Some spiders stand out not for their webs or size—but for their stunning color combinations. Among the most eye-catching are black and red spiders. Whether it’s the fiery red hourglass of a black widow or the velvety red abdomen of a ladybird spider, these species use color for survival and attraction. Below, we discuss 16 unique black and red spiders, their traits, habitats, and hunting styles.
1. Black Widow Spider
The Black Widow Spider is one of the most well-known venomous spiders recognized for its glossy black body and striking red marking. These spiders are mostly nocturnal and are often found in dark, sheltered places. Their vivid color contrast serves as a warning to predators and helps in species recognition.
Color Identification
- Body: Shiny black
- Markings: Red hourglass shape on the underside of the abdomen (females)
- Legs: Solid black, slender
When It Becomes Black and Red
The distinctive black and red coloring becomes most apparent when the spider matures, especially in adult females. Juveniles and males may show different color patterns or less vivid red marks. The red hourglass becomes more vibrant as the spider reaches reproductive age, enhancing visibility for both deterrence and mating purposes.
Preferred Habitat and Egg Sac Protection
Black Widow Spiders often dwell in undisturbed, dry environments like sheds, basements, garages, and under logs or rocks. They construct irregular webs in secluded corners. Female black widows are known for their protective behavior toward their egg sacs, guarding them aggressively until hatching.
Hunting Behavior and Web Characteristics
These spiders are non-aggressive hunters. They wait for prey to become trapped in their irregular, sticky web. Once caught, they inject venom and wrap the insect for later consumption. Their web is strong and tangled, not the classic orb-shaped type, and is built close to the ground or in dark crevices.
2. Redback Spider
The Redback Spider is a close relative of the black widow and shares a similar warning coloration. Native to Australia, this spider is infamous for its venomous bite and distinctive red stripe along its black body. Its coloration helps it stand out and signal danger in the natural world.
Color Identification
- Body: Matte to glossy black (females)
- Markings: Bold red stripe running down the center of the back
- Legs: Black, sometimes with reddish joints
When It Becomes Black and Red
Female redbacks develop their black and red coloration fully as they mature. Juveniles may show orange or pale red streaks that deepen with age. The male is smaller and less vividly marked but still shows touches of red.
Habitat Preferences and Egg Sac Defense
Redbacks prefer warm, dry environments such as sheds, outdoor toilets, mailboxes, and under rocks or ledges. They build messy webs with funnel-like retreats. Females vigilantly guard their white, papery egg sacs and can produce multiple clutches throughout the year.
Prey Strategy and Web Pattern
The redback spins a complex web with sticky vertical threads to capture ground-dwelling insects. It uses venom to immobilize prey and feeds by liquefying the victim’s tissues. Its web is not a neat orb, but a chaotic tangle that is highly effective in trapping crawling prey.
3. Spiny Orb-Weaver (Red Variant)
The Spiny Orb-Weaver, particularly the red and black morphs, is known for its armored appearance and vivid coloring. These spiders are harmless to humans but are easily noticed due to their spiky, crab-like body and bright red and black color scheme.
Color Identification
- Body: Hard, flat body in red with black spines
- Markings: Often features dark spots or central black pattern
- Legs: Typically black or black with red tinges
When It Becomes Black and Red
Coloration varies by region and species, but the red-and-black variant shows its full colors after molting into adulthood. The vibrant contrast acts as a deterrent to predators and makes it easy to identify in the wild.
Living Zone and Egg Laying Habits
These orb-weavers live in gardens, forests, and shrublands. They are common in tropical and subtropical climates. Females lay eggs in silken sacs attached to leaves or hidden spots near their webs. They rarely leave their web and stay alert for threats.
Feeding Role and Web Style
They create perfect circular orb webs suspended between trees or plants. The spider sits in the center waiting for flying insects to get caught. It immobilizes prey with silk, then uses venom and digestive enzymes to consume it over time.
4. Red-Bellied Jumping Spider
The Red-Bellied Jumping Spider (Phidippus johnsoni) is a bold, active hunter known for its vivid coloration and agile movements. It doesn’t spin webs for catching prey but uses its silk for draglines and shelter. This spider is native to North America and often found in dry, open areas.
Color Identification
- Body: Black cephalothorax and legs
- Abdomen: Bright red or orange-red
- Legs: Black, sometimes with iridescent hairs
When It Becomes Black and Red
The red belly appears as the spider reaches maturity. Juveniles may show duller shades, but adults develop strong contrast between the red abdomen and black body parts, especially during the breeding season.
Natural Habitat and Egg Nesting
These spiders live under rocks, logs, and bark, and sometimes near human dwellings. Females create silk retreats in crevices to lay eggs and guard them. They prefer dry, warm environments with open ground for jumping and stalking prey.
