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Reply: This is a camel spider or
solfugid. They are common in the drier areas.
25
December, 2004:
hi
i use vue print to open attch. i found this spider dead on the floor
what is it .i hope you can open the attch. i live in Las Vegas can
you help me??
thank you |
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Reply: I found a little info on the
spider I was asking about (below) in case you would like to replay
it. Here is a link which shows more pictures of it:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2006 It's a Jumping Spider. |
21 December, 2004:
Aloha from Hawaii.... I just was wondering if you guys had
any clue on the spider I just found. I was cleaning some grapes for
my son when I saw a white sack. I kind of knew that it was a spider
so i put it in a container and when I moved it around it poped out.
It may be a spider from the mainland but I never seen one in Hawaii.
Well if you can please let me know . thank you, Piilani P.S. it has
some orange spots on its back and on its legs. |
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6 December, 2004:
Hallo!
I Happened across this one in Liberia and I thought it looked a bit
scary! Could you tell me what this is?
Michael Waara
Sweden |
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28
November, 2004:
Found Nov 28 2004 at Conway Sc body about 1 and 1/4
inch long 1/2 in wide legs about 2 in long. any idea what type
spider this is? |
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26
November, 2004:
Hi Glen,
Is there any way you could help me and try to identify this spider?
It is just the hugest spider I have ever seen! I live in Rock Hill,
South Carolina. I have been living here for 12 years and the largest
spider I have seen has been the Wolf Spider. I have never seen this
spider before, and I hope I never do! This guy doesn't look anything
like a wolf spider. If anything, he looks like a tarantula! Yuck! I
was in awe of how huge his lower body is. I opened up my back door
last night to put out the cat food, and there he was sitting next to
my cat. I think even my cat was impressed with the spiders size. It
was night time, and I leave the back light on, so I frequently see
spiders hanging around trying to catch the bugs that are attracted
to the porch light. To give you an idea of the spider's size, I'd
say he would have taken up most of my palm, and his lower region had
to have been close to an inch. Thanks for your help, Sheri |
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23
November, 2004:
I found this not so little guy in the
ground while digging a ditch. I live in North Carolina. It looks
like some type of a funnel web??? I would love to know what species
it is.
Sincerely,
David DeKort |
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Reply: That is a
species of Micrathena, possibly Micrathena gracilis. It is not
dangerous. Nathan Hepworth
5
November, 2004:
Hi: My name is Victor
Carpizo, I photographed this weird specimen near Mexico City and I
would like to know if it´s dangerous. Best Regards,
Victor Carpizo |
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Reply: That is an
orbweaver, possibly a species of Araneus or Zygiella. It's not
dangerous. Nathan Hepworth
1 November, 2004:
I saw this spider at a local
gas station, approx. 50-75 feet from the Fox River in Northern
Illinois, coming out of a garbage can...It is (was, sorry) approx.
1"-1.5" in diameter. I am just curious as I have never seen anything
like this before. So if you can, pleas ID it for me!!? Thanks!!!
James Watrach
Internet Sales Manager
JimW@EFabPCB.com |
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1 November, 2004:
Hello.. My wife and myself
just got stationed here in Kodiak, AK and were having a bit of
trouble finding out what kind of spider this is.. We see it on our
kitchen floor and hallway (both tiled) often. I keep flushing them
because I don't know if they are dangerous or not. We've seen
anywhere from 10-15 of them. I just keep flushing and a new one
shows up the next night.. standing there in the middle of the
kitchen floor like it's his kitchen. :) Anyway, if they are harmless
I will stop flushing but I just didn't want harmful spiders moving
from my kitchen up to my bedroom. Here's the picture of him,
sitting on a paper towel. |
Reply:
Can't name the species, but it's a wolfspider. It isn't
dangerous. Nathan Hepworth |
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Reply: BE
CAREFUL! That strongly resembles an older juvenile black
widow! It could have come in with the boat from California. If you
still have the spider, or can recall from memory--did it/ does
it have a red hourglass on its underside? If so, you have a
black widow. Nathan Hepworth
28
October, 2004:
HI was hoping you could help
identify this spider that was found in our shop in Saskatoon
Saskatchewan Canada. We had just finshed washing a boat purchased in
Sacramento California and had left it in the shop for the night. The
next morning we discovered this guy, we didn't recognize it as a
local, Thanks |
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Reply:
That looks to be a male
Tegenaria, a type of funnel weaver. I don't know the species,
but you'll want to be careful with it as you could have the
DANGEROUS hobo spider in your area, which is a species of
Tegenaria. The hobo spider has relatives that are not dangerous to
people, but at least one species of those live in along side hobo
spiders, and are difficult to tell apart. So take no chances
with an unidentified Tegenaria min the pacific Northwest!!! This
site has a map of the hobo spider's range ( link to map is on the
brown recluse page), as well as pictures and info:
www.hobospider.org
Nathan Hepworth |
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27
October, 2004:
HI.i have a question about
spiders and i have 2 pictures of this spider (same spider different
lighting) that i found in my washroom (surprisingly!) and it was
pretty big...i mean not that big than the pictures u guys have on ur
site buy bigger than ur
normal everyday spider u usually spot around the house.. it was
terrifying! well I reside in Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada to
give u some detail where it's located...and it was dark brown and at
lest 4 inches.. hopefully that'll be some help..... anyway I
would like to know what kind of spider this is, if it is dangerous,
and where it originally came from...okay enjoy.... hehehe..
thanks....... |
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27
October, 2004:
Hi Glen,
This Spider was found floating in a pool in Calabasas California. I
pulled up the articles below from a Website on Spiders... The photo
looks similar to the one in the article.
What kind of Spider is it? The one in my Photo is a little the worse
for wear. Derek Gardner.
Reply: This is another of the same sort of myglamorph as
below, and by the long
pedipalps with the hook on them, a male too. |
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25
October, 2004:
Hi Glen, can you tell me
what type of spider this is. I have not seen this fellow before, it
came out from under the fridge.
