These two groups are commonly found around buildings, especially in cellars and outbuildings. Their webs are a complex and unorganized-looking tangle.
This family contains some of the most common species found in buildings. One type (Achaearanea) is found throughout the world. These spiders have long spindly legs and very round abdomens. They hang motionless in their complex snare and wait for prey to become entangled. This group includes the dangerous Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans). Bites from this spider are rare but may be serious. Despite its bad reputation, this is not a particularly aggressive animal and reasonable caution should prevent most bites. Black Widows are most common in the southern part of Ohio.
This may be the commonest spider inside buildings in Ohio. Their webs are conspicuous tangles in corners near the ceiling or inside shelves or cupboards. The spiders are small-bodied and grey with very long thin legs. They are not aggressive and are not known to bite humans. Do not let the name of this group confuse you, they are not the same as "harvestmen".
Text by Dr. Richard Bradley, Assoc. Prof., Ohio State Univ.- Marion
to Provisional List of Ohio Spiders (as of 23 Nov 1995) 31k