What Spiders Live Around Lebanon, Indiana?

Lebanon, Indiana is a small city of about 15,000 located to the northwest of Indianapolis. Because of its midwestern location, Lebanon is home to many of the most common spiders in the United States, including the venomous black widow and the brown recluse. There are more than 3,500 spider species in the United States.

  1. Venomous Spiders

    • Lebanon, Indiana is home to two of of the deadliest spiders in the United States, the brown recluse and the northern black widow. Both spiders are known for their painful bites and distinctive markings. The brown recluse spider has a fiddle-shaped dark mark on its back, while the dangerous female black widow spider has a red hourglass marking on her abdomen. The brown recluse's bite is especially harmful to humans because the flesh around the bite can die and become an abscess.

    Web-spinning spiders

    • The garden orb weaver and the black and yellow argiope are two of the more common spiders in the Midwest that are able to spin intricate webs. Both of these can be found outdoors in Lebanon and are noted for their spiral web designs. Other web-spinning spiders create their webs indoors, like the common house spider. The common house spider and the Southern house spider create cobwebs in the corners of rooms, in attics, or under furniture.

    Hunting spiders

    • The wolf spider is a hunting spider and is one of the most common spiders in the United States. The wolf spider can grow up to 35 mm long and is known for its dark markings as well as its ability to carry its young on its back. The wolf spider can cause a painful bite. Another common hunting spider is the huntsman spider, which can also make its way into homes and can be identified by its sideways-spreading legs.

    Other common spiders and arachnids

    • The harvestman or "daddy longlegs" is often mistaken for a spider but is really a different type of arachnid. The harvestman is one of the most common spider-like creatures found in the Midwest and is noted by its small body and thin, oversized legs. The spiny Micrathena spider lives mainly in the forests of the eastern United States and can be found in Indiana. The web-spinning Micrathena has a districtive v-shaped abdomen which sets its apart from the orb-like, web-spinning spiders.