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Ground Spiders |
Ground spiders (family Gnaphosidae) are
reddish, brown, gray, striped, black spiders, and
include nearly 2,000 described species in over 100
genera, distributed worldwide. This makes the family the
seventh largest known. New species are still being
discovered. They are closely related to
Clubionidae. Common genera include Gnaphosa, Drassodes,
Micaria, Cesonia, Zelotes and many
others.
Generally, ground spiders are characterized by
having barrel-shaped anterior spinnerets that are one
spinneret diameter apart. The main exception to this
rule is found in the ant-mimicking genus Micaria.
Another characteristic is an indentation in the endites
(paired mouthparts anterior and lateral to the labium,
or lip). All ground spiders lack a prey-capture web and
generally run prey down on the surface. They hunt at
night and spend the day in a silken retreat. The
thick-walled egg sacs are guarded by the mother until
the spiderlings hatch.
At present, no ground spiders are known to be
seriously venomous to humans. Very few people even
notice them.
Information: Wikipedia
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Reply: It looks like a ground spider - glen
14 January, 2012:
Dear spiderzrule,
Wonder if you can Id this one? We live in England, though our neighbours are from Australia. The spider makes a web at the entrance to a hole in brick wall, sort of funnel shaped. It has very noticeable hooks at end of legs. Very black in Colour. Any clues welcome (even if only for a spider site in uk?)
Thanks and Regards,
John Atwill (and Owen age 4, who watches this spider). |
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23 December, 2011:
I am not sure if this is a clear enough photo for you to identify. Do you think it is a brown recluse or just an ordinary, not so dangerous a spider.
He was in the bedroom and got away!
Thanks! Nancy |
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Reply: This is a ground spider - glen
4 August, 2011:
Hi I was at home playing a video game when this little guy happens to pinch my side and I pushed it off of me right before freaking out.I like spiders but not on me! Lol and I'm no stranger to spiders my mom has had a few as pets, but I've never seen this one before. I live in southern Cali in the San Fernando valley. Do you happen to know what it is or might be and if it is venomous.
-kiki
- sfv California |
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Reply from Tim: I think you are correct. I think it is a
Scotophaeus blackwalli. Thank you for the push in the right direction
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Note: Scotophaeus blackwalli. are also known as mouse
spiders because of the grey mouse like fur on their abdomen. These
are not the same as the myglamorphs listed on my site as mouse
spiders which are a completely different species!! - glen
16 July, 2011:
Always been fascinated by spiders, and I saw this one in my
house here in Seattle WA tonight and I'm stumped. For this region,
the closest thing I can think of is a species of Callobius, but the
spinnerets seem wrong for it to be a Callobius. And I don't think
its Tegenaria, as it doesn't have the brown/black spots on the
abdomen. The spider was about 1 to 1.25 inch in total length.
Anyways, thanks for looking at it, and I'd love to hear if you know
what it could be. -- - Tim |
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12 July, 2011:
Hello Glen,
Thanks for hosting all of the great photos.
Can you tell me what kind of spider is in the attached photos. It was crawling on a wall inside my house. It was seemed rather docile when I first trapped in in the afternoon, then it was much more active late in the evening when I went to set it free. It also started to spin a lot of silk in the evening when I disturbed the glass to let it go. I think it is a ground spider, but I wanted to confirm. I hope I will not regret letting it go.
Thanks,
Clay |
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Reply: I think this is a ground spider -
glen
10 September, 2010:
I found this spider in Eugene Oregon, US, and i haven't been able to find out what kind of spider this is.
it has a brown abdomen with no pattern and a clearish red /brown cephalothorax. It was about 15mm long |
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Reply: It is a ground spider -
glen
10 September, 2010:
Hi Glen,
I saw your website and I'm looking for some help in identifying this spider.
I've found 5 of them in my house this week and I've seen a few before, but I'd
like to know if they are harmful.
Thanks,
-Steve
Click for a closeup |
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Reply: It is a ground spider -
glen
10 September, 2010:
I find these all over my house and I got bit by somethiing in my sleep the other night maybe one of these? They are all different sizes from 1cm up to 3/4 inch. I live in gilroy ca. Can you tell me what it is?
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Reply: It looks like a ground spider -
glen
19 July, 2010:
This spider was in my house tonight. Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
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Reply: It is a ground spider -
glen
5 April, 2010:
Hi, I found this spider in my living room wall. I am from San
Francisco Bay Area. I assume it is some type of sac spider. Can you
identify it for me. Thanks.
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Reply: This is very hard to ID due to the lack of detail
in the pic but could be one of the ground spider species - glen
23 February, 2010:
Hi,
First -- thank you for any help you can provide!
Last Thursday I woke up in the middle of the night with a welt on my neck and one on
my collarbone - in the morning there was an additional one on my arm (same side as neck
& collarbone).
These wound up swelling such that almost 1/3 of my entire arm & about half of my
entire neck were swollen (I couldnt turn my head without pain), both areas were
reddened, insanely itchy and very hot to touch. There was some sort of bite mark
in the middle of each, which sometimes oozed a clear liquid. I didn't feel well and was exhausted
until mid-day Sunday. My whole body itched at times. The itching and swelling started to go d
own Sunday afternoon, and now, Tuesday morning, there is a faint red area at each bite.
I found this spider crawling in my comforter yesterday. I haven't been able to find any other spiders (or
spider webs) in, under, or near my bed.
I've attached a few pics - one for an idea of scale and the others for, hopefully, identification.
Thank you so, so much!!
Melissa
PS The spider looks black to the naked eye - I don't think we had great light on it -- we had to photograph
it at night. |
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13 September,
2006:
I discovered this spider on the floor and I live in southern
Ca. near the ocean. I wanted to know it harmless or not.
Thank-You Renee
Click for a larger view.
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