Spiders Found in Fields

Invertebrate members of the order Araneae, spiders are adapted to live in many habitats across the world. More than 600 species of spiders are found in North American crop fields, which represents almost 20 percent of all spider species of North America. Common species living in fields include wolf spiders, jumping spiders, lynx spiders and long-jawed orb weavers.
  1. Wolf Spiders

    • Wolf spiders are part of the family Lycosidae. These spiders are hunters, often found in fields inside burrows or under leaves. They have a brown to black body with a pattern that helps camouflage them. The bite of wolf spiders is not lethal to human beings. As they feed on insects, these spiders are beneficial, specially when living in crop fields.

    Lynx Spiders

    • Lynx spiders, members of the family Oxyopidae, are hunters that live in fields near plants and shrubs. They have hairy legs, good vision and eyes arranged in a hexagonal pattern. The striped lynx spider (Oxyopes salticus) is an insect predator and an important pest control agent in many crop fields across the United States.

    Long-Jawed Orb Weavers

    • Long-jawed orb weavers, members of the genus Tetragnatha, have elongated bodies and often hide on grasses where they build their webs. These spiders are rather light, being able to walk over water, and are often found in fields near rivers and lakes. Tetragnatha laboriosa is among the most abundant spiders found in North American crop fields.

    Jumping Spiders

    • Jumping spiders are members of the family Salticidae, which include about 5,000 species around the world. In North American fields, Phidippus audax is an active wanderer with a strong body that can reach 0.6 inches in length. Jumping spiders have excellent vision and a distinctive eye arrangement, which consists of four pairs of eyes organized in three rows.

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