# Help me identify this (scary) spider in my house!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-scary-spider-in-my-house/246535>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 22, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-scary-spider-in-my-house/246535 "2004-05-22T16:14:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-scary-spider-in-my-house/246535/1 "2004-05-22T16:14:30Z")

</div>

This morning I was awoken by screams from my sister to kill a spider in our house. We live in the southwest burbs of chicago. Upon seeing the spider, I was a little taken back because I have never seen a spider like this before. It was about a half inch long. It was VERY fast. I was black with a white spot on its back.

I know very little about spiders… but could this be a black widow? How concerned should I be? Any precautions I need to take?  
Maybe I am just being paranoid. :mad:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-scary-spider-in-my-house/246535/2 "2004-05-22T16:42:00Z")

</div>

[Black Widow Spider link](http://personalwebs.myriad.net/bugboy/blackwid.htm)

[Is this it?](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/daring_jumping_spider.htm)

The incredible and amazing Daring Jumping Spider might fit the bill and is relatively inoccuous, and is a speed hunter not a webslinger. It can bite and may leave a small welt [I have been nibbled on by a pissed off relative, but I dont blame it, I accidently tried to take a nap on it when it was hiding on my sofa and it got upset with me for some reason 😃 just left a bump like a non-itchy skeeter bite]