Wherever you find insects, you are likely to find spiders lurking nearby. All spiders are predators that have coevolved with their prey—primarily insects and other arthropods. Spiders have evolved numerous and fascinating strategies to trap, stalk, ambush, or hunt live insects. All spiders possess mouthparts, in the form of fangs, to subdue their prey. Thus, all spiders can bite, and some of them are large enough to bite humans and pets, but only in self-defense. Here in the Pacific Northwest, only one species of spider has been documented as venomous to humans. The objective of this publication is to help residents, gardeners, and naturalists recognize the most common spiders found in Washington State and appreciate them as beneficial organisms. This publication also seeks to reduce human exposure to the nuisance of, and bites from, spiders
