Spiders Near Columbia, SC

4 Types of Poisonous Spiders in Columbia

Only four types of spiders present a threat to humans in Capital City.

1. Southern Black Widow This is the classic “widow” spider most know, with the black, shiny body and the female having a red hourglass shape on the abdomen. Males have red spots on the abdomen.
   This spider’s venom causes symptoms such as muscle cramps, nausea, profuse perspiration, tremors, fever, labored breathing, and restlessness. You may feel pain, burning, and swelling and may even see fang marks at the site.
2. Northern Black Widow The Northern Black Widow has a black body. Instead of the red hourglass, this species has two red blotches on its abdomen.
   Bites from a Black Widow usually occur because of accidental contact. Though painful, the vast majority of victims fully recover without significant lasting problems.
3. The Brown Widow Brown Widow spiders are gray to brown with white and black markings on the top surface of their abdomens. The traditional hourglass-shaped marking under the abdomen is yellow to orange, and the legs have dark bands.
   While less likely to bite, the venom is as strong as the Southern Black Widow and causes the same reactions. You may feel pain, burning, and swelling and may even see fang marks at the site.
4. Brown Recluse While rare, the Brown Recluse spider makes the list. This spider has a violin marking that can vary in intensity depending on the age of the spider (mature spiders typically have dark violin shapes). The violin shape points toward the spider’s abdomen. It is easy to misidentify a spider as a Brown Recluse, so the best way to identify it (if you want to get that close) is to look at the eyes, of which there are 6, not 8 like most spiders.
   The bite stings, and over a few hours will harden and develop a “bulls-eye” appearance. You may see fang marks at the center of the bite. Symptoms include itching, vomiting, fever, and nausea.