10 Venomous Orange Spider Species Across Continents (Most Dangerous Spiders) | 2023

You might see a beautiful orange spider in your surroundings. There are thousands of spider species, and many of them are venomous. But have you ever thought some spider bites could cause death? These spiders look beautiful and gorgeous, but they are the most dangerous spiders. Today we are going to discover 10 venomous orange spider species that are dangerous.

Here is the list:

10 Venomous Orange Spider Species

1. Brown Widow Spider

Brown Widow Spider
Brown Widow Spider
Scientific name Latrodectus geometricus
Size 25-38 mm
Identification hourglass-shaped marking on the abdomen
Geographical Location Africa, South America, and Hawaii

Latrodectus geometricus is a widow spider in the genus Latrodectus. Also known as the brown widow, grey widow, brown button spider, brown black widow, geometric button spider, or house button spider. L. geometricus has black and white patterns on its abdomen and an orange-yellow hourglass-shaped marking.

Brown widow, an invasive species, originated in South America and has since spread to various locations worldwide. Its brownish appearance ranges from tan to almost black, with ornate markings on its abdomen.

Brown widow venom is twice as powerful as black widow venom, but it is not aggressive and only injects a tiny amount when it bites. In the early 1990s, brown widow bites were linked to the deaths of two people in Madagascar.


2. Orange Baboon Tarantula

Orange Baboon Tarantula
Orange Baboon Tarantula
Scientific name Pterinochilus murinus
Size 76–152 mm
Identification hairy body
Geographical Location Africa, Angola, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa

Pterinochilus murinus, also known as the orange baboon tarantula, is an old-world tarantula found in Africa, Angola, central, eastern, and southern Africa. It is known for its painful bite, which is prized for its beauty and orange color.

The species is highly defensive and should not be held, as its bite is not serious. It is more likely to inflict such a bite without presenting a typical threat display, so use caution when dealing with this species.


3. Striped Lynx Spider

Striped Lynx Spider
Striped Lynx Spider | Credit: Pratikppf (commons.wikimedia) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Scientific name Oxyopes salticus
Size 4-6 mm
Identification stripes on both the carapace and abdomen.
Geographical Location Eastern United States, Massachusetts, and Texas

Oxyopes salticus, also known as the striped lynx spider, This venomous orange spider has color variations between orange, cream, and brown, with stripes on both the carapace and abdomen.

Lynx spider bites cause temporary pain and swelling at the site, with no tissue damage or aftereffects. Adult specimens vary in color and have stripes on both the carapace and abdomen.

Adult females and males range in size from 5–6 mm and 4-5mm, with macrosetae covering the legs and a broad clypeus.


4. European Garden Spider

European Garden Spider
European Garden Spider
Scientific name Araneus diadematus
Size 5.8-20 mm
Identification mottled white markings on the abdomen
Geographical Location Europe, and North America

The European garden spider is also known as the orange cross spider or pumpkin spider. Its colors range from orange, pale yellow, or brown to almost black. Garden spiders possess venom that immobilizes prey but is not poisonous.

Their venom is not strong enough to pose serious health threats to humans or pets, except for individuals with distressed immune systems.

If bitten, symptoms include mild swelling, redness, and discomfort, which can last a few days. Garden spider bites are less painful than wasp or bee stings.


5. Red widow spider

Scientific name Latrodectus bishopi
Size 38-50 mm
Identification black abdomen with orange markings
Geographical Location Florida

The red widow spider, L. bishopi, is known for its red-orange cephalothorax, black abdomen with yellow rings, and vermillion-red legs. Its underside lacks the hourglass marking and has one or two small red marks.

Females are almost double the size of males. It feeds on insects and is not aggressive toward people. Death from a red widow bite is rare due to the spider’s small venom injection.

Very young children, the elderly, and people with health problems are most vulnerable to red widow spider bites.


6. Sydney funnel-web spider

Scientific name Atrax robustus
Size 10-50 mm
Identification spinning organs
Geographical Location Sydney, eastern Australia, the Illawarra region, and New South Wales

The Sydney funnel-web spider is a venomous orange spider native to eastern Australia. This venomous orange spider can cause severe illness or death in humans if left untreated. The venom contains delta-batrachotoxin, an ion channel inhibitor, making it highly toxic for humans and other primates.

The spiders typically deliver full envenomation when they bite, often striking repeatedly due to their defensiveness and large cheliceral fangs.

In severe envenomation, the time to onset of symptoms is less than one hour, with a median time of 28 minutes. Children are at particular risk of severe envenoming, with 42% of all cases being children.


7. Chilean recluse spider

Chilean recluse spider
Chilean recluse spider | Credit: Ssiltane (commons.wikimedia) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scientific name Loxosceles laeta
Size 8–40 mm
Identification six eyes arranged in pairs
Geographical Location South America, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, and south and eastern Brazil

Loxosceles laeta, a highly venomous spider from the Sicariidae family, is considered the most dangerous of recluse spiders. This venomous spider’s bites can cause serious systemic reactions, including death.

The disease ranges from minor irritations to severe skin necrosis, called cutaneous loxoscelism, and viscerocutaneous loxoscelism, which involves inner organs.

Cutaneous loxoscelism occurs from serious bites causing necrotizing skin ulcers, which may take months or years to heal, leaving deep scars.


8. Brazilian wandering spider

Brazilian wandering spider
Brazilian wandering spider
Scientific name Phoneutria
Size 127-177 mm
Identification strong, spiny legs
Geographical Location Northern South America, and Central America

Phoneutria, a genus of spiders in the Ctenidae family, is primarily found in northern South America and Central America.

They are poisonous to humans and are considered the deadliest spiders.

Their venom is toxic to the nervous system, causing symptoms such as salivation, an irregular heartbeat, and prolonged painful erections in men.


9. Versicolor Long-jawed Orbweaver

Scientific name Tetragnatha versicolor
Size 4.3-13 mm
Identification slim body
Geographical Location North America, Alaska, Newfoundland, Cuba, Baja California, Nicaragua, and Central America

Tetragnatha versicolor is a long-jawed orb weaver found in North America, from Alaska to Newfoundland, Cuba to Baja California, and Central America to Nicaragua.

This venomous spider has no known adverse effects on humans and is venomous, but its bite is not harmful. The spiders have a slim body that is 2 to 3 times longer than its width, with females being larger than males.

Their body color varies from pale tan to dark brown, with dark markings on the abdomen. The first, second, and fourth pairs of legs are longer than the body, and their jaws and palps are long.


10. Yellow sac spider

Yellow sac spider
Yellow sac spider
Scientific name Cheiracanthium
Size 5-9 mm
Identification travel vertically
Geographical Location North, Central, and South America

Yellow sac spiders are venomous spiders belonging to the Clubionidae family, known for their silken tubes under stones, leaves, or grass. They are found in western California, particularly in urban areas.

The spider’s venom is a cytotoxin that can produce necrotizing lesions, but such lesions occur rarely in bite victims. Yellow sac spiders are not docile creatures, and a female may bite when defending her eggs.

They are known for their vertical travel attached to a silk string, which they use to catch airborne prey and avoid attack from predators like ants, centipedes, or larger spiders. Symptoms usually resolve within 7–10 days, and bites are rarely fatal.


Conclusion:

These are the spiders that are venomous. Some have mild poison that can cause severe pain and redness for a few days, and some have dangerous venom that can cause death, like the Chilean recluse spider and the Orange Baboon Tarantula. This is it for now; we will be back with some more informative articles. Till then, stay tuned to How It See.


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