Thanks & Regards,
Bob Pearce
Queensland
Reply: It looks
like a wolf spider. |
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25
October, 2004:
I live in Nashville TN and
have recently found 3 of these spiders in my house. I believe it is
in the Mygalomorphae sub-order. I have found them just walking
across the floor. I haven’t seen any webs or anything. Any ideas or
if you think they are harmful.
Thanks,
Kinley Winchester
Reply:
This is some sort of myglamorph as well. Could be harmful so be
careful. |
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25
October, 2004:
My daughter found this dead at the bottom of a swimming pool
in San Diego California on October 23, 2004. Looks a lot like the
one found In Baldwin Park on Oct 20, 2004.
Mike McNalley
Reply: This is some sort of myglamorph and by the long
pedipalps with the hook on them, a male. |
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Reply:
That is Araneus
trifolium, the shamrock spider.
Nathan Hepworth
24
October, 2004:
My daughter found this
spider in our driveway last Sunday. We have never seen anything like
this before. What is it? Julie
Reply: It looks
like some sort of orb weaver, very unusual colouring!! Click for a
larger view. |
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Reply:
This could also be Kukulcania hibernalis , the southern house spider. It was
formerly classified as Filistata hibernalis. Nathan
Hepworth
21
October, 2004:
We found this spider in our lab. We are in Safford Arizona.
The units show underneath the spider is centimeters. Could you help us identify
it? |
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Reply: This is some sort of
myglamorph and by the long pedipalps with the hook on them, a male.
21 October, 2004:
Hey, a I'm a student at the Art Institute of Los Angeles, and
a couple of staff members that work on campus came across a very interesting
breed of a spider. No one here can claim to have ever seen it before and when we
researched online, we couldn't identify it with any of the photos or
descriptions that were offered. The name of the files attached are what we
called the spider, we found it amusing to name it after the real 'owner' who
found it, Dario. He said to have come across it in Baldwin Hills which in
California, floating dead in his pool. This happened today, October 20, around
this afternoon. We hope to find out what exactly this type of spider is or if we
indeed are so lucky to have found an entirely new breed. (Fingers crossed) You
may contact Nanne at nsnow@edmc.edu - you might want to get a hold of her first,
she's the staff member or even myself, at this address, the name's Vanessa.
Thanks for your time, hope we're not wasting it, please give us an email back! |
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Reply: Don't know the species, but it's a huntsman spider, (
Sparassidae ). It resembles the genus Heteropoda, and is probably about as
venomous--having a painful, but not dangerous bite.
Nathan Hepworth
19 October, 2004:
Hi, I am Daniel from Austria and I encountered this spider in
a wooden shelter in the rainforests of Borneo (Kelabit Highlands, area of Bario)
in Aug. 2004. Its body lenght excluding the legs was about 5-6 cm (2 inches or
more) as far as I can remember. It seemed to be rather common and according to
an indigenous hunter I was travelling with moderately poisonous. Can you help me
identifying it? Thanks a lot and greetings to Australia, Daniel Hausknost. |
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18 October, 2004:
This little guy was under a foot stool in my backyard this
morning. am i correct that it may be a brown widow spider? i would really
appreciate you identifying it for me, thanks, sharon
Reply: Looks like it could be a brown widow. |
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Reply: I would say this is a
male+female pair of Kukulcania Hibernalis, the southern house spider. The
female is the larger, dark colored one. Nathan
Hepworth |
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16 October, 2004:
Glen - I live in Las Vegas, NV, USA. There are several of
these in my garage - they're up to 2" in diameter, dark brown on black, hairy,
kind of shy and very fragile. I think they have four large eyes. They seem to be
nocturnal, as they hide a few minutes after I turn on my garage light or open
the garage door. I have had them come in my house (seems more common now in the
fall) - one crawled up the back of my couch and over my arm - scared the
bejeezus out of me. In one of the pics you see another kind of spider - not sure
what it is…some kind of funnel spider? Light brown/caramel colored…lots of those
too. Not sure if the big dark one was trying to prey on it. Anyway, a little
stress and these things curl up and die - I chased the one in the picture around
with the Bic pen to get it to pose for a picture, and two days later it was
dead, never leaving this corner. They like dark corners and are usually *near*
irregular webs, but I never see them in one - in one of the pics it seems to be
tangled up in some webbing. What are they?
Thanks,
Brian |
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Reply: That looks like Phidippus apacheanus, a species of
jumping spider.
Nathan
Hepworth
15 October, 2004:
Hi I found this spider in my yard. I have never seen anything
like it before. Is it some sort of jumping spider, looking on your
webpage, the jumping spider is the only one that resembles it. Thanks
arvinielsen@hotmail.com |
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14 October, 2004:
Brown Recluse from Rogers, Arkansas
I found this one in one of my kids toys. In fact the same toy car that I found
the Black Widow in which you posted a few months ago. Goes to show that if you
keep toys outside it might be good to shake it a bit before letting the kids
play.
Craig Richardson
Rogers Arkansas |
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14 October, 2004:
My name is Irish Jordan. I found this spider in my back
yard.. thought I would send you a pic.. I think it is a black widow..
Thanks. |
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Reply:
It looks like a
Dolomedes scriptus, a species of fishing spider.
Check these photos for confirmation:
http://www.giffbeaton.com/spiders.htm
http://research.amnh.org/entomology/blackrock2/pictures/spider_images/galleries/
pisauridae/dolomedes_scriptus.htm
Nathan Hepworth |
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13 October, 2004:
HI was wondering if you could identify a spider for me? I
live in Raleigh NC and the was this Huge spider about 4" long ran across the
floor in the house where I live. I trapped it with a ice tea pitcher and took
this photo. I then took him to the end of the driveway and released him. I have
been looking all over the net and still can not fine this spider. He looked like
a skinny version of a Tarantula. Thanks Rodney. I have enclosed a pic. |
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13 October, 2004:
Hi I have an unidentified spider on my hands! I think that it
is a fishing spider but am unsure of the species (after surfing the net for 3
hours!!!) If you or anyone out there could help identify it, that would be
wonderful
;-) Please go ahead and post it on the site.
