I Found A Spider In My Basement In Michigan It Was Black And Had White Spots On It Back, What Is It And Is It Harmful To Pets And Children?

The spider may be a species known as the bold jumping spider. The jumping spider is part of the Salticidae family and this is a group of hunting spiders. The jumping spider is normally about two centimetres in length and the female spiders tend to be larger than the male spiders. The spider is best known for its jumping and they are very easy to spot. 
These spiders are often considered as being dangerous. This is actually not the case. The jumping spiders are not poisonous to humans and they do not normally attack humans unless they feel in danger or threatened. The jumping spider is similar in personality to the wolf spider. The only way that a jumping spider will be dangerous to humans is if the person that gets bitten is allergic to the venom of the spiders. If you do get bitten by one of these spiders it is very important that you seek medical attention and this is especially the case if you are not totally certain of the species of the spider that has bitten you. 
This species of spider has been known to jump 50 times the length of its body. These spiders are able to jump using the increased level of blood pressure in their legs. These spiders tend to have large eyes that are forward facing and this allows them to have a good level of stereoscopic vision. These spiders prefer to hunt in areas that are fairly open and they do not build webs like other species of spiders. There is nothing to worry about with these spiders but it is still a good idea to get checked by a medical professional if a spider bites you.

Was wondering what part of Michigan, I had found a similar one to what you r describing, it was somewhat hairy w/ a white design on its back and when you approached it , it would back up in a defensive mode....I had found a site called: [email protected] . This site says to send the photo to them and they will make an attempt to identify the spider...see what happens

I have a spider right now on one of my Living Room plants. I hate spiders, they really creep me out and this one is small, black, and has a white design that look like spots on its back. I think it might be the same kind of spider but I can't say exactly. If you could post a picture of it, that would be great that way I know if we are dealing with the same type! :)

I just killed a spider that was bigger, black and a white spot and it did the same thing, when I approached it, it got in defensive stance I do believe it is a type of jumping spider but I can't be sure cause I have never seen one that big

I found a couple of the same type of sounding spiders on my back patio next to the hot tub. I also believe that it bit my boyfriend one night while we were in the hot tub because he had large painful welts on his underarms that appeared to be bites. The marks went away after a few days but were very painful until then. I have a small child and pets that go outside. I was hoping to find the same answer as you as to what type of spider it is and if they are harmful to small children and animals! I've killed one that was smaller then I found an even larger one the next day. They did back up in the defensive position now that I think of it but they also pretty much tried to run away. Unfortunately the larger one got away underneath the hot tub. I've been searching relentlessly to find what kind of spider it was and the closest I can find is the Phidippus audax  or commonly known as the Bold Jumping Spider. Wikipedia has photos and explanation of what it is but not an answer about the venom. en.wikipedia.org Good Luck and happy hunting!

It can be a black widow, but cannot be sure of it as you have not posted it picture or image. There are many minute details required to distinguish between different spiders which unfortunately is not present in your question. This answer is already answered. Click here to read it.

It's probably a jumping spider. I found a similar sounding spider and I've become obsessed with identifying it.

I found a spider thats black and has a white butt. I can't find what kind it is.

I found a black spider outside on the garbage can it was black and on the hind end it had one big white outline with a white dot in the center. Is it harmful to my pets or children?

I have found a spider in my yard that is black and it has white spots...but it has 6 horns on it. It shows no type of defence and it had a very large sack on it. And it makes the weirdest web ever!