Hunting Pattern and Silk Usage
As ambush predators, they stalk prey visually and pounce with precision. Instead of building traditional webs, they use silk as a safety line. Their strong eyesight and explosive jumping make them highly effective hunters of small insects.
5. Red-Backed Jumping Spider
The Red-Backed Jumping Spider (Phidippus clarus) is another vibrant jumping species, known for its red-marked abdomen and energetic behavior. It’s commonly seen on shrubs, tall grasses, and home gardens across North America.
Color Identification
- Body: Black with a shiny texture
- Abdomen: Red or orange-red central marking on a black base
- Legs: Black with occasional white or orange accents
When It Becomes Black and Red
The red marking becomes clearly defined in mature individuals, especially in males during mating season. Young spiders may show faded or inconsistent red patterns that become brighter over time.
Environment and Reproduction Tactics
This spider builds a silk nest among leaves or tall stems, which serves as shelter and a mating ground. Females deposit eggs within these retreats and protect them fiercely until hatching.
Stalking Behavior and Web Practices
It relies heavily on its eyesight and stealth to chase down prey. Unlike web-weavers, it only uses silk to construct retreats and draglines. Prey is captured through ambush rather than traps.
6. Woodlouse Spider
The Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera crocata) is a ground-dwelling spider with a reddish body and a contrasting abdomen. It’s known for hunting woodlice (pill bugs), which makes it useful in garden pest control.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax and legs: Dark red or reddish-orange
- Abdomen: Pale beige to grayish-red
- Fangs: Large and visible, often reddish
When It Becomes Black and Red
The red coloration is present from a young age and intensifies as the spider ages. Under certain lighting, the cephalothorax appears dark enough to contrast strongly with the abdomen, creating a black-red appearance.
Hiding Zones and Breeding Behavior
These spiders prefer damp, dark environments—under rocks, garden pots, or basements. They lay eggs in small silk sacs and hide them in crevices. Unlike web-spinners, they rely on stealth and strength.
Feeding Method and Silk Use
They are active hunters and pierce the tough exoskeleton of woodlice with their powerful fangs. Their silk is not used for webs but for egg sacs and occasional retreats.
7. African Ground Spider (Stegodyphus spp.)
The African Ground Spider, particularly from the Stegodyphus genus, displays deep black bodies with prominent red or orange markings. These social spiders are known for cooperative web-building and living in large colonies across parts of Africa and Asia.
Color Identification
- Body: Predominantly black with bold red or orange patterns
- Abdomen: Often red or reddish-black with stripes or patches
- Legs: Black with occasional red joints or segments
When It Becomes Black and Red
The red and black contrast develops in adulthood. The patterns become more visible during the reproductive phase or under sunlight. Juveniles may show a lighter or duller red tone, which deepens with maturity.
Nesting Area and Group Protection
These spiders live communally in large silk structures attached to shrubs or small trees. They guard their nests together and share care for egg sacs and young. Females often remain with the offspring until they die, offering themselves as a food source—a rare maternal behavior.
Prey Capture and Colony Web Design
Their webs are messy yet effective, spreading across foliage to catch flying and crawling insects. Prey is subdued by group attacks. The colony shares food, making this spider one of the few cooperative hunters among arachnids.
8. Velvet Spider (Eresus sandaliatus)
The Velvet Spider, particularly males of the species Eresus sandaliatus, stands out with its plush black body and bright red abdomen marked with black spots. Native to Europe, this spider is rare and often protected in conservation areas.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax and legs: Deep velvety black
- Abdomen: Bright red with distinct black dots (in males)
- Females: Mostly black or dark gray without red
When It Becomes Black and Red
This color combination appears in adult males, usually during mating season in late spring or early summer. Females stay duller, while males transform with bold coloring to attract mates.
Soil Habitat and Egg Sac Sacrifice
Velvet spiders prefer dry, sandy soils or grasslands, where they dig burrows and line them with silk. After laying eggs, females guard them and often die shortly after hatching—serving as food for the spiderlings in a rare case of matriphagy.
Feeding Style and Web Positioning
They do not spin large aerial webs. Instead, they build silk-lined tunnels underground to ambush prey. The male wanders to find a mate, while the female remains hidden, hunting from within her burrow.
9. Ladybird Spider (Eresus kollari)
The Ladybird Spider is a striking, rare spider native to Europe. Males are especially eye-catching with their vivid red abdomens dotted with black spots—mimicking a ladybird. This species is known for its endangered status and limited habitat range.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax and legs: Deep black and covered in fine hair
- Abdomen: Bright red with 4–6 solid black spots (in males)
- Females: Entirely black or dark brown, larger than males
When It Becomes Black and Red
The black-and-red coloration appears when males reach maturity, usually in spring. Juvenile males and females remain uniformly dark until adulthood. The colors are part of their mating display and serve as a visual warning.