TIA, Dawn
Click for a larger picture. |
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11
October, 2004:
Hi there, I wonder if you can help. Whilst on a recent
holiday to Sarawak Borneo we came across a lot of these spiders. They varied in
size from approximately 1 inch to 2inches. I have tried to look it up in
various guide books but not yet identified it, the nearest I get is a Black
widow, But this has whitish stripes as you can see. I thank you in anticipation
for any help give. Kind Regards, Steve. P.S. please us photo freely. |
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Reply: That is a wolf spider. I
don't know the species, but try searching Hogna carolinensis - Nathan
Hepworth |
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10
October, 2004:
Hi, I have seen about 10 of these spiders in the garage and
now this one in my house. I live in Farwell Michigan, but just got home from
Sturgis, South Dakota. I have never seen one around home like this before, could
we have brought it home in the Motor home? I caught it in a jar and took
these pictures. He is the size of a half dollar at least. Thanks
Karen |
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10
October, 2004:
Hello, I've been looking around your site to see if I could
find something that looks like my captive. By the way, you have a wonderful site
which I am very much enjoying. I caught this spider on Monday, October 4, 2004.
Here's what I've observed about her type prior to her capture: I've seen many
spiders form envelopes in the corners of the ceiling and moult. They move on to
moult and molt again, approximately 4 to 6 times. I kill most that I see before
they ever reach maturity but occasionally there is one I miss and it turns out
to be a mature Black Widow, so I'm tending to think that's what she is, thought
I haven't been able to locate any information about the life cycle of Black
Widows or what an immature one in my area would look like, the eastern side of
Washington State. I'm keeping her to see how she develops but would like to know
any information about her that you can give me. I've affectionately named her
Bella.
Thanks, C.L. Swiftot |
Reply: You were
right, that is an immature widow spider. I'm not sure on the
exact species though...It resembles the brown widow immature, which
isn't supposed to be in your area, last I knew. Have a look at the
"Common Spiders USA" page on the bar on the left hand side at the
top of this page. Or it could be a widow that hasn't developed its
black coloration yet. Have a look at
this page
also - Nathan Hepworth
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9
October, 2004:
Great site, I have enjoyed going through all the pages.
I found both of these in my house, on the ground or under some furniture. The black one was about penny-sized, and acted pretty lethargic in the box but when I let him go outside he moved faster than any spider I've seen before (extremely quick, jerky movements). Funny thing is, I never noticed any colour other than black until I took a flash picture of his underside, as you can see there appears
to be a couple of red markings. The brown spider was a bit larger, and didn't act as aggressive when released. I hope none of these are dangerous,
since I let them go and I would prefer they not return.
Thanks a lot for your help, Ben Sebastian |
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Reply: I would say it's a Sparassidae huntsman
spider. It looks similar to Heteropoda venatoria, a North American
huntsman spider. Here is a picture of the male H.venatoria for comparison:
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/spiders/giant_crab_spider01.htm
- Nathan Hepworth |
8
October, 2004:
Hi everybody, what a great site.
I posted a pic of a quite large one i found in Bangkok, Thailand. If anybody
knows what's it's name, i'd be very thankful. I believe it's crab or a hunting
spider but i may be totally wrong. It still looks nice ....Size from left to
right about 10 cm.
greetings from berlin,
sebastian |
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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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6
October, 2004:
Would love to know what this is. I did not see anything else
like it on the website. Thanks.
Reply: It looks like a Banana Orb Weaver,
also known as the Golden Silk Spider. As far as I know their bites aren't a
threat, just painful. Of course, an unexpected reaction could occur so don't go
poking them to get bitten. |
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6
October, 2004:
Hi , I found this spider at the store where I work. He
was shopping for shoes I think. He is about the size of a nickel and nobody
liked him except me. I do not know if he is dangerous but I was careful when I
snapped his picture. I dare say he even posed. I'm sorry to say the little guy
wasn't a very good swimmer but he waved goodbye as he was circling the toilet
bowl. |
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Reply: It's a wolf spider of some sort. My best guess would
be what is listed as "Alopecosa inquilina? " on this website -
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Lycosidae/wolfspiders.htm -
Nathan Hepworth.
6
October, 2004:
Hey I live in Oklahoma, and just found this spider in my garage. Now I am not
positive it is native here, because I run a record label and I just got a box of
cds from the manufacturing plant out in the east coast. The boxes came UPS so,
theoretically, the spider could have come from ANYWHERE and just hitched a ride
with the UPS guy. Here are two good pics of the spider. Lemme know if you know
anything on it. Thanks jeremy |
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Reply: That is a sac spider, probably the native
yellow sac spider, Cheiracanthium inclusum. The bite IS considered
medically significant. Go to
www.hobospider.org for more information on these - Nathan Hepworth |
October, 2004:
I'm thinking this an immature specimen - it's almost
translucent with the exception of the
abdomen. This is the 4th one I've caught within the past week. Must've been a
recent "sac hatch." I'll be laying in my bed and I'll see one of the little
suckers out of the corner of my eye. Couldn't find a photo of this on the site
to cross-reference. Is it a Brown Recluse? Eyes are too small to tell if there's
only 6. I live in Boston, so a Recluse living up here isn't likely, right? |
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reply: That looks like a trapdoor spider of some kind. They
aren't generally dangerous, but the bite will be more severe than your
average garden spider - Nathan Hepworth
5
October, 2004:
I am from South Texas and I found this aggressive spider in
my babies nursery crawling across the floor, When we caught this spider and put
it in an insect cage it would attack anything and everything. if anyone could
help me identify it we sure would relief for our family, Thank you,
Brystolschultz34@aol.com |
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4
October, 2004:
Attached are three pictures of a spider I found in my
bathroom. The third picture is blurry, but includes a dime to show the size. Any
help in identifying this spider would be helpful.
