13. Fishing Spider

Fishing Spiders are any of several species that you can find all over the United States, including Georgia. These are among the largest spiders you can find in the states, with some growing to more than four inches. These spiders only become aggressive when protecting their eggs, and a bite usually only results in some minor swelling.

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14. Woodlouse Spider

The Woodlouse Spider has long legs and long fangs that can creep out most people. It also resembles the poisonous Brown Recluse. However, they are not harmful to humans or our pets. A bite can create some swelling, and it might also be itchy but won’t produce any long-term effects.

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15. Bowl and Doily Spider

Bowl and Doily spiders are extremely small and rarely grow to .5 inches. It has a dark abdomen with vertical white lines. Its head is reddish-brown, and its legs are long and thin. Females tend to build the web and the male cohabitates for extended periods.

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16. Spinybacked Orb Weaver

As you might have guessed, the Spinybacked Orb Weaver from the six spines it has along the back of its abdomen. It can come in a wide variety of colors and is one of the few spiders with a body wider than it is long. It’s a peaceful spider that rarely bites and only causes minor discomfort.

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17. Eastern Parson Spider

The Eastern Parson Spider is a dark-colored spider with gray markings on its abdomen. It prefers to stay outdoors under rocks or wood, so you don’t usually see them in the house. It’s a fast-moving spider that doesn’t use a web, preferring to attack its prey instead. Since it is aggressive, it won’t hesitate to bite, and it can be quite painful. However, there is no deadly toxin, and you will be fine when the pain subsides unless you have an allergic reaction.

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18. Southern House Spider

The Southern House Spider has a dark brown body with long dark brown legs. It builds its web inside crevices under the ground instead of out in the open like other spiders, and you will rarely see the female, as she prefers to spend her time developing the web. These spiders are not dangerous to humans.

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19. Black Widow

In Georgia, you can find both the Northern and Southern varieties of the Black Widow. These spiders have a black body with a red hourglass shape on their back. It’s highly toxic, and its bite can be 15 times more toxic than a rattlesnake bite. A bite from this spider will require immediate medical attention. Luckily, only a small number of people bitten die as a result.

Poisonous Spiders in Georgia

If you are spending time in the woods of Georgia, you will need to stay on the lookout for the North and South versions of the Black Widow as well as the Northern Yellow Sack Spider. While most people can recover from these bites without serious consequence, it’s important to immediately seek medical attention because you never know if someone will have an allergic reaction to the venom. Never try to handle these or any other spider without gloves, and always make sure there is a companion nearby in case you get into trouble.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few spiders to be found in Georgia and we’re sure that if you look hard enough, you will find even more. Luckily there aren’t too many poisonous spiders to worry about, but there are some, so you will need to stay vigilant. While some people might try to keep one of these spiders as a pet, it’s usually not very rewarding. If you attempt to keep a spider, we recommend one of the varieties that don’t create a web to feed them manually.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over this list and found a few spiders you didn’t know existed. If we have helped answer your questions, please share this list of 19 spiders found in Georgia on Facebook and Twitter.

Also see: 

• 17 Spiders Found in Tennessee (with Pictures)
• 20 Spiders Found in Hawaii (with Pictures)

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Featured Image Credit: Novama, Shutterstock