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Spider identification guide
What Spider Is This? Spiders Georgia Homeowners Ask About
Of the spiders people ask about most in Georgia, only the widows and the brown recluse are a medical concern, and UGA calls the brown recluse rare in Georgia. The southern house spider, often mistaken for a recluse, and the large, colorful Joro spider are harmless, according to UGA. Eyes, markings and web style tell them apart.
Last reviewed October 7, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Identification
Which spider is it? The four to know
These are the four spiders that prompt the most questions. For each one the table gives the clues, where it lives and how much to worry, based on UGA and MedlinePlus.
| Spider | What it looks like | Where you find it | How much to worry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern black widow | Shiny black body with a red hourglass-shaped mark on the belly (MedlinePlus) | Unheated sheds and barns, rock borders, and piles of wood or debris, in irregular, messy webs (UGA) | A suspected bite needs medical help right away. The spider itself is not particularly aggressive (UGA) |
| Brown recluse | Small (1/4 to 3/4 in.), brown, with a dark violin-shaped mark on the head and upper body and three pairs of eyes (MedlinePlus) | UGA calls it rare in Georgia: known in the northwest part of the state and uncommon even there | Bites are very rare in Georgia (UGA); a suspected bite still deserves medical advice |
| Southern house spider | Females are dusky and charcoal-colored, almost tarantula-like; males are smaller and amber-colored (UGA) | Indoors in cracks and crevices, with unkept, messy webs at the entrance to the retreat (UGA) | Harmless and beneficial, UGA says, because it eats pests such as cockroaches, moths and flies |
| Joro spider | Large orb weaver; females have a yellow upper abdomen with bluish-green bands and long black legs banded yellow-orange (UGA) | Large, wheel-shaped, sometimes gold-colored webs outdoors, common in suburban areas (UGA) | Harmless to people and pets, UGA says |
The two look-alike mix-ups
Two mix-ups cause most of the false alarms.
Brown recluse or southern house spider?
| Clue | Brown recluse | Male southern house spider |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Three pairs, six eyes in all | One group of eight eyes |
| Marking | A distinct violin shape on the cephalothorax | A brownish marking shaped like the Eiffel tower; the violin is much less distinct |
| Size | Smaller | A little larger |
| Frequency in Georgia | Rare; known in the northwest part of the state and uncommon even there | UGA says southern house spiders are commonly misidentified as brown recluses |
Joro spider or a native orb weaver?
UGA lists the golden silk orbweaver (banana spider) and the yellow and black garden spider (writing spider) as the spiders a Joro can be confused with. UGA's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health provides tools and photos to tell Joros from their native look-alikes.
What you can do yourself
- Southern house spiders. UGA says vacuuming the area removes webs and spiders and discourages their return, and web-removal tools such as websters and long-handled brooms also help.
- Joro spiders. UGA says Joros are harmless; if they become so numerous that they are a nuisance, their webs can be removed with a webster or long-handled broom.
- Widows. UGA advises wearing gloves when working near rock borders and piles of wood or debris, and keeping the yard free of debris with vegetation trimmed.
- Everything else. UGA's general advice for household pests is to reduce clutter, which provides harborage, and to limit persistent moisture.
If you think someone was bitten, do not wait to identify the spider. Read the southern black widow and brown recluse guides for the steps MedlinePlus and UGA describe, and get medical help.
When to call a professional
Call if you keep finding widow webs in a garage, shed or crawl space, if spiders show up where children and pets play, if you cannot tell which spider you have, or if webs return after you remove them. Pest Control Atlanta can inspect for spiders, identify what is there and treat problem areas.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Are most spiders in Georgia houses dangerous?
Of the four spiders covered here, UGA calls the southern house spider and the Joro harmless. The widows and the brown recluse are the ones to treat as a medical concern, and UGA says the brown recluse is rare in Georgia.
Is the Joro spider dangerous?
UGA says Joro spiders pose no threat to people or pets. UGA Extension describes them as an invasive species and notes the adult females are large, with bodies up to 1.2 inches long.
Do brown recluse spiders live in Atlanta?
UGA says the brown recluse is rare in Georgia and known in the northwest part of the state, and uncommon even there. The UGA sources reviewed do not map individual cities, so the safer assumption is that most suspected recluses are other spiders. Check the eyes and markings before deciding.
How can I tell a brown recluse from a southern house spider?
Count the eyes. UGA says a brown recluse has three pairs of eyes (six in all) and a distinct violin marking, while a male southern house spider has one group of eight eyes and a less distinct marking.
Should I remove spider webs?
For southern house spiders and Joros, UGA says vacuuming, websters and long-handled brooms remove webs. For widows, do not reach into hiding places bare-handed; UGA advises gloves near rock borders and wood or debris piles.
What should I do after a suspected spider bite?
Get medical help. MedlinePlus says black widow bites are very toxic and to seek medical help right away, and it advises emergency treatment for a suspected brown recluse bite. See the black widow and brown recluse guides.
Where this information comes from
Sources
Facts about identification, biology and safety come from the sources below, retrieved on October 7, 2026. Publication or review dates are given where the source shows one.
- Insect and Arthropod Pests of Southeastern Neighborhoods: A Guide to Identification and Management (Bulletin 1412), UGA Extension — revised June 2023 per the PDF; the UGA page lists October 20, 2023
- Joro or not? Test your spider-spotting skills with this quiz, UGA CAES Field Report — by Emily Cabrera, October 30, 2025
- Widow spiders: Why gardeners wear work gloves, UGA CAES Field Report — by Stephanie Schupska, February 21, 2008 (older article)
- Black widow spider bite, MedlinePlus — review date July 1, 2025
- Brown recluse spider, MedlinePlus — review date July 1, 2025
More identification guides
Browse the full Atlanta Pest Library, or read another identification guide:
Spiders you cannot identify?
Call Pest Control Atlanta to talk through what you are finding. If someone has been bitten, get medical help first.
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