Thanks,
Rob Provost
Reply: That looks like it could
be Dysdera crocata,
the woodlouse hunter too. Check out these links:
Click here or
here.
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3
October, 2004:
I found this guy behind my curtain right under my window
sill. I live in the third floor of an apartment complex in
Louisville KY. What is this thing?? Is it dangerous??
Reply: This one looks like a
funnel weaver spider (Agelenopis
species) which is a relative of the hobo
spider.
Click here for picture to compare.
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Reply:
That is a mygalomorph, but not a tarantula. It could be a
trapdoor spider. While it's wouldn't be considered dangerous, you'd
do well to avoid getting bitten. Trapdoor spider bites, from some
species at least, can be very painful. If you plan to keep it,
provide it with a deep bedding of moist, but not swampy dirt
or peatmoss and keep it at or slightly
above room temp . The brownish red spots on its under side are its
book lungs.
Nathan Hepworth
1
October, 2004:
I know you don't identify spiders but maybe someone checking
out you website can help me. I have looked everywhere trying to
identify this spider its a ground spider
found under a piece of scrap siding no web. Its a little larger than
a Quarter, but my husband said he killed one 4 times it size the day
before. I live in Fayetteville NC, USA here are 4 views its black no
hair has white on its back and a brownish red spot on each side of
it. Thanks for any help. Stefanie
Reply: It is a mygalmorph of some sort? |
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Reply: That looks like a
wolf spider I am keeping now. I'm not totally sure
of its identity, but it bears a resemblance to Arctosa cinerea. In
any case it is not dangerous. Nathan Hepworth
1
October, 2004:
Hey, I found this spider in my house in San Jose, California
and I was hoping you could identify it for me, and tell me whether
it is
dangerous or not.
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Reply: That looks like it could
be Dysdera crocata,
the woodlouse hunter. Check out these links:
Click here or
here. Nathan Hepworth
1
October, 2004:
We found this spider at our work on Martha's Vineyard Island,
Massachusetts. Please help us identify it! Thanks.
Kelley Debettencourt |
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Reply: Glen, his spider sure looks
the same, i contacted akin by email & sent him the sight I sent you
on the Carolina wolf spider, he said they look identical.... here
are 3 pictures of my Carolina wolf spider.
thanks so much for the reply..... Martel Burrows |
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30
September, 2004:
Hi, I found this spider next to my office door couple of days
ago. My office is in the deserts of Kazakhstan... It does not
produce any web, or I'm yet to see any. Is it dangerious? Any
poison? I hope you can help me out with this one. Regards,
A. AKIN KÖKSAL, SGI QC Manager, Senimdi Kurylys LLP, Tengiz/Kazakhstan
E-Mail : akoksal@senimdi.com
Click for larger photos. |
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Reply: I'm not completly sure, but it looks like a male
trapdoor spider. Can you get a closer picture, especially of
the front end of the spider?
Nathan Hepworth
28
September, 2004:
This spider visited me two nights in a row even after I had
let him outside the first night. Can you help me identify him?
I have decided to keep him. I house 2 tarantulas too. Thanks
in advance! Jennifer
Clackamas, OR |
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Reply:
Same as below--a species of Tetragnatha.
Nathan Hepworth
27
September, 2004:
Can you identify this spider that we have on our pier? There
are about 3 or 4 of them on the pier. Thanks Linda |
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Reply: That looks like a long-jawed orbweaver, so it's
probably a species of Tetragnatha. Try running a search on
those names.
Nathan Hepworth
27
September, 2004:
hi, I've look through your page, the website contains lots of
information bout spiders, i was wondering can you please help me
out? i looked at trillions pic of spiders before. and still I
couldn't find the species of them (attached).. please? I'm doing
this for my school project, the spiders were found beside the man
made koi fish pond its quite small. i read through the books in our
library and even I've search from the internet. but still i cant
find
can u mail me back as soon? thanks. thanks in return, i
appreciate your help a lot. thanks
regards, chris |
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Reply: That is a brown widow ( Latrodectus geometricus ). It
IS venomous, so BE CAREFUL!! Check link for confirmation:
http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?
species=Latrodectus_geometricus
Nathan Hepworth
25
September, 2004:
Here is a photo taken on the evening of September 24, 2004
(with flash) of a "black widow" type spider while resting in
her web at night. Any idea what type she is? She's never out
in the day, and is always in the same spot. |
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Reply: The spider on the left I believe is Scytodes thoracica,
a type of spitting spider. They actually catch their prey by
spraying them down with a sticky glue! I don't know what the
spider on the right is.
Nathan Hepworth
25
September, 2004:
Hi,
Can you identify this spider and it’s baby?
Thanks,
I like your site!!
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Reply: That looks like the daring
jumping spider, Phidippus audax. Nathan Hepworth
25
September, 2004:
We live in Atlanta, Georgia and are wondering if you can
identify this spider for us. Thanks for your help. Rod and Wendy |
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Another Reply: BE CAREFUL! That
could be a hobo spider! Could you get a closer picture of your
"black widows" please? I think they may be another spider, not
a widow. Be careful in the meantime though. Nathan Hepworth |
25
September, 2004:
Hi found this spider outside my back door. It had a nest
behind some of my kids' 'outside' toys. He's fast. We put it in a
jar with some black widows and some others, about 14 spiders in all,
and let them duke it out. This big guy won after a couple of days.
He jumps at the glass where your hand is, when you pick up the jar.
