Flower Crab Spider
Welcome to Massachusetts spiders.
Spider diversity in Massachusetts has been documented in a variety of ways.
One example of a Massachusetts spiders study comes from a 1997 article for the The Journal of Arachnology called Behavior And Niche Selection By Mailbox Spiders. Basically it’s a review of spiders documented by mailman on a rural Cape Cod route during an eight year time span.
Of the approximately 500 species in rural Massachusetts where the mailbox study occurred, 72 species took up residence in the mailbox. Of those, 39 species were considered year round residents.
April through October marked the typical spider species, with June and July being the best months for spider diversity.
Crab Spiders
It’s sometimes difficult to identify Crab Spiders using body color. Body hair and eye configuration can help. Here’s a few examples.
Flower Crab Spider yellow
Yellow and Red Northern Crab Spider
Northern Crab Spider white
Northern Crab Spider yellow
Swift Crab Spider
Slender Crab Spider
Ground Crab Spider
Lynx Spiders
Striped Lynx Spider Eyes
Lynx spiders can be abundant in residential areas. The following pictures might help with ID.
Striped Lynx Spider top
Western Lynx Spider Eyes
Western Lynx Spider Female
Western Lynx Spider Juvenile
Western Lynx Spider Male
Jumping Spiders
Bold Jumping Spider
A couple hundred jumping spider species inhabit residential areas, many with limited ranges. Body color can change over the course of time, as with the species presented here. See Jumping Spiders for more complete information.
Bold Jumping Spider
Bronze Jumping Spider Female
Bronze Jumping Spider Male
Zebra Jumping Spider
Zebra Jumping Spider Side
Zebra Jumping Spider Eyes
Brilliant Jumping Spider face
Brilliant Jumping Spider side view
Brilliant Jumping Spider top view
Orb Weaving Spiders
Zygiella x-notata
Massachusetts hosts a variety of orb weaving spider species, many of them regionally situated. Some of the species come in a range of colors.
Here’s a few of the more common species with a wider geographical range. See Orb Weaving Spiders for more detail.
Yellow Writing Spider bottom view
Yellow Writing Spider top view
Banded Writing Spider
Cross Orb Weaving Spider
Araneus nordmanni
Trashline Orb Weaver
Gray Cross Spider
Larinioides patagiatus orange shade
Larinioides patagiatus brown shade
Larinioides patagiatus bottom
Sleeping Orb Weaving Spider
Long-jawed Orb Weaver
Long-jawed Orb Weaver side view
More Spiders and Relatives
Ground Spider
Pirate Otter Spider
Opaline or Daddy Long Legs
Dog Tick Female
Dog Tick Male