Scariest spiders: 8 spiders to give you the creeps…

Here are some of the scariest spiders on the planet – but remember only a very few pose any real threat to humans, so rather than hate them, marvel at their prowess and ingenuity instead

By BBC Wildlife Magazine

Published: Thursday, 27 July 2023 at 13:36 PM

From ambushing its prey to shooting venoms  – and even building webs strong enough to catch small birds – spiders are armed with all sorts of ways to catch their prey.  It’s no wonder they evoke nightmares!

Meet some of the scariest… and most ingenious spiders on the planet – and learn to love them rather than hate them!

8 of the scariest spiders

Spotted wolf spider

© AfroBrazilian, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
© AfroBrazilian, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Range: British Isles

Size: 1cm (body) 3cm (legspan)

Venom: yes

Hunting style: Ambush

Fear factor:  The UK’s tiny suburban terror scuttles around gardens fast – very fast. Fast enough to give you the creeps at the thought of them scuttling indoors…while you’re asleep

Common brown trapdoor spider

Common brown trapdoor spider
© Johan C.G. Fagerholm, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Range: Australia

Size: 1.5cm (body) 3.5 cm (legspan)

Hunting style: Ambush – pounces from a hidden lair

Fear factor: Lies in wait in its silk-lined burrow, ready to pounce as prey wander past. Can get mistaken for the funnel-web spider

Black widow