Could you please tell me what you think it is AND if it is
dangerous? I have killed two in my house, just like this one, as
well. Should I get my house fumigated or just MOVE?! I am very
phobic of spiders and I have three little children, please help! I
live in Puyallup, WA, USA. |
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Reply: Please be
careful with this one, it could be a hobo spider. Check out
www.hobo.org
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24
September, 2004:
Hey! We love your website. I've used it to look up a couple
of spiders in our area, but we came across one that I haven't seen
the likes of online yet. Not sure if it's a Fishing Spider or what..
but it was HUGE! at least the size of my palm with thick legs and a
furry backside. You can sort of see the markings on it's forward
body in this photo, most notable - a dark black dot right in the
middle. It was a big surprise on our walk today! Very exciting!
Thought you might like to add it to your collection. We're in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, USA.
Jen |
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24
September, 2004:
Hello. This very large specimen (shown on a tarragon plant)
is from Ottawa Ontario. The
photographer contacted us for ID -unfortunately, my specialty is
birds (you know, the nasty spider predators!). Would you be able to
help? Thank you,
Pierre Mineau, PhD.
Research Scientist & Head, Pesticide Section
National Wildlife Research Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Service
& Adjunct Research Professor,
Department of Biology, Carleton University
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Reply: Looks like some sort of
orb weaver.
24
September, 2004:
Dear Glen,
Hello again, could you help identify this spider? My wife found it
while looking for milk weed to feed our Monarch butterfly
collection.
By the way my kids love your website!
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23
September, 2004:
Hi,
I was browsing through your site and found a picture of a spider
from Sept. 13 2003 that looks exactly like the one we have outside
on our balcony. There was no reply to it and was wondering if anyone
had figured it out. I live in NJ and it has stuck around through
some nasty thunder storms. At one point there were 3 of them, all
different webs, on the balcony, I was totally freaked out! Our
neighbour has one that built a huge web and we live in a brick
building with aluminum railings. I was watching the this guy secure
his web and was very fast. Kinda fuzzy, light and dark brown
colouring, stripes on his legs. Like I said before, looks exactly
like the Sept. 13, 2003 pic. I've attached it.... any idea?
Ivy Jean |
Reply: This looks like some sort of
orb weaver. |
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Reply: This either a goldenrod spider (
Misumenops vatia ) or another "flower spider", of either Misumenops
or Misumena. It is not considered harmful to humans. Nathan Hepworth
22 September, 2004:
This spider is in
my avocado tree. I live in the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego
county California. Is it a Goldenrod crab spider or some other type
of Orb weaver?
Is it poisonous or harmful to humans?
Thanks, Jeff,
09-22-2004 |
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Reply: That is the beautiful
silver Argiope, species Argiope argentata. Despite its size,
it is not harmful, is actually shy when
confronted by humans, and, allergies aside, has only a mild bite.
Nathan Hepworth
22 September, 2004:
Hi: I have this spider living in my
bougainvillea. Do you know what kind of spider it is?? I am
assuming it is poisonous. Thanks, Amanda Gable, AlisoViejo, CA |
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Reply: That is a harmless Araneus orbweaver.
Nathan Hepworth
21 September, 2004: Hi,
I took a couple of photos of this spider outside of my window
in the bathroom, and was wondering what kind of spider is it?
Thanks,
Chris Chang
Industrial Designer, Farm, 12 Silver Lake Road, Hollis, NH 03049
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Reply: John-- The one on the left looks like a Zygiella
orbweaver, in which case it would be harmless. The one on the right
looks like either a Cryphoeca or Cicurina funnelweaver, harmless
again. If you can, see if you can find the webs these spiders
make. If these IDs are correct, the one on the left should
spin the classic pinwheel-shaped web off of the ground, and
the one on the right should make a mostly flat web with a funnel in
leaf
litter and under stones, as their names indicate.
Nathan Hepworth
20 September, 2004:
I would like to know if you could identify these two spiders;
my 6 yr old son is always catching them around the outside of our
house. The smaller one seems to be a little more aggressive than the
other. We live in Aviano, Italy, Thank you, John |
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19
September, 2004:
Hi, We really like your website and have had a great time
looking at the pictures. We tough you would like to se an Iclandic
spider. The Icelandic spiders are wery small, this is the largest
one. It is kalled "cross-spider" in Icelandic, I dont know the
English word for it. The mesurements on the picture is in cm not
inches so the spider is smaller than one inch, not very big at all.
thank you for a great website.
by by
Svana Rós 7 years old and Hilmar 6 years old.
Reykjavík
Iceland |
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Reply: Yes it is.
Nathan Hepworth
19
September, 2004:
Glen, is this a Green Lynx spider?
csmorgan12@charter.net
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Reply: I really don't think it's
dangerous. I would judge it to be Araneus diadematus, the
cross or common European garden spider ( introduced here ). There is
a dangerous spider that resembles the spider in your picture,
the brown widow. but they are an introduced tropical spider
found only in the warm southern states so far as I know, and they do
not sport the white cross marking on the top of the abdomen as yours
appears to. Widows do not build wheel-shaped webs either. I'm 95+%
sure it's the cross spider, but mentioned the other just to be safe.
The sure way to tell is of course the hourglass on the
underside, which indicates the widow spider. If you still have the
spider, I'd check it, if not, don't worry, the chance of a
brown widow being that far north are very slim.
Nathan Hepworth |
17
September, 2004:
Found this outside our house - web from azalea bush to wood
house shingles. He was tucked up under one of the shingles. Web was
orb shaped but messy looking. Wondering if it is dangerous. Anyone
able to help?
Nikki King, Massillon, OH
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Reply: Hobo spiders cannot
be ACCURATELY identified from appearance
alone, they so closely resemble other funnel weavers. However, taking
your location, and the pictures of confirmed hobos I've seen,
I'd say there is a very good chance that it IS the hobo. Be
careful! This site has some photos:
www.hobospider.org
Nathan Hepworth |
17
September, 2004:
Hi Glen!
