The common house spider is responsible for most cobwebs you find in your home. The house spider's color can vary from light-gray to almost black and can be easily recognized by its long pair of front legs. Though it is a relative of the black widow, the house spider is harmless.
Long-bodied cellar spiders can also commonly be found indoors, usually in cool, damp areas. Their extremely long, thin legs often cause them to be confused for daddy long-legs. Cellar spiders are also sometimes called vibrating spiders because they often shake their webs when disturbed. Cellar spiders are harmless.
Canada is home to many species of wolf spiders. Characterized by thicker, more robust bodies and legs, wolf spiders do not build webs but rather run down their prey. Wolf spiders are larger than average--about three cm across--and can usually be found in grasslands and woods but may be tempted to move indoors toward the end of autumn. Wolf spiders are helpful to farmers and gardeners, because they prey on crop-damaging insects.
Canada is home to seven species of fishing spiders. Members of this family make up Canada's largest spiders, some growing to 7.5 cm across. Fishing spiders also refrain from spinning webs. Instead, they commonly hunt on the edge of water, using their long legs to dart under the surface to grab aquatic insects and even minnows. They are usually found along waterfronts, most often around shoreline rocks.
You can identify jumping spiders by their set of two large eyes or, more obviously, by their ability to jump short distances. The zebra spider is an especially common member of this family and may be found on walls or doorways.
The family's name refers to it members' large intricate webs. These are the spiders that build large, wide webs and spend most of their time waiting for prey to become trapped. Orb weavers of many shapes live in Canada including the large, round black and yellow garden spider and the small arrow-shaped micarthena. Orb weavers rarely make their way indoors.
