Spiders · Spidr
Is this spider dangerous? Identify it before you panic
Short answer: almost certainly not. Of roughly 50,000 known spider species, only a few dozen can meaningfully hurt a human, and most famous "bites" turn out to be something else entirely. But "almost certainly" isn't a name — so photograph it. Spidr identifies the species from your photo and tells you honestly whether it's one of the few that matter or, far more likely, a harmless housemate earning its keep on your flies.
Photograph from above for the body pattern, and don't squash it first — a flattened spider loses exactly the features that identify it.
How to photograph a spider that won't sit still
Spiders freeze as a defense, so approach slowly and you'll usually get your shot. Top-down captures the abdomen pattern — the single most identifying feature. If you can, add a side shot for body shape and a context shot of the web: orb webs, funnel webs, sheet webs, and cobwebs each belong to different families, so the web identifies the builder even after it's gone.
For a spider in a glass (the classic capture), shoot through the top, not the side — glass curvature distorts the pattern the AI reads.
The short list that actually warrants respect
Depending on where you live, the medically significant list is short: widow spiders (black with red hourglass, messy cobwebs in dark corners), recluses (violin mark, six eyes, plain abdomen — and endlessly over-reported far outside their range), and in a few regions funnel-webs and wandering spiders. Spidr knows your region's shortlist and checks your photo against it first.
Everything else — the wolf spider on the wall, the huntsman behind the frame, the jumping spider watching you back — is not just harmless but actively useful. A house with spiders is a house with fewer mosquitoes, flies, and moths.
If you're bitten anyway
Wash the site with soap and water, apply something cold, and watch it. Most spider bites need nothing more. Seek medical care for spreading pain, cramping, sweating, or an ulcerating wound — and bring the spider's photo or (dead) body if you safely can, because confirmed species identification changes treatment. What doesn't help: panic, folklore, or squashing every eight-legged thing you see for the rest of the year.
Spidr AI: Spider Identifier
Point your camera at the web's owner. Spidr identifies the spider and tells you if it matters.