Creepy Crawlies: 20 Beautiful But Terrifying Spider Species
How Many Of These Fearsomely Stunning Spiders Do You Know?
Spiders are one of the most common phobias for humans and for good reason. Not only are they freaky looking with their six eyes and legs, but some of them are dangerously venomous, too. If you can get past the creepy-crawly element, though, there are many species of the six-legged insect that are nothing less than spectacular. Whether they're shiny, brightly-colored, or just plain impressive, here are the 20 most beautiful but terrifying spider species.
1. Eight-Spotted Crab Spider
The eight-spotted crab spider was discovered in Singapore in 1924. It has a striking highlighter yellow body with black spots, but don't let it dazzle you with its bright colors. It has a venomous bite and attacks its prey ambush style.
2. Black Widow Spider
The fearsome and beautiful black widow spider is only one and a half inches in length but its venom is 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. It has a distinctive red mark on its abdomen, but you wouldn't want to get close enough to be able to see it.
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3. Jumping Zebra Spider
This cute little guy is only a quarter of an inch long and comes decorated with stripes. It can jump 20 times its own length, which is kind of terrifying, but it mostly feeds on insects.
4. Peacock Spider
The aptly named peacock spider is as dazzling as its name suggests. It displays a beautiful array of rainbow colors on its backside and does a little dance to attract a mate. It can also take down prey four times its size.
5. Jewel Spider
Jewel spiders are known for their crab-like, spiked black armor with yellow and white spots. They have a nasty, venomous bite that causes a localized reaction, but they aren't deadly to humans.
6. Orchid Orbweaver Spider
Long, delicate legs and a green-silver hue characterize this elegant spider. They have been known tobitet,e though, their venom, which feels like a bee sting to humans,s will knock an insect out cold.
7. Desert Blond Tarantula
The desert blond tarantula has a sand-colored fur coat that looks so nice you almost want to reach out and pet it. That is, until you remember it's a creepy crawly. These spiders aren't particularly dangerous to humans but they're big, with a leg span of about five inches.
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8. Red-Back Spider
The red-back spider is a sleek black specimen with a red stripe down its back. While it's striking in appearance, it has a venomous bite that can cause severe pain in humans, though it's rarely fatal.
9. Six-Eyed Sand Spider
The six-eyed sand spider's camouflage is so good, it's unlikely you'll see it even when it's under your nose. When you do, you'll be amazed at its sand-like appearance and texture. However, at that moment, it might already be too late for you, as these spiders have a toxic bite, for there's currently no antivenom for.
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10. Huntsman Spider
The huntsman spider is an impressive specimen with a legspan that can reach 12 inches. While they aren't dangerous to humans, it's hard not to be scared of a spider that large.
11. Tiger Wandering Spider
The aptly named tiger wandering spider has orange tiger-like stripes along its arms and body. It's large and fast-moving, and while its bite isn't known to be harmful to humans, its venom is deadly to its prey of moths, salamanders, and cockroaches.
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12. Crab Spider
The crab spider is known for its crab-like appearance and movement. It can move sideways and backwards just like a crab. It has excellent camouflage that allows it to change colors, and while it's harmless to humans, the way it moves and looks can be a bit spooky.
13. Mirror Spider
The mirror spider is known for its reflective patches that shimmer like bits of glass. They can expand or contract, revealing colorful underlying patterns. The mysterious spiders are harmless to humans and it's believed their cool shiny patches are used as a defense mechanism to confuse predators.
14. Sri Lankan Ornamental Tarantula
The elegant Sri Lankan Ornamental Tarantula has intricate white, black, and grey patterns on its back and yellow or cream-colored bands on its underside. While exotic and dazzling, it's best not to get too close as their bites can cause severe reactions in humans.
15. Long-Horned Orb-Weaver
The long-horned orb-weaver has an intimidating appearance with its long protruding spines. However, those dramatic horn-like spikes are all for show, deterring predators by making the spider hard to grab or swallow.
16. Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Spider
Easily one of the most beautiful insects on Earth, the Gooty sapphire ornamental spider has a metallic blue sheen and white and yellow markings on its abdomen and legs. While not fatal, their bite can be intensely painful to humans, so make sure to admire them from afar.
17. Brazilian Wandering Spider
The Brazilian wandering spider is one of the most dangerous spiders in the world. It's mostly brown with darker patches and oftentimes, a flash of red around the mouth, which it shows off when it feels threatened. Their venom is extremely toxic, causing pain, difficulty breathing, and sometimes death.
18. David Bowie Spider
It must be pretty spectacular to be named after the Thin White Duke. The David Bowie spider got its name from the bright orange hairs on its reddish brown body, resembling a hairstyle the rock star sported in the early 70s. Or maybe it's just because it looks so out of this world, it could come from space like Ziggy Stardust.
19. Mexican Redknee Tarantula
The Mexican Redknee Tarantula is one of the most famous spiders in the world due to its frequent movie appearances, most notably in Raiders of the Lost Ark.. It's fluffy and has bright red-orange patches on its knees. It bites, but its venom is mild to humans.
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20. Twig Spider
The last spider on our list doesn't look like a spider at all. It looks like a plant. Its long, slender body acts as an impressive camouflage, which it uses to ambush its prey, administering venom to paralyze any unsuspecting insect or arthropod.
