Watch out! There’s something eight-legged and dark crawling up the wall of your Arizona home. There are more than a handful of arachnids that call Arizona home(that includes scorpions, by the way), but how concerned do you need to be?From little jumping spiders to huge tarantulas, we’ve got it all here in Arizona. While the sight of a tarantula may send us running, the bigger the spider doesn’t always mean the worse the bite. Today, we’re ranking Arizona’s spiders from harmless to deadly so you know when–and when not–to worry.
Arizona Spiders Ranked from Harmless to Deadly
12. Western Spotted Orb Weaver
The Western Spotted Orb Weaver is a small, attractive spider with a brownish-yellow coloration and distinctive light dots and triangles running down the abdomen. These little spiders (only about a half-inch in size) prefer open areas for their webs, so you’re most likely to find them in the yard or on a porch. You don’t generally need to worry about this orb weaver as its bite will cause very little pain to humans and you’re unlikely to get into a situation where it will bite you. Generally, these spiders do more good than harm, catching annoying insects in their webs around your home.
11. Beach Wolf Spider
Beach wolf spiders do prefer beaches, but their main preference is any sandy place they can call home. The Beach Wolf Spider varies in color from white to tan or brown, all with spotted markings along the body, providing them with camouflage on the sand.
The bite of this small spider can be painful, and it is poisonous, but not at a level that will harm humans. Since they are also not aggressive and rarely bite humans, they remain low on our list.
10. Western Parson Spider
The Western Parson Spider is a little, hairy dark-colored spider with white markings. These spiders do not use a web to catch their prey but hunt at night. While their bites hurt, most people will only be in discomfort for a short time.
9. Grand Canyon Black Tarantula
The Grand Canyon Black Tarantula is one of the largest spiders that can be found inArizona, however, as the name suggests, this spider is typically only found in and around the Grand Canyon.These tarantulas are not dangerous, but their bite is still painful, so you can look but don’t touch!
8. Western Desert Tarantula
Similar to the above spider, the Western Desert Tarantula might be large (typically growing 3-4 inches), but they are generally disinterested in humans and rarely venture inside. While their bite will hurt, the venom won’t do you any harm, and this type of tarantula is one of the most common types of pet tarantula.
7. Hirsute Paradise Spider
The tiny Hirsute Paradise Spider is a jumping spider that has a bright splash of color, often red, orange, pink, and blue, on its face and legs. Despite its teeny size (no bigger than 8mm), this spider does have a poisonous bite, which can cause mild pain and a little swelling for a short time.
6. Arizona Black Hole Spider
The Arizona Black Hole Spider is so named because it spins a web that is like a tube. This black, velvety spider is fairly harmless, with some mild pain from a bite and a little swelling. Provided you don’t disturb its home, you’re unlikely to come into contact with one.
5. Golden Huntsman Spider
The Golden Huntsman Spider is one of the largest spiders that can be found inArizona and across North America, reaching 3-5 inches across. These sandy, brown spiders are easily identifiable as they can move sideways and can climb across ceilings – they certainly don’t have many fans amongst the human population
While they may be one of the scariest spiders to come across on this list (at least at first glance), their venomous bite is typically painful, but it will not put you in danger.
4. Carolina Wolf Spider
Next up is the Carolina Wolf Spider which can be identified by shining a light in its direction. If it is a Wolf Spider (of any kind), you will see green eyes looking back at you. Creepy!
3. Brown Recluse Spider
This spider is another unassuming brown spider, but the key to this spider is in its name – it’s a recluse. Unfortunately for us, that means it likes to make its home in dark spaces, such as in boxes in the garage we haven’t been in for a while, or in the folds of our winter blankets.
These spiders are common and venomous. While their bite may not initially hurt all that much, their venom can lead to localized skin damage, muscular pain, and open wounds. If you think you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse, it’s best to head to the emergency room so they can stop the bite from getting worse.
2. Arizona Brown Spider
The Arizona Brown Spider needs to be avoided as their toxic bite will cause skin damage and can lead to tissue necrosis if left untreated. The bite will feel like a bee or wasp sting at first and then develop from there.
Although rarely fatal, if you believe you have been bitten by one of these spiders, you should head to the emergency room to ensure you get proper treatment to prevent long-term damage.
These spiders look unassuming-while we may run from a huntsman, these all-brown spiders are one of the ones you should be looking out for.
1. Western Black Widow
The most dangerous spider in Arizona is the Western Black Widow. With a shiny black body and red markings, they are easily identifiable and most of us learn to avoid these spiders as children.
The female’s bite, in particular, is packed with a powerful venom which releases a neurotoxin that will cause pain, fever, and nausea. There have been fatal cases with this spider bite, but it is usually only small children with compromised immune systems.
Again, if you believe you have been bitten by a Western Black Widow you need to get to a medical facility immediately for proper treatment.
We know that many people are scared of spiders, especially if you are worried they might be a threat to you or your family. If you find any of these spiders in your home in Arizona, or are unsure about a spider in your home, our experienced pest control team can help, even with the most dangerous on our list! Click here to request a free inspection and we’ll help you with any pest problem.
