11 Most Venomous Spiders in Texas

Spiders in Texas are as iconic to its natural landscape as cowboys are to its cultural legend. Just as cowboys roam wide-open plains, spiders do, too. And they inhabit hidden corners of fields, forests, and homes, maintaining a quiet presence yet playing an essential role. The Lone Star state is home to various spider species, from the unassuming orb weavers to the shy brown recluse and the notorious black widow. These spiders are resilient, adaptable, and often misunderstood, weaving webs that are as much a part of Texas lore as its ranches and rodeos. In Texas, of the 900 species of arachnids in the state, only two types of venomous spiders are considered medically significant, the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) and the black widow (Latrodectus mactans). Still, it's important to recognize those on this list of the 11 most venomous spiders in Texas.

Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)

Brown recluse spiders are one of the most feared spiders in Texas. In North and Central Texas, these spiders inhabit wooded areas like forests and parks. In South Texas, brown recluse spiders like to build their webs in dry, grassy regions like prairies or pastures. They are active at night and early morning, weaving their webs in hard-to-reach places, like corners and under furniture. Loxosceles reclusa can be identified by the violin-shaped pattern or fiddle-like marking on their backs and their yellowish-brown color. Brown recluse spiders are venomous, and while bites are very rarely fatal to humans, they can cause serious injury. If bitten by a brown recluse spider, seek medical assistance immediately, as their bites can lead to complications.

Mediterranean Recluse (Loxosceles rufescens)

As its name suggests, the Mediterranean recluse spider originated in the Mediterranean region. It is now found in many parts of the world and is among the world's most invasive spiders. Loxosceles rufescens prefer damp areas like caves, basements, and tunnels. They spin messy webs, which they use to store their egg sacs and as a hiding spot during the day. The Mediterranean recluse hunts for silverfish, cockroaches, and other small insects at night. Loxosceles rufescens is almost indistinguishable in appearance from Loxosceles reclusa, with the telltale violin-shaped pattern on its back. The Mediterranean recluse spider has fangs, which may appear as two tiny puncture marks on the skin after being bitten, but their bite is usually painless. The area may get red, tender, and inflamed two to eight hours after the bite, but most bites do not require medical attention.

Texas Recluse (Loxosceles devia)

The Texas recluse is found throughout the state. Outside of the United States, the Texas recluse is found in Mexico but is easily mistaken for Loxosceles reclusa and other species in the genus. This spider lives mostly under stones, in abandoned rodent burrows, and other natural refuges outdoors. Loxosceles devia are generally yellowish-brown to tan in color. Still, the telltale violin-shaped marking of the brown recluse spider is not visible, and the abdomen is uniform in color, with no markings on it. The spider’s venom contains a necrosis-causing enzyme, and its venom is potentially dangerous to humans. Reactions can vary from redness and itching to necrotic damage to the tissue surrounding the bite, which requires medical intervention. In extreme cases, the spider’s venom can be systemic, affecting the vascular system, and potentially fatal.

Apache Recluse (Loxosceles apachea)

The Apache recluse spider is known to occur in Texas as well as eastern New Mexico, along the Pecos River valley. They may hitchhike in a traveler’s belongings when they travel from regions where the spiders live, which is how they likely wound up in Texas. Outdoors, the spiders tend to hide under objects on the ground, like rocks and boards, and their webs are usually in dark, quiet, undisturbed locations. Loxosceles apache is most similar in appearance to the cellar spider (aka daddy long-legs), but they are not as slim, and their legs are not as long. The Apache recluse is almost identical in appearance to the brown recluse spider, including a dark fiddle-like shape on top, but it is smaller and is a lighter shade of brown. The toxicity of the venom of an Apache recluse bite is not well-known, as bites are rare. They are probably similar to bites of the brown recluse.

Arizona Recluse (Loxosceles arizonica)

The Arizona recluse can be found in several states, including Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, as well as in Mexico. Arizona recluse spiders are also known as “Arizona brown spiders.” They belong to the Loxosceles family of recluse spiders, but these spiders are slightly smaller than the brown recluse. Loxosceles arizonica has a similar dark fiddle marking, but the pattern is less distinct than the brown recluse. They prefer secluded areas like rock and woodpiles outside or storage boxes and attics inside. The Arizona recluse’s necrotic bite can cause tissue damage similar to that of a brown recluse.