Underground Habitat and Mating Rituals
Ladybird spiders live in burrows on dry grasslands and heathlands, often with limited colony sizes. Males travel across terrain to find mates, while females stay in silk-lined underground tunnels and protect their eggs until hatching.
Ambush Strategy and Web Retreat
Instead of spinning visible webs, this spider uses its burrow entrance as a trapdoor-style ambush site. Prey that comes too close is dragged in. Females use silk to create a strong retreat chamber and also wrap egg sacs within the tunnel.
10. Red House Spider (Nesticodes rufipes)
The Red House Spider is a small, reddish-black cobweb spider that frequently inhabits human dwellings. Though not dangerous, it is sometimes confused with more venomous species due to its coloration.
Color Identification
- Body: Reddish to deep rusty red
- Abdomen: Dark red or nearly black in older specimens
- Legs: Translucent red to black-red
When It Becomes Black and Red
Color deepens with maturity—juveniles are more translucent and become darker red or black-red as they age. Females often show a darker abdomen, while males may stay lighter overall.
Indoor Habitat and Egg Guarding
This spider is commonly found in wall corners, basements, and near ceiling edges. It spins small, messy cobwebs in secluded areas. Females create round egg sacs and remain close to guard them until spiderlings emerge.
Web Structure and Prey Handling
It builds irregular, sticky webs to trap small insects. Once prey is caught, it is immobilized with venom and wrapped in silk. The web often goes unnoticed until disturbed, as it blends into dusty corners and small crevices indoors.
11. Red-Headed Mouse Spider (Missulena occatoria)
The Red-Headed Mouse Spider is a ground-dwelling spider native to Australia, known for its shiny black body and vibrant red cephalothorax. Despite its fierce appearance, bites to humans are rare and usually not serious due to limited venom injection.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax: Bright red (especially in males)
- Abdomen: Glossy black and bulbous
- Legs: Solid black and robust
When It Becomes Black and Red
The intense red and black coloring is primarily seen in adult males during the breeding season. Juveniles and females are mostly dull black or brown, with little to no red coloring. Males turn strikingly red on the head and jaws as they mature.
Burrow Habitat and Reproduction Cycle
These spiders dig deep burrows in dry, open areas and grasslands. Males leave their burrows during mating season to search for females. Females stay hidden in burrows, guarding egg sacs placed deep underground.
Hunting Mode and Webless Living
Red-headed mouse spiders are ambush predators that rely on sudden strikes. They don’t use webs to catch prey but do use silk to line their burrows and protect eggs. Their powerful fangs help subdue beetles, ants, and other small ground insects.
12. Red-Femured Spotted Orbweaver (Neoscona domiciliorum)
The Red-Femured Spotted Orbweaver is a colorful orb-weaving spider found in the southeastern United States. Known for its black-spotted body and deep red leg joints, it builds classic orb-shaped webs at night.
Color Identification
- Abdomen: Creamy to dark with black spots or streaks
- Femurs: Deep red (especially on the front legs)
- Legs: Banding of red, black, and light brown
When It Becomes Black and Red
The black-and-red contrast is most visible on mature spiders during late summer and early fall. As the spider ages, the red in the leg segments becomes darker, and the body spots more defined.
Web Location and Mating Activity
They prefer to build webs on porches, fences, and shrubs. Females are often seen at the center of the web at night and retreat during the day. Egg sacs are hidden nearby, attached to leaves or sheltered surfaces.
Prey Capture and Web Use
Their large circular webs trap flying insects like moths and mosquitoes. The spider detects movement through web vibrations and quickly immobilizes prey with venom. It rebuilds the web nightly to maintain effectiveness.
13. Daring Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax) — Black and Red Morph
The Daring Jumping Spider, typically black with white spots, also has rare color morphs featuring red or reddish-orange markings. These variants appear in specific regions or due to genetic variation, adding to the spider’s already bold appearance.
Color Identification
- Body: Shiny black with possible red or orange abdominal markings (in morphs)
- Markings: White or reddish-orange spots depending on morph
- Legs: Black with iridescent green or red chelicerae
When It Becomes Black and Red
The red markings appear in rare morphs, primarily seen in select populations or during specific life stages. These color variations may become more pronounced in adult males. Most commonly, the species remains black with white spots unless part of a red-toned morph group.
Habitat Choices and Reproductive Sites
These spiders are found on walls, fences, tree bark, and in gardens. They create silken shelters inside leaves or crevices where females lay eggs. Mating occurs in summer, and the female guards the eggs until they hatch.
