North Carolina Spider Photos

Photographs by Will Cook, mostly taken in North Carolina.

Spider ID books

Agelenidae - Funnel-Web Spiders
Agelenopsis sp. 9534 - Carroll Co., VA 9/24/05
spider 80379 - Carroll Co., VA 8/2/08. With hopper prey.
spider 80415 - Carroll Co., VA 8/2/08. With caterpillar prey.
spider 90021 - Carroll Co., VA 8/17/08. With moth prey.
spider 110051 - Carroll Co., VA 10/4/08

Araneidae - Orb Weavers
Araneus marmoreus (Marbled Orbweaver) - Chatham Co., NC 9/22/2013
Argiope aurantia (Black-and-Yellow Argiope). Also known as the garden spider or writing spider, this is perhaps our most commonly noticed spider.
Argiope trifasciata (Banded Argiope) - Scotland Co., NC 9/24/03
Neoscona crucifera - a common spider in search of a common name
Neoscona domiciliorum (Spotted Orbweaver) - Tyrrell Co., NC 11/1/05
Nephila clavipes (Golden Silk Orbweaver, Banana Spider) - New Hanover Co., NC
Verrucosa arenata (Arrowhead Spider) - the distinctive triangle orb weaver
spider 9383 - Durham, NC 7/11/07
spider 1270049 - Carroll Co., VA 7/24/10

Filistatidae - Crevice Weavers
Kukulcania hibernalis - Southern House Spider - Durham, NC 4/14/2011

Lycosidae - Wolf Spiders
Tigrosa georgicola - Durham, NC 9/23/07. With cockroach prey.
spider 6343 - Clay Co., NC 5/12/06. With young on back.
wolf spider 50025 - Johnston Co., NC 4/20/08.
wolf spider 140657 - Granville Co., NC 5/16/09. With egg case.
wolf spider 150815 - Durham, NC 5/27/2009. With many babies on back!
wolf spider 150820 - Durham, NC 5/27/2009. Closeup of the babies!
wolf spider 1070143 - Orange Co., NC 5/12/2012. With back-riding young.

Oxyopidae - Lynx Spiders
Peucetia viridans (Green Lynx Spider) - fearsome predator of the pine savannas.

Pisauridae - Nursery Web Spiders
Dolomedes scriptus (Fishing Spider) - Bladen Co., NC 10/7/06. Huge!
Dolomedes tenebrosus (Fishing Spider)
Dolomedes vittatus (Fishing Spider) female and male - Buncombe Co., NC 7/8/06
Dolomedes sp. (Fishing Spider)? - Alleghany Co., NC 4/15/06
Dolomedes sp. (Fishing Spider) - Eno River, Durham Co., NC 8/19/07
Dolomedes sp. (Fishing Spider) - Eno River, Durham Co., NC 8/19/07
Pisaurina sp. (Nursery Web Spider) - Fairfax Co., VA 9/11/05
Pisaurina sp. (Nursery Web Spider) - Granville Co., NC 9/10/06
Pisaurina sp. (Nursery Web Spider) - Orange Co., NC 5/7/2011

Salticidae - Jumping Spiders
Lyssomanes viridis (Green Jumping Spider) - Dare Co., NC 3/24/02.
jumping spider 9488 - Carroll Co., VA 7/25/04
jumping spider 2038 - Wake Co., NC 6/4/05
jumping spider 9367 - with moth prey - Durham, NC 7/11/07
jumping spider 9380 - Durham, NC 7/11/07
jumping spider with dragonfly prey - Moore Co., NC 3/22/08.
jumping spider 80716 - Durham, NC 8/6/08
spider 120506 - Durham, NC 11/15/08
spider 120511 - Durham, NC 11/15/08 (same individual)
spider 130580 - Pender Co., NC 4/19/09
jumping spider 140555 - Granville Co., NC 5/16/09

Tetragnathidae - Longjawed Orb Weavers
Tetragnatha sp. 2606 - Bladen Co., NC 10/7/06
Leucauge venusta (Orchard Orbweaver) - Durham, NC 5/27/08

Theridiidae - Cobweb Spiders
Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow) - Mecklenburg Co., VA 5/2/06. One of our more common spiders. Females are easy to identify: black with a red hourglass on the underside and a red spot above the spinnerets. While females are venemous, the bite is rarely fatal.