Big Bend Recluse (Loxosceles blanda)

Loxosceles blanda can be found primarily in Western Texas. Due to their preference for dark and undisturbed places like dark, dingy areas like basements, cellars, and cupboards, encounters with humans are relatively rare. Loxosceles blanda are typically not aggressive and are not known to bite except when threatened. Their venom is potentially deadly, like all other recluse spiders. On the plus side, Big Bend recluse spiders are natural pest controllers. They help maintain the insect population by preying on common pests such as crickets, cockroaches, flies, and moths. They are nocturnal, hunting for prey at night and remaining hidden during the day.

Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)

The southern black widow is one of the most common native widow spiders. The species is native to North America. It ranges as far north as southern New York, as far south as Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. It has also been found in parts of southern Canada. The southern black widow prefers to be outside in exterior structures, such as barns, garages, sheds, and outhouses, and only accidentally gets inside by being carried into the house. Latrodectus mactans is known as the southern black widow or simply black widow, and the females of the species are easily recognizable by their spiny black coloring with a red hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of their very round abdomen.

Southern black widow spiders are shy and non-aggressive, and bites rarely occur unless the spider is taunted or accidentally disturbed, crushed, or trapped against human skin when putting on a shoe, clothing, or a glove where a spider might be hiding. The southern black widow’s bite is dangerous due to its potent neurotoxin, and its bites are systemic, which spread through a traveler’s lymphatic system. Within one to three hours after a bite, symptoms include severe pain, muscle cramping, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Seek medical attention if a black widow spider bite is suspected.

Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus variolus)

The northern black widow shares much of the same habitat as the southern black widow. Lactrodectus variolus hides in natural spaces like hollow tree stumps or rock piles and in manufactured structures like stone walls, woodpiles, unused sheds, and greenhouses. Northern black widows tend to be timid and, if disturbed, will flee and not defend their habitat. Unlike the southern black widow, the distinctive hourglass marking on the underside of the northern black widow’s abdomen is incomplete in the middle. Instead, they have a series of red spots along the middle of the abdomen and lateral white stripes on the abdomen. The toxin released from the bite of the northern black widow affects the central nervous system. Pain can be felt almost immediately after the bite and increases for one to three hours but may last as long as 24 hours. If bitten, symptoms include pain at the bite site, abdominal cramping, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Fatal bites are very rare.

Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)

The Western black widow is found throughout the western United States, being most common in the southwest states. This species displaces the southern black widow in southwestern Texas through the Lower Rio Grande River Valley and adjoining parts of Mexico. Latrodectus hesperus is black, often with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the lower abdomen; however, the hourglass mark can be yellow and, on rare occasions, white. A western black widow bite can cause severe pain at the bite site and lead to painful muscle contractions. Other symptoms include pain, nausea, goosebumps, and localized sweating. These bites are generally not life-threatening in healthy adults, but children and older people should seek medical attention as a precaution.

Brown Widow (Lactrodectus geometricus)

The brown widow is an introduced species in the US. It has rapidly expanded its territory and is now found throughout Texas. They are sometimes called “gas station spiders” because they build webs in service stations. Lactrodectus geometricus has a very different look than the other widow spiders. They are all brown with a black and white geometric pattern on the sides of their abdomen and orange-yellow hourglasses on their abdomen. They also have stripes on their legs. The bite of a brown widow is not as dangerous as that of a northern black widow because the size of the spider prevents it from delivering the same amount of venom as a black widow. Texas residents should closely monitor the painful bite, but medical attention is not usually required.

Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum)

This pale, almost albino-looking spider can be found indoors and outdoors, hiding among leaves and branches in Texas gardens. Named for its pale yellow to light beige hue, the yellow sac spider can slightly change color based on its most recent meal. They often create tiny silk sacs high on walls or tucked into garden foliage rather than spinning webs. Recognizable by the black tips on their legs, which help them grip surfaces, these spiders are adept climbers. Most bites from yellow sacs occur accidentally when trapped between a person’s skin and shoes, clothing, or garden gloves. Their bites can be painful and mildly necrotic, meaning the venom will kill skin tissue. If bitten, most people will only have a mild reaction, such as redness and itching.

Conclusion

Texas is home to various spider species, from the recluses to the notorious black widows. The recluse family includes a number of species that, hopefully, you've learned to recognize by reading this piece on the 11 most venomous spiders in Texas. The varied terrain of the big state of Texas means there are lots of hiding places for these spiders; the chances you'll see one or get bitten by one is remote, as they tend to hide and shy away when approached. Still, it's important to remember to be on the lookout, especially when poking around rocks or wood piles in and around Texas.