Attack Style and Use of Silk
Rather than web traps, they use vision and agility to pounce on prey. Silk is used for draglines, nests, and egg sacs, not for hunting. Their powerful jumps and fast reaction time make them effective insect predators.
14. Red-Legged Purseweb Spider (Sphodros rufipes)
The Red-Legged Purseweb Spider is a secretive trapdoor spider found in eastern North America. It’s recognized for its black body and dark red legs, often mistaken for tarantulas due to its robust build.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax and abdomen: Shiny black
- Legs: Distinct deep red, especially the front pair
- Fangs: Prominent and powerful
When It Becomes Black and Red
These spiders maintain their red and black coloration throughout adulthood. The legs darken as they mature, especially in males. The rich contrast helps distinguish them from other mygalomorph spiders.
Underground Living and Egg Chamber
They live in vertical silk tubes buried in the soil, with a camouflaged entrance. Females rarely leave the burrow and lay eggs in protected chambers within the silk tunnel. Males roam during mating season to find females.
Feeding Method and Tube Web System
This spider uses a purseweb—a silken tube above the soil surface. When an insect brushes against the tube, the spider bites through the silk and pulls it inside. Prey is subdued without leaving the protective tunnel, using stealth over speed.
15. Cardinal Jumping Spider (Phidippus cardinalis)
The Cardinal Jumping Spider is a bold and colorful species found in the southern United States. It is easily recognized by its brilliant red upper body and contrasting black lower body and legs, making it one of the most vibrant jumping spiders.
Color Identification
- Cephalothorax: Vivid red with short hairs
- Abdomen and legs: Glossy black
- Chelicerae: Often iridescent green or purple
When It Becomes Black and Red
The intense red and black coloration develops fully in mature males. Juveniles and females tend to have duller or more blended tones. The stark contrast becomes more defined during the breeding season, used in courtship displays.
Preferred Environment and Egg Nesting
Cardinal jumping spiders live on sunlit shrubs, fences, tree trunks, and sometimes on buildings. Females construct silk nests on leaves to lay and protect their eggs. These nests remain hidden and secured during the developmental stages.
Stalking Behavior and Silk Use
This spider relies on vision to stalk prey and execute precision jumps. It does not build webs for hunting but uses silk for draglines, nesting, and egg sacs. Quick movement and accurate targeting make it a capable visual predator.
16. Black-Tailed Red Sheetweaver (Florinda coccinea)
The Black-Tailed Red Sheetweaver is a small but eye-catching spider with a bright red body and a distinct black tail-like marking. It is found across the southeastern United States and is often seen in grasslands and gardens.
Color Identification
- Body: Bright crimson red
- Abdomen tip: Distinct black patch or “tail”
- Legs: Pale to translucent reddish-orange
When It Becomes Black and Red
The black tip on the red body is most vivid in adults. The spider’s intense red color becomes darker as it matures, and the contrast between red and black becomes sharper. Juveniles are more uniformly red or pinkish.
Grass Habitat and Egg Cocoon Traits
This species builds flat sheet-like webs close to the ground among grasses. The female lays eggs in small, rounded cocoons suspended within the web structure. These spiders thrive in moist fields, lawns, and low shrubs.
Feeding Pattern and Web Characteristics
They capture tiny insects using their horizontal sheet webs. When prey lands on the web, the spider strikes from below through the web mesh. The red body can be spotted hanging beneath the web, especially in sunny areas.
FAQs
1. What kind of spider is black with a red marking on its abdomen?
The most well-known spider with a black body and red marking is the Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus spp.). Female black widows typically have a glossy black body with a red hourglass shape on the underside of their abdomen. This marking is a warning signal to predators and helps in species identification.
2. Which spider is black with red underneath the body?
A Black Widow Spider again fits this description, especially adult females. The red hourglass is located on the underside of the abdomen. In some cases, Redback Spiders (Latrodectus hasselti) show a red stripe across the upper side of the abdomen, making them another candidate.
3. What spider has a red body with black legs?
The Red House Spider (Nesticodes rufipes) and the Cardinal Jumping Spider (Phidippus cardinalis) often display this look. They have red or reddish upper bodies paired with darker, often black, legs—creating a vivid contrast.
4. Is there a spider with a red belly and black top?
Yes, the Red-Bellied Jumping Spider (Phidippus johnsoni) is known for its red abdomen (belly) and black cephalothorax and legs. It’s a harmless jumping spider native to North America and is often seen in gardens or dry areas.
5. What spider is black with a red cross or red pattern?
The Spiny Orb-Weaver (Gasteracantha spp.), particularly some red variants, may appear with black bodies and red markings that resemble a cross or central patch. These spiders are harmless and often found in tropical gardens where they weave classic orb-shaped webs.