Great Site. I found this spider in my basement, just wondering what
it is. I live in the Interior British Columbia. I have a really bad
feeling that it is a Hobo spider. Feel free to use the picture on
your website!
dillman_l@hotmail.com |
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17
September, 2004:
G'day! I found your website thismorning - well done, it's
fascinating. I am a nightwalk guide in the Daintree Rainforest, Far
North Queensland. I took this photo last night of a Brush-footed
Funnelweb in the entrance to its burrow. This is one of three or
four that we usually see and it is remarkable how fast they are
growing. I hope you may find it interesting. On our
nightwalk we usually find lots of huntsman spiders, lately some
slender sac spiders, Golden Orb weavers (a different variety up here
than in Brizzy), and occasionally even cool Net-casting spiders.
Take it easy,
Murray. |
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17
September, 2004:
Hello, This spider was found in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
It accidentally wandered into our warehouse and was captured. When I
recieved the spider it was already dead. Excellent specimen though.
Thought you would like to use this photo.
Thanks,
Mike |
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17
September, 2004:
I live in Phoenix Arizona and I found this spider behind a
cabinet at work. It is the size of a half dollar with legs. We
are unsure of what species it is. Can you help?
Thanks,
Levi |
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Another Reply: Hi! The spider from 16 September fotographed
by Edward Cochran looks to me like a Tegenaria spec., too. But I
wouln't go so far to say that it's a hobo (Tegenaria agrestis).
There are about 5 Tegenaria-species looking nearly the same (we have
them all here around in Germany...). You can't identify them just by
a picture (but I see that it is also written in the pdf-file ;). So
I would be careful, too! Felix
Reply: This is a reply to Edward Cochran who submitted a note on
September 16, 2004. I had the same spider in my basement. I too,
live in British Columbia. I sent my spider to Orkin in Burnaby and
they identified him as a Hobo spider, and he's exactly the same as
your spider. Apparently, their bites can be very harmful, so be
careful with that one. Good Luck!!
NOTE:
Click here for a detailed pdf file on how to tell if it's a hobo
spider or not. |
16
September, 2004:
Hello, I just found your page, and it is great. I found this
little fellow in my basement, and was wondering if you might
know what type it is. I live in northern British Columbia
Canada. The body of the spider is about 3/4 inch long, It is
about 2 1/2 inches across the legs. Any info you may have
would be great. Thank you in advance.
Regards
Edward Cochran |
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16
September, 2004:
I found this spider in Lunenberg Nova Scotia. It was on an
old wooden cross in an old cemetery. It was about the size of a
quarter. I have been searching the web for a similar spider but have
yet to find one. Any information? from smclark@eastlink.ca |
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Reply: That is a spined Micrathena,
species Micrathena gracilis. A harmless oddity.
Nathan Hepworth
15
September, 2004:
I live in Ohio.. Could you tell me what kind of spider this
is?? thanks, Ami Todd |
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Reply: By all appearances, I would say those are
Achaearanea tepidariorum, the American house spider. They prey
on widows, so that may be why you found them near the black
widow.
Nathan Hepworth |
15
September, 2004:
I have an infestation of what I thought were black widows.
Found 1 all black with the red hour glass a few years ago. One like
these were in the same web with the definite black widow. I assumed
it to be a juvenile. Since then the rest look more like these.
Is it a brown widow? Black widow juvenile? or orb? There are
hundreds around my house and shed. There just doesn't seem to be the
hour glass on the bellies of these. |
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14
September, 2004:
Hi...Your site has my nerves crawling! But very interesting.
Here is a spider I couldn't find on your site, but have found many
in my home over the past month. I live in North West Alabama and was
wondering if you know what it is! I think one of two things are
going on, 1 either they are starting to migrate into the house due
to cooler weather or 2 I have an infestation problem. I have caught
this specimen for the local pest control. If you might know what it
is could you post it ? I was told it's a brown recluse but doesn't
look anything like the pictures I see here.
Thanks! |
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Reply: This looks like some sort of spiny Micrathena.
14
September, 2004:
My son pointed this spider out to me today. I haven't seen
this before. Can you tell me what it is?? Thanks!
Ilona |
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Reply: It certainly looks like a
Venusta Orchard Spider.
14
September, 2004:
Southern Illinois, USA. Discovered this lovely spider at work
on my deck. Your site is fabulous!
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Reply: Looks like a camel spider,
(other names - wind scorpion, sun spider.)
13
September, 2004:
Glen,
Do you have any idea what this is and whether it is dangerous? My
wife found it inside our new house in Rocklin California. It is
agressive and fast. Ugly and scary too! I have two toddlers, the 3
year old loves
to hunt for spiders. I'm concerned. Thanks
Mel Jones
Rocklin California |
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Reply: Could be a fishing spider.
13
September, 2004:
Unidentified Spider - I found the biggest Spider I have ever
seen away from a museum! Salisbury, NC.
Very similar to:" 22 August, 2004 Found near Augusta, Georgia. What
is it? Do you know? Thanks for your help.
Dig |
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Reply: That is a funnelweaver,
probably a species of Agelenopsis, which are harmless. The
only other possibility is that of a Tegenaria funnelweaver,
which are all harmless except one species--the hobo spider.
But, given the fact that the nearest known population of hobo's is
well over a thousand miles away from you, I don't think you
have to worry about it being that one....:)
Nathan Hepworth |
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13
September, 2004:
Hi, I live in the mountains of western North Carolina and
have seen this spider in southeastern Pennsylvania as well. The web
is definitely funnel shaped and the spider is close to 2 inches
long. This is the first
time I have seen an egg sac - this one appears to be mixing in some
cut grass, I assume as camouflage. Our question is, what species is
this and is it poisonous? Should we get rid of the egg sac? We have
a few webs around the back deck, but have only seen the one spider.
Thanks,
Matt |
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Reply: Tracy-- BE CAREFUL!!!!! That is a certainly a
mygalomorph spider, possibly one of the funnelwebs related to the
Sydney funnelweb! I will refer this image to an Australian
fellow I'm acquanted with, who knows your native spiders much
better than I do. Please operate under the assumption that it
has a VERY serious bite.
