Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Quick Tips

Cellar spiders have long, skinny legs and hang upside down in dark corners, often indoors, sometimes bouncing when disturbed. The marbled cellar spider, Holocnemus pluchei, is shown here.

Cobweb spiders hang upside down in sticky, irregularly spun webs waiting for prey. Most cobweb species are small and harmless, such as this Theridion dilutum.

Western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, is the most well-known cobweb spider. Most black widow bites come from mature adult females (left), which can usually be recognized by a red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. The adult male (right) is lighter-colored and smaller than the female.

Crab or flower spiders, such as Misumena vatia, have enlarged front legs. They hunt during the day without webs.

Dwarf spiders are tiny, hunt during the day, and produce sheetlike or irregular crisscross webs on surfaces.

Funnel weavers spin thick, flattened webs and sit at the center of a silken hole, or funnel, running out to capture prey that contact the web. Often seen are Hololena nedra (left) and the common house spider, Tegenaria species, (right) found in gardens and on walls and ceilings inside the house.

Lynx spiders are active hunters that stalk and capture prey. Legs are spiny, and the abdomen is narrowest at the rear. They don’t spin webs. Shown here is a green lynx spider, Peucetia viridans.

Jumping spiders hunt during the day, stalking and pouncing on prey. They are hairy, sometimes iridescent, and don’t spin webs. This Phidippus species is eating a house fly.

Orb weaver or garden spiders, such as this western spotted orb weaver, Neoscona oaxacensis, (left) are often large and colorful and wait in their webs or nearby for prey to become entangled. They spin elaborate webs in concentric circles in the garden.

Sac spiders hide in silk tubes in places such as corners, beneath plants, or on bark, and stalk prey at night. They occur indoors and out and are usually pale, like this agrarian sac spider, Cheiracanthium inclusum.

Wolf spiders have long hairy legs and are often found running along the ground. They don’t build webs to capture prey but can have a silken retreat. Females carry young on their backs.