"I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain't so."
Josh Billings, 1818-1885 (in "Solemn Thoughts")
Every one of the statements below is false!
Click to learn why.
General Fallacies
Myths About Identifying Spiders
Just Plain Weird Myths
Myths About "Dangerous" Spiders
The Fine Print
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily endorsed by the Burke Museum or the University of Washington, but are entirely my own, founded on 45 years of experience working with spiders and misinformed humans.
Note also that I use "myth" here as a convenient catchall term for any kind of widely believed misinformation about spiders. Also, the myths dealt with here are mainly North American. Some of the spider myths of other continents may differ. Older myths and legends not widely believed by present-day people are omitted: examples would be the Greek myth of Arachne or the West African stories of Anansi.
Spider Myth Resources
Explore even more! Additional spider resources and more myths (poor spiders can't catch a break!).