Nathan Hepworth |
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12
September, 2004:
Hi Glen,
i just found two of these spiders in my garden, can you tell me what
it is, and if you know of a place in Adelaide, that will take them
from me...
Tracy |
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Reply: It is a spiny micrathena -
Araneidae Micrathena sagittata, one of the orb weaving family.
12
September, 2004:
My mother found this spider out in her yard. In Clermont, FL.
We was wondering what kind of spider it was, and if at all it was
danderous. If you could please contact me and let us know what kind
of spider it is and if it is harmfull. Thank you,
Heather |
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Reply: That is a wolf spider,
possibly the hefty species Hogna Helluo.
Nathan Hepworth
11
September, 2004:
My names is Arthur Grupp and i'm a custodian at the
Tuftonboro Central School in Tuftonboro NH. We have some roof work
being done on the school and we discovered a few of these spiders in
and outside of the school soon after the work started. i suspect
they may have come here with the shingles and plywood we're using. i
went on line and found your site. Any ideas as to what family these
spiders belong to? The students looked in some books and the closest
thing was a Funnel Spider but the abdomen of ours is not shiny and
has hair and patterns on it. Thanks for any input you can give us.
Arthur Grupp
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11
September, 2004:
Hi In simple terms.. what is this hahahah!
People seem to say Recluse right away but i disagree. The markings
are way off... Your "web"site is a tremendous help, thanks. It
was found last night in Las Vegas,NV, USA on my front door step,
next to my bare foot!! AAAAH!! The exact knife blade is for some
scale...and..uh..my defense haha
Click here for full size pic. |
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11
September, 2004:
Hello. A few days ago I found this spider in my bath tub. I
have spent every extra second searching the internet trying to
identify it. I found a few possibilities but none of them seem to
have the distinct markings like the ones on its underside. I am VERY
terrified of spiders and this big guy has really scared me. I have
children in the house and even though he is gone I am afraid momma,
daddy, or babies might be in here. We have always had spiders in
here because we live right outside the woods but never anything in
the house this big. He was 3 1/2 inches from tip to tip. Any
information you could give me would be greatly appreciated and it
would help me sleep knowing it wasn't poisonous. It's not dangerous
right?
Thanks, Techa
Southwest Mississippi.
Please feel free to use these photos anyway you want. |
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11
September, 2004:
Hello I live in the South-West coast of Western Australia and
this spider found a
suitable living environment in my rain gauge for quite some time.
Never made any webs and was generally pretty calm. Could move
pretty fast when it wanted to though. Originally thought it
was just a small harmless huntsman so I decided to take a
photo of it but when I saw it's eyes I wasn't too sure. To be
perfectly honest I don't know a great deal about spiders... :)
anyway got
one good shot and then decided to take another just to make sure
when all of a
sudden my friend took a reasonable size leap onto the camera. To my
knowledge
huntsmans can't jump! Could this perhaps be a wolf spider? May not
be the best
photo for identification purposes!
Thanks
Jason |
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Reply: These both look like a nursery web spider.
10
September, 2004:
Hello again, Glenda, Thanks for posting my argiope pics on
your wonderful site. I found a couple of close ups which you might
find interesting. One is a type of jumping spider, the other I think
is a nursery web spider. Best wishes, Sue.
Click for a larger view. |
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7
September, 2004
Hi Glen,
Spiders absolutely make my flesh crawl, but your website is very
interesting, and has some brilliant photos. I found a spider this
morning when I was shifting a bed, and it scared the crap out of me.
I wasn't sure what it was, but after consulting a few books think
maybe it's a Pholcid, but if it is, it's certainly the biggest one
i've seen, it was around 3 1/2 inches long, with a body of around
1.5 cm. It's legs were fine, but not as spindly as most other daddy
long legs I've seen either. Its abdomen was a mottled cream and
white, and the head had a spot and stripe from the centre towards
the abdomen. If you could tell me what this spider is for sure, it'd
be most appreciated
Thanks, Amanda.
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7
September, 2004
Hey Glen my name is Dave a couple of weeks ago while camping
in Michigan I woke up in the morning and found this spider species
with its web attached to my tent. I have included one picture with
this email but I took about 6 or 7 more pictures. The picture I sent
is the top side of the spider. The bottom side of the spider is even
more colorful. Let me know if you want to see them. Do you have any
idea what kind of spider this is? I have never seen a body shape and
or color combinations like this before. Hey maybe its a freak of
nature the campgrounds is located next to a nuclear plant !!!
Dave |
Reply: It is a spiny micrathena -
Araneidae Micrathena sagittata, one of the orb weaving family. |
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Reply: That is an immature spider,
probably a type of cobweb weaver such as Steatoda or Achaearanea.
Nathan Hepworth 6
September, 2004
Hi,
Found this baby spider in our garage and need your help in
identifying this spider for us. It has a large round body with brown
and white spots pattern. It is about a quarter of an inch (must be a
baby).
Picture enclosed.
Pls. help. Thanks. |
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3
September, 2004
Hello,
I was travelling in Thailand a couple of months ago and while
visiting a temple in the mountains of Chiang Mai, I came across this
amazing spider! Its abdomen was about the size of a Canadian loonie,
and about a 1/2 inch thick. I have searched the internet, but I
can't seem to find anything similar! If you could help me out I'd
really appreciate it. Thanks!
Stephanie, Canada. |
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Reply: I believe that is Dolomedes
tenebrosus, a relative of the spider below. Nathan Hepworth
2 September, 2004
Hello,
I keep finding this spider on my beach in Northern Ontario Canada, I
originally thought it to be a Dock Spider (AKA Fish Spider) but I am
not sure anymore, do you have any suggestions as to what it could
be?
