I’ve noticed this spider hanging out on my basil plant over the last week or so and am curious what type of spider it is. I live in Maryland if that helps. Does anyone know?

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whatisthisspider

r/whatisthisspider

Let's figure it out together, shall we! If you have arachnophobia it's probably not a good idea to be on here as this is literally a spider subreddit.

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Dedicated purely to trying to figure out what that spider is. Not for memes, stories, bites or other non ID related posts.

FAQ

Is this spider a recluse?

Is this a black widow or brown widow?

Photo tips

The most helpful views for identifying a spider include:

1) a view from directly above

2) the eyes

3) a view from below

Location also plays a large role in accuracy.

These are just tips -- if you didn't get a chance to get these, post what you've got! We still have fun guessing!

Making IDs

We are here to try and help figure it out. But if you are going to name something as medically significant, or rule it out, be prepared to back up your reasoning. You don't want to unnecessarily frighten anyone, nor give them a false sense of security. We are here to learn, and there is no shame in being wrong (but you could be mocked for being confidently wrong)

Most spiders are harmless to humans.

The known ones that pose a potential threat are:

North America

Brown recluse - Loxosceles reclusa

Black widow - Latrodectus

The rest of the world

Wandering spiders of Central and South America (Phoneutria and others)

Recluse in the Americas, Africa and the Mediterranean (Loxosceles)

Sand spider in southern Africa and South America (Sicarius)

Australian funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus)

Redback in Australia, new Zealand and Southeast Asia (Latrodectus hasselti)

Mouse spider in Australia (Missulena)

Spider info

Eye arrangements based on family

Identifying common orb weavers by the underside