Venomous spiders of Scott County
A number of different spiders are found in Scott County, only five of which are venomous: the black widow, brown recluse, false black widow, brown spider, and black-footed yellow sac spider.
Other spiders may bite, but are not considered dangerous to humans.
Common Non-Dangerous Spider Species
Species of spiders commonly found in Scott County include wolf spiders, cellar spiders and garden spiders.
Wolf spiders do not spin webs but actively hunt their prey. They have excellent eyesight and can be found in a variety of habitats, usually under rocks or logs. Their bites are not dangerous to humans but can cause mild irritation. Despite their ferocious appearance, they are not a threat to humans.
Cellar spiders are often found in basements and in corners. They have long legs and a small body. They are considered harmless and even help control other pest populations.
Garden spiders weave large circular webs in gardens. The yellow garden spider is known for its striking black and yellow coloration. They are not dangerous to humans and primarily prey on insects.
There are many other spiders found in Scott County, as well. Among them are the barronopis texana, which can often be found inside during the cooler months, several varieties of orb-weavers, the common house spider, and others.
One of the most intriguing species of spider found in Tennessee is the cupboard spider, which is often referred to as the “false black widow” spider. It looks remarkably like a black widow, but without the telltale red hourglass on its abdomen. While it is a venomous spider, its bite typically causes only mild symptoms.
Several of the spiders found in Scott County are technically venomous, but their bites are not considered dangerous. The ones listed below can be dangerous, however.
Black Widow
One of the most-feared species of spider found in Tennessee is the black widow. There are two varieties found in this area: the southern black widow and the northern black widow.
The southern black widow is found in undisturbed areas like wood, stumps, and stone walls. It spins a web where it lives and entangles prey. The females are a shiny black color with a red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomen. Males and juveniles are purplish to grayish-black with white stripes and yellow or orange spots.
The northern black widow has a broken hourglass mark with a disconnected thinner middle section that usually has red dots.
Female black widows are more dangerous than males, with are incapable of envenomating humans, and their venom is estimated to be 15 times more potent than a rattlesnake’s venom. The females are known for eating their mates after reproduction — hence their name.
The bite of a black widow can cause pain, muscle rigidity, vomiting and sweating. Medical attention may be needed. However, fatalities are rare, especially in healthy humans.
Brown Recluse
The brown recluse is the second most dangerous spider in Scott County, after the black widow. True to their name, they prefer to hide in dark, secluded places. They can be found in cardboard, woodpiles, sheds, garages, cellars and other places where they’re unlikely to be disturbed.
The brown recluse is easy to spot, with a color that ranges from white to dark brown, with pale violin-shaped markings on the dorsal side of their cephalothorax. The brown recluse has three pairs of eyes, for a total of six. Most spiders have eight eyes.
The venom of the brown recluse contains necrotic and hemotoxic qualities, making it particularly dangerous. The bite is usually painful and itchy and may become necrotized, taking months to heal. There have been fatalities, usually in children and elderly victims. However, the spider is not aggressive and typically only bites when it is pressed — such as when it is tangled within clothes, shoes or bedding. Additionally, most brown recluse bites do not result in symptoms.
False Black Widow
The false black widow, also known as the cupboard spider, looks much like the black widow. It is dark black in color with a rounded abdomen. However, the false black widow does not have a bright red hourglass pattern or any other distinctive markings.
This spider has poor eyesight and constructs cobwebs to catch prey. They receive vibrations that warn them against invading threats from predators. They’re often found in human habitats.
The black widow is venomous, and its bite causes blistering, muscle spasms, pain, fever and sweating. However, symptoms are usually minor and the effects are not long-lasting.
Black-Footed Yellow Sac Spider
The black-footed yellow sac spider is a small spider with a pale, yellowish body and dark brown markings on its palps, jaws, and feet. It has an orange-brown stripe running down its abdomen. It’s usually found outside in the foliage of trees and shrubs. It is a nocturnal spider that emerges at night to look for food and mates.
While the black-footed yellow sac spider is venomous and can bite humans, its bite usually causes only moderate pain followed by itching and swelling and resolves in a few days.
Brown Widow
The brown widow has not traditionally been a common spider in Tennessee but is being spotted more frequently. It is a cousin to the black widow, but is brown instead of black, with an orange or yellow hourglass shape.
The venom of a brown widow is actually considered to be twice as potent as a black widow, but it only delivers a small amount of venom when it bites. That means the effects are minimal to humans. Like the black widow, the venom acts on nerve endings, causing symptoms of latrodectism. Unlike the black widow, however, symptoms are typically confined to the bite site.
The brown widow is not native to the United States, and is believed to have originated in South America or Africa. It was first spotted in Florida, and spread to Tennessee in the 1990s.