Common Spiders of the Texas Panhandle

Common Texas panhandle spiders include tarantulas, black widows, jumping spiders and garden orb weavers. While anecdotes suggest brown recluse and brown widow spiders may also inhabit the panhandle, these spiders' typical range is further south. Of species common to the Texas panhandle, only black widows contain strong enough venom to hurt or kill people, although anyone with a known allergy to bee stings, ant bites or other venom should carefully monitor all spider bites. Most spiders are beneficial to people, helping control pests including mosquitoes, cockroaches and flies.

  1. Tarantulas

    • Tarantulas are black or brown and may grow to approximately 3 inches, including legs, in the Texas panhandle and surrounding areas. If you live in the panhandle, you're most likely to encounter a tarantula in the fall, when males migrate in search of females. Tarantulas tend to be active at night and prefer to hide in burrows, in mesquite trees or under rocks during the daytime. They may bite if provoked but their venom is mild and not dangerous to people, cats or dogs. They eat pests including cockroaches and mice. While you might not want them in your house, they're helpful to have around.

    Black Widows

    • Black widows are found throughout the United States, including in the Texas panhandle. Adult females are black, as the name indicates, and may be up to 1 1/2 inches long, including the legs. Their most distinctive marking is the reddish hourglass shape on the underside of their abdomens, which they display when they hang upside-down in their webs. They prefer dark and damp places but construct webs in stairways and on the sides of buildings. The females possess neurotoxic venom that is extremely painful to adults and may be fatal to old people and young children. Males are much smaller, brown and not harmful to humans.

    Jumping Spiders

    • The Salticidae family includes jumping spiders that are easy to identify because of their leaping behavior. They're active during the day and they catch prey by jumping rather than by waiting in or near webs. Like most spiders, they have a mild venom that isn't harmful to people and they're unlikely to bite unless provoked. Jumping spiders often have distinctive markings such as black and white patterns or red, copper or white spots. In the Texas panhandle they may migrate inside during the winter months and are frequently found hunting in windowsills.

    Garden Orb Weavers

    • The argiope, or garden orb weaver, often spins large webs in yards and gardens during the late summer but rarely ventures inside buildings. Females may be 1 inch or longer and often display orange or yellow and black markings. Their geometric webs tend to be denser in the middle, with strands further apart toward the edges. These spiders rarely bite and are not venomous to people.