The parson spider is a nuisance in homes and is generally nontoxic; although some people may experience allergic reactions to the bites. The parson spider is about 1/2 inch long and may vary in
colour from brown to black. The front segment of the body tends to be a chestnut
colour, while the abdomen is greyish with a distinctive white or pink pattern along its middle. The body is covered with fine hairs, giving a velvety appearance. The parson spider is usually found outdoors under rocks or in piles of brush or firewood. This spider does not spin a web, but wanders on the ground in search of prey.
Indoors, this spider wanders about at night and conceals itself beneath objects or in clothing during the day. Most bites from this spider occur at night or when it is trapped in clothing. While the parson spider is not considered
particularly dangerous to humans, bite symptoms are variable in severity. Some people may experience localized allergic swelling and itching in addition to initial pain. A few persons may experience excessive swelling, nervousness, nausea, sweating and elevated temperatures from the bites.
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19 July, 2010:
Hi there,
I live in Ontario Canada and have seen this little one in my home lately.
I am just trying to figure out what type of spider I have here. One shot is
with the house light one and the second shot is with the flash (to show
marking a bit better)
Any help would be great.
Cheers
Rob |
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1 March, 2010:
i live in northern MI... busy mom (dont have time to browse your site) found this spider on a basket on my kitchen table... never saw one before. the wooden part of the basket its on is about 1.5 inches wide. Just wondering what it could be? Thanks! |
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16 October, 2009:
I find these in my home pretty often. They seem to like hiding in
drawers. I have found them in the end on the bed where the comforter
is tucked in, and on the walls. We live in Rhode Island. Any info is
greatly appreciated.
Thank you Dawn |
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Reply: Lucky spider - this is a parson spider - glen
14 October, 2009:
Can you identify the attached spider for me. It was on my bathroom wall. I tried to kill it but it moved too fast for me
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Reply: This is a parson spider - glen
11 October, 2009:
Hi Glen,
Love your site - I've used it to identify (hopefully correctly) the last 3 spiders in our home - thank you!
I'm sending you the last three photos to double check with what I think they are - the first one (found today) IMG242 I have no clue on.
In your opinion - (I live on the second floor of an apt building in Ohio) - should I have pest control come? Three different spiders in 2 months?
We have one toddler at home and I just want to be on the safe side.
Thank you!
Collette |
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5 September, 2009:
Hello, I love your site! I started taking pictures of spiders in my
house after my one year old son started getting what I think are yellow
sac spider bites. (Lymph filled blisters that rupture and take months to
heal.) So far your site has helped me identify 5 out of 6 of the spiders
I've found (including what I think is a yellow sac), and now I know
which are safe enough to catch and release, and which aren't worth the
risk (lest they escape and bite my son again). Except for the nursery
web spider who's picture was taken a few years ago (the most photogenic
of them all, and thanks to your site I know they're not dangerous), all
the spiders I caught were no bigger than a 1/3 of an inch... All the spiders I've photographed are from southern New Jersey. Please let me know if I've grossly misidentified any of my spiders. Feel free to post any pictures you like and thanks for making such a great site!
-Laura Lee |
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23 August, 2009:
Hi!
Found the attached spider this morning (Sunday, August 16, 2009) crawling along the ceiling in my bedroom upon wakening!
What is it?!?!?
Jacquie |
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7
August, 2009:
Dear Spider expert,
I am attaching to you a picture that I took for a spider that I found it under the toilet seat. I am wondering if that kind is toxic?
Thanks a lot,
Anas |
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4 May, 2009:
Hi there. just wanted to let you know what a great site you have and to send you these pics i took of a spider i found in my room in Las Vegas NV. I think its a wolf spider but it has very big spinnerettes and its not as "hairy" as I normally see with the wolf spiders. Plus the stripe on its back is pink even though it looks brown in the pictures. any info appreciated!
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17 March, 2009:
Found this little guy crawling across my desk. Went to get the camera and lost him. Found him again on the floor. I believe he's a Parson spider.
Christina in Illinois
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Reply: This is a parson spider.
22 August, 2008:
glen,
i finally got one. he found me actually. he ran across my computer desk.
im sending you all the pics i have of him. i hope you can tell me what he is.
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13 June, 2008:
Hi Glen, I also have added two pictures of a spider that was high-tailing it across the living room wall the other night. I don't know what he was. Feel free to use the pictures if you want.
--Damy
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Reply: I did some research online and found it is a Herpyllus vasifer or "Parson Spider".
Wes
5 June, 2008:
Hi never seen this type of spider before, would be great if you had time to ID it and email me back.
It was found in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Thank you very much.
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Reply: It looks like parson
spider.
15
July, 2005:
You probably get e-mail about spiders all the time I found a
nice spider in my kids bath tub
http://www.3hamms.com/Picture1.jpg
http://www.3hamms.com/Picture2.jpg
Can you please tell me if this spider is dangerous and what kind is
it. What is the best way to get rid of spiders ....moth balls?Gary |
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8
October, 2004:
hello again,
your site is still my favourite. love what you have done since I was here last.
I
have a question, I found a small spider in my laundry room on the wall. he is
the size of a dime not counting his six legs, can you help? thank
Reply: The one is a Parson Spider. It
can be identified on this
web site. |
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29 March, 2004:
Hello,
We had this visitor last night on our kitchen floor. I looked
all over the internet and I believe it is Parson Spider which is
a ground spider of the family Gnaphosidae. What do you think?
Michael J. Schlenk
Washington, New Jersey |
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26 May, 2002:
Hi,
I live in Los Angeles and I found this guy in my
apartment. I don't believe he's dangerous, but I was
curious if you could identify him. I suspect he's just
in the family of European house spiders - approx. 1-1.25" across leg span.
Unfortunately the black & white photo is the only one
that came out well - I'm still working on my close-up
photo skills. The picture on the left, was taken about a
year ago, no doubt the exact same type of spider. Please
feel free to use these pictures on your site - I'll gladly send
more when I find more accommodating "models" so I can
work on my macro skills.
Jason Malburg |
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