Members of the family Lycosidae, wolf spiders are among the largest spiders found in Idaho. Wolf spiders do not use webs to capture insects, but hunt on the ground. Common colors include tan, dark brown, gray and black. Jumping spiders have dark hairy bodies and often show iridescent mandibles and white markings on their bodies. They are able to jump while hunting insects on the ground.
Thomisidae include the crab spiders, which can move sideways and backward, like crabs. They are common in gardens and can camouflage among flowers to catch insects. Among the species found in North Idaho are members of the genera Diaea, Misumenops, Tmarus, Misumena and Ozyptila. Gnaphosidae spiders are also called ground spiders. Species living in North Idaho include members of the genera Drassyllus and Callilepis.
The house spider and the black widow are the most common comb-footed spiders or Theridiidae found in North Idaho. Black widows are members of the genus Latrodectus and are toxic to humans.Their bite can cause tachycardia, muscle pain, dizziness and fever. Females of some species have red markings on their body. Clubionidae spiders are also common in North Idaho and are often called club spiders or yellow house spiders.
Araneidae is a large family of cosmopolitan spiders, such as the barn spider (Araneus cavaticus) and the banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata), both found in northern Idaho. The hobo spider (Tegenaria agrestis), which is part of the family Agelenidae, is brown, up to 2 inches long and does not show stripes or marks on its legs. The hobo spider builds funnel-shaped webs to catch their pray. Their bite is toxic to humans.