Thomisidae - Crab Spiders
Misumenoides formosipes (Whitebanded Crab Spider)
crab spider impaled on leaf tip - Alleghany Co., NC 7/1/06
spider 3017 - Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06
Crab spider sp. 5613 - Clay Co., NC 5/19/07
spider 2832 - Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07
spider 2833 - Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07. Same individual as above.

Unidentified Spiders
large spider 3830 - Carroll Co., VA 9/24/05
spider 5608 - Durham, NC 5/16/07
spider 9922 - Carroll Co., VA 7/14/07
spider 1253 - Carroll Co., VA 8/17/07
spider 2848 - Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07
large spider 10087 - Durham, NC 10/6/07
large spider 10259 - Durham, NC 10/23/07
spider 50869 - Durham, NC 5/8/08
spider 80935 - Carroll Co., VA 8/16/08
spider 80948 - Carroll Co., VA 8/16/08. With beetle prey.
spider 80964 - Carroll Co., VA 8/16/08. Same individual.
Spiderlings - Scotland Co., NC 11/1/08.
spider 120503 - Durham, NC 11/15/08
spider 130386 - Durham Co., NC 4/11/09
spider 1230813 - Vance Co., NC 5/20/10
newly hatched baby spiders - Carroll Co., VA 5/16/10
spider 1100269 - Durham Co., NC 9/9/2012.
spider 1140873 - Durham Co., NC 9/19/2013.
spider 1130149 - Carroll Co., VA 7/18/13 (female)
spider 1130153 - Carroll Co., VA 7/18/13 (male of same species)
spider 1130506 - Umstead State Park, Wake Co., NC 7/24/2013

 

Recommended Spider Books:

Though web sites are helpful, it's easier to learn how to identify spiders by studying good books. Here are a few to get you started. If you would like to help support this web site, please click on the images below to buy through Amazon.

Field Guides

Common Spiders of North America
by Richard A. Bradley, illustrated by Steve Buchanan (2012)

This brand new guide looks like a fantastic resource! Though a little big to take in the field, this tome fills a large gap in natural history field guides, providing beautiful illustrations of over 500 species of spiders found throughout the US and Canada.

Spiders and their Kin (Golden Guide)
by Herbert W. Levi, Lorna R. Levi, and Nicholas Strekalovsky (2001)

My parents had an earlier version of this -- probably the first ID book I ever picked up as a child. It gives a basic overview of arachnids; a great introduction for kids.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders
by Lorus and Margery Milne (1980)

The first field guide I ever owned; my sister gave this to me when I was 14, helping spur my interest in nature. Only covers about 60 or so spiders, but it's worth having on hand.

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America
by Arthur V. Evans and Craig Tufts (2007)

This newer guide features 22 pages on spiders, about 60 species. Great photos help identify the most common types.

Spiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide
by W. Mike Howell and Ronald L. Jenkins (2004)

Great photos and detailed information on identification, ecology, and behavior of a selection of common species. Written by arachnologists for the advanced layman.

Spiders of the Carolinas
by L. L. Chick Gaddy (2009)

I haven't seen this one, but it looks like it's worth checking out. Not really Carolina-specific despite the title (part of a cookie-cutter series for each state), this photo guide covers 100 of our most common species.


Spider Biology

The Private Life of Spiders
by Paul Hillyard (2008)

This new book, aimed at a general audience, features large photos and lots of interesting tidbids about spiders.

Biology of Spiders, 2nd Edition
by Rainer F. Foelix (1996)

Detailed treatment for those who seek a scientific understanding of spider biology. Aimed at college students and serious amateurs.

Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual
by Darrell Ubick, Pierre Paquin, Paula E. Cushing, and Vince Roth (2005)

This technical guide is essential for those who need detailed information on how to identify spiders with precision. Useful for identifying spider specimens with a hand lens or microscope -- not a field guide. Target audience: arachnologists and advanced amateurs.


Comments? Questions? E-mail me at cwcook@duke.edu

All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted.