The Recluse
Br-recluse-guy/Wikimedia Commons
Look in cluttered, dark areas for this venomous spider. There are five kinds of recluses that Texans report finding in their homes and sheds: Loxosceles rufescens, Loxosceles apachae, Loxosceles devia, Loxosceles blanda and Loxosceles reclusa. The latter, also known as the brown recluse spider, is the most common. It is active at night and carries a recognizable upside-down violin shape on its head segment. Note that the recluse does not build webs but actually hunts prey during the night.
Wolf Spider
Mhalcrow/Wikimedia Commons
Do not mistake the harmless wolf spider---two species, the Hogna and the Rabidosa, are most common---for the venomous recluse. Wolf spiders look like recluses, but they lack the violin shape on the head, and--unlike recluses--are hairy. Like recluses, wolf spiders do not build webs but hunt at night.
Southern House Spider
Kukulcania hibernalis; photo by Theresa Thom/Wikimedia Commons
Look up, and you will find the southern house spider weaving its web around crevices, where it lies in wait for prey to get tangled. Kukulcania hibernalis looks a bit like a recluse but is actually larger and does not have the violin-shaped marking on its head. Female southern house spiders build webs, while the male of the species hunts, much like the recluse or the wolf spider. This spider is not venomous.
Black Widow
Latrodectus mactans; photo by Patrick Edwin Moran/Wikimedia Commons
Recognize the venomous black widow by its red hourglass-shaped marking underneath the abdomen. Texas is home to four types: Latrodectus geometricus, Latrodectus mactan, Latrodectus various and Latrodectus hesperus. The black widow builds webs, which makes it easier for you to spot it. Remember that this kind of spider is not naturally aggressive but will bite when it feels threatened.
