Pest profile

Zoropsis Spider

Zoropsis spinimana · Araneae: Zoropsidae[2]

The Zoropsis spider is big enough to startle people in Bay Area homes, but it's harmless and needs no control.[1]

Zoropsis spider, a long-legged brown spider with dark markings, on a white surface
Zoropsis spider, a long-legged brown spider with dark markings, on a white surface. (c) Alexis Lours, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adults have bodies about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long and a leg span of 1 to 1-1/4 inches, brown with small black markings.[1]
  • A black mark with several outward flares sits on the top front of the abdomen.[1]
  • All eyes sit at the front edge of the head region, unlike wolf spiders.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Wolf spidersWolf spiders' marks are usually diamond-shaped with one flare, and their eyes spread across the front third of the head region.[1]

Where it lives

First reported near Sunnyvale in 1992, it's established around much of San Francisco Bay, so far mostly in and around homes.[1]

US map: public records from 3 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

It's a hunting spider that doesn't spin webs; silk mainly covers the female's egg sac.[1]

Adults wander indoors from September to May, often in winter, usually searching for mates.[1]

Damage and signs

  • It eats mostly insects and causes no damage.[1]

Health risk

It's harmless: no spider in this genus is known to be medically important, and there are no verified bites causing significant problems.[1]

Control

Prevention

Control is unnecessary; reducing clutter removes hiding places.[1]

Keep them out

Weather-stripping at door bottoms helps keep spiders and insects out.[1]

Traps and physical control

Capture the spider and put it outside; they don't invade in groups.[1]

Common questions

Is the Zoropsis spider dangerous?
No. There are no verified bites causing significant medical problems.[1]
Will more show up?
Rarely more than one at a time; they don't invade in large numbers.[1]

Sources

  1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Zoropsis Spider (Publication 74143).” ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74143.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Zoropsis spinimana taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/127112 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.