Welcome to Tennessee spiders where there’s more to talk about than the scary media favorites, the Brown Recluse spider and the Widow spiders.
Of course, they are the medically important spiders of the state. Every year brings local news stories of how to stay safe and sane during the season. Listen to the media and fear not. Truth be told, both species are wary of human engagement, and a bit of fore site and attention helps humans also avoid them.
Like most states, information on the number of spiders in Tennessee remains sketchy. One thorough study of spiders in the Smoky Mountain National Park (including Eastern Tennessee) reported on 461 species.
Following general trends for all the United States, the Sheetweb and Dwarf spiders family ranks at the top of the list for most spider species with over one hundred species.
Jumping spiders gets second place with about fifty species, followed by the orb weavers with about forty species.
Before looking at some common spiders, consider the five native Tennessee spiders in the Mygalomorphs group. They are all related to the tarantulas. Together they represent the most interesting of the least seen spiders in the state.
- Folding Door (Antrodiaetus unicolor)
- Black purseweb spider (Sphodros niger)
- Spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga)
- Cork-lid trapdoor spiders (Family Halonoproctidae)
- Southern Trapdoor Spider (Ummidia audouini)
- Ravine Trapdoor Spider (Cyclocosmia truncata)
The smallest of them is the Spruce-fir moss spider, one of only a few spider species ever listed according to the terms of the Endangered Species Act. It spends its life in the mountains along the border with North Carolina.
The names of the other species explains the activities for most Mygalomorph species. They dig burrows filled with silk and then extend the silk outward in some manner to trap their prey. So, for example, cork-lid trapdoor spiders create a door with a hinge that the spider can open and shut as it pursues prey.
The picture at the top of the page shows the Southern Trapdoor Spider (Ummidia audouini). Seeing and photographing one of these spiders is always a grea find for the spider life list.
As an aside, the Tennessee spiders are related to the celebrity spiders not found in the state. Based on the name, can you guess which trapdoor spider species they were named after?
- Aptostichus angelinajolie
- Aptostichus stephencolberti
- Aptostichus pennjillettei
- Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
Orb Weaving Spiders
The colorful Red-spotted Orb Weaver Araneus has a tendency to build its web at the top of trees and hunt at night.
The red-backed orbweaver. (Araneus guttulatus) also has nice green legs. It can be found in the East from Canada to the Gulf Coast states.
Barn Spider
Lattice Orbweavers
Araneus pegnia
The Furrow Orbweaver body looks kind of shiny. The pattern on the body can change but the darker edges are a good Identification clue.
Humpbacked Orbweaver
Stripes down the abdomen identifies the Difoliate Orbweaver.
Jumping Spiders
Slender Ant Mimic
Translucent Green Jumping Spider
Colonus sylvanus
Colonus peuperus
Phidippus princeps, sometimes called the grayish jumper, is a common eastern species.
Dimorphic Jumping Spider
Pike Slender Jumper
Thin-spined jumping spider
Cardinal Jumping Spider
Phidippus mystaceus are an interesting Southeast species with a variety of looks.
Phidippus Clarus
Phidippus pius female
Male Phidippus pius
Grayish Jumping Spider – mature male.
White-cheeked Jumping spider – Males have the dark body.
Female White-cheeked Jumping Spider
Twenty six different Pelegrina jumping spiders have been identified in the United States. Along the the Common White-cheeked jumping spider, the Peppered Jumping spider is one of the most common jumping spiders in the east.
Males have dark bodies with the picture highlighting the white spots peppered all over it, including the legs.
The Pantriopical jumping spider can be considered a common house spider of the Southeast, from Florida to Texas. They live around residential areas and build their egg sacs on structures, including houses, porches and sheds. There are only a few documented instances of their living in more wild environments. Like the other species presented, the male has a dark body. The white stripe pattern on the body provides additional identification help.
Here’s the female.
Including the Hammerjawed Jumping spider (Zygoballus rufipes) in the look alike category makes it an A-Z jumping spider group. They are another very common eastern species, so it’s easy to see how beginning enthusiasts might get confused with identification.
Female Hammer-jawed Jumping Spider
Finally, speaking of dull looking jumping spiders, here’s the Twin-flagged jumping spider (Anasaitis canosa), a Southern species.
The Tan jumping spider
Crab Spiders
Green Crab Spider
While eye patterns matter, the best initial field identification guide for the White-banded Crab Spider is to look below the eyes. Typically the presence of a white band, as shown in the picture, is clearly seen.
Synema parvulum also fits the drab body pattern of the previous species. The distinct darkening of the end of the abdomen makes it an easy to Southeast and Mid-Atlantic species.
Female Metallic Crab Spider
Males Metallic Crab Spiders
Lynx Spiders
Their unmistakable look of the Green Lynx spider makes for easy ID.
A few species of the brown form of Lynx spiders are common in lawns and gardens a bit further north. The Western Lynx spider also prefers to spend the day on low growing plants and bushes. Its small size means it could easily be mistaken for a jumping spider.
The Striped Lynx range extends across most of the United States.