Barn spiders are orb weavers, which means that they spin their web in a circular shape. Araneas cavaticus is a common species found in southern Virginia. It is often brown showing dark markings on the back. Barn spiders feed on insects that they capture in their webs. Commonly called black and yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia are found across the United States, including southern Virginia. This orb weaver builds its web using spiral patterns. Females are about 1 inch in body size, while males are much smaller.
Members of the family Lycosidae, wolf spiders are hunters and are found under leaves, stones or inside burrows in ground, where they wait for prey. A dark brownish body with markings helps camouflage them while hunting on the ground. Although the bite of some species found in South America can cause skin irritation, wolf spiders of southern Virginia are generally not toxic to humans. They are even considered beneficial, as they feed on insects.
Black widows are members of the genus Latrodectus, which contains more than 30 species, four of them in North America. Latrodectus mactans is the only species living in southern Virginia. Its bite is very toxic to humans, but not fatal. Symptoms include muscle pain, dizziness and tachycardia. Females are bigger than males and have red markings on the abdomen, in the shape of a hourglass.
Jumping spiders are members of a numerous family (Salticidae) with more than 5,000 species around the world. In southern Virginia, the black and white daring jumping spider (Phidippus audax) is common. This species has distinctive metallic-green jaws. Jumping spiders can jump up to 45 times the length of their body. They have good vision, which helps to capture prey.