Thanks
Jamie Shedden |
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Reply:
That looks like Dolomedes scriptus, a type of fishing spider ( not
necessarily found around water ). Nathan Hepworth
2 September, 2004
Dear Glen,
Hi, we recently moved to a new house in South Eastern Pennsylvania
and found two of these spiders in our garage. They were on a broom
handle and roughly 3 to 4 inches long. Being arachnaphobic, I am
trying to get over my fears by learning about spiders and force
myself to look at your website. (Even though I usually beak into
hives!) We found these spiders after a heavy rain in August, 2004.
Thanks so much,
Heather |
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1 September, 2004
My son spotted this interesting spider while we were walking through
a wooded area. I must admit that I had never seen a spider quite
like this one. We called him a "crab" spider for a long time because
the name sounded appropriate at the time, but now, after much
searching on the Internet, I believe this an Orb Weaver which can be
identified by family/genus/species as a
Araneidae Micrathena sagittata. I'm certainly not a spider
expert so my identification could be incorrect. This frightful
looking fellow looks as though he could defend his own turf without
any problem.
Dale Parsons
The spider and I reside in Tulsa Oklahoma USA |
Click for a larger view. |
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1 September, 2004
After looking at zillions of spider photos on the Internet, I
suspect that my water spider is a Dolomedes triton or at least
related to that family. I find him among the lily pads on our fish
pond. He tends to keep 3 - 4 legs on the pad and 3 - 4 legs in the
water. A beautiful spider. I've not seen him/her catch anything yet
though. In the photo, four of the eight legs seem to be resting on
water surface tension, one leg is under the water, and the other
three grasping the lily pad.
I live in Tulsa Oklahoma, USA.
Dale Parsons
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Click for a larger view. |
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Reply:
It looks like a Venusta Orchard Spider.
29 August, 2004
Hello. My husband found this one day at work crawling out of
some vents. I believe it is a small garden spider but I am
unsure. I have never seen one with such emerald green legs
before and a disporportionate body. Can you help me identify
this little guy? Thanks in advance.
Christy from Missouri |
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Another Reply: This one looks like a
funnel weaver spider
(Agelenopis species)
.
Click here for picture to compare.
29 August, 2004
Hi,
I found this spider in my garage. It nested in a window. Could you
possibly identify it. There are 5 funnel webs in my garage. I have
attached 3 pics ( 1 of the spider, 2 of the web) I live in Oshawa
Ontario, Canada.
Regards,
Dan |
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Reply: Hi! First of all: your side is
awesome! This spider is like the one from 17 August, a
Araneus diadematus, but here it's a male. You can clearly see the
white cross on its back. They're really common here in Germany.
Felix Hug
Another Reply: The photo in question is a male Araneus
Diadematus or common garden spider. It is harmless. This time of the
year the mature males stop making a web and
instead are out looking for females to mate with. Dan, Bothell Wa
27 August, 2004
Hi,
I found this spider crawling across my deck in the back yard today.
He is about 2 cm and looks like the photos of Hobo spiders I have
found on the net. I live in San Mateo, California which doesn’t seem
to be the Hobos range. Any ideas of what he is?
If he is a Hobo I will kill him. If he is not he shall be set free.
Thanks,
Bill |
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23 August, 2004
Hi Glen. I love the site. Great info and pics. This morning, my
mother and I were walking in the woods near our home and we came
across this funnel-shaped web. It was located about 3 feet off the
ground attached to a tree. I have been doing research all day
about trapdoor spiders and funnel web spiders but neither criteria
fits this spider. There was no "trap door" covering the entrance
to the funnel but yet the spider didn't look like the funnel webs
that I have seen. It is probably a sub-species but I am very
curious. The forest rangers here in eastern TN have said that
there are no funnel webs here but I'm not quite so sure. The
spider that they called a trapdoor spider resembled the funnel web
more than the trapdoor spiders, attitude and all. Anyways,
attached is a picture of the web and the spider lying in wait of
it's dinner. Feel free to post it if you'd like.
P.S. It's not a totally clear pic of the spider but it's all the
spider would allow me to get.
Sincerely,
Heather Ayers
Chattanooga, TN, USA
|
Click for a larger view to see the spider.
Reply: The forest rangers probably
were thinking of the infamous Sydney funnelwebs, which are not
native to north america. The
spiders we have here which build that type of web are called funnel
"weavers", so that may have been the point of confusion. It is
definitely a funnel weaver, probably a species of Tegenaria.
- Nathan Hepworth |
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Reply: Jean - First off,
it's not dangerous. What you have is probably a sheet-web
spider known as a hammock spider, a species of Pityohyphantes.
- Nathan Hepworth
22 August, 2004
I live in Virginia, USA. My screened-in porch has been taken
over by these spiders (see attached photo). I have small children,
so I was concerned that it may be poisonous. What kind of spider
is it and is it poisonous? Thank you, Jean Lucas
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22 August, 2004
Found near Augusta, Georgia. What is it? Do you know?
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Reply: The spider pictured on August
22nd in Mexico is part of the Nephila species.
-Justin Schuch
22 August, 2004
Hi I found your web site while searching to identify a spider,
what a cool site!!! A couple of weeks ago I was down in Monterrey
Mexico, while walking near a water fall, I saw a spider that I was
totally unfamiliar with and was hoping someone out there may have
seen it before, attached is the picture, thanks.
John
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21 August, 2004
Hi
Our neighbour recently found this spider hiding in some leaves on
the roof of her chook shed. Could u help us to identify it. We
live in Darwin, Northern Territory. Its abdomen was about the size
of a ten cent piece and had tinges of yellow on the front top of
the abdomen.
Thanks
Steve
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Reply: Chris - From that picture I would
guess it to be a male Dolomedes triton, the six-spotted fishing
spider. Pic to compare with:
http://www.giffbeaton.com/2004-04-24_
PLWMA_Dtriton.jpg -
Nathan Hepworth
19 August, 2004
here is a spider I found outside of my house in tallahassee, fl
and I'm not sure what type it is but it scared the hell out of my
girlfriend.
chris
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Reply: That is
DEFINITELY a brown widow, a close relative of the black widow.
Although not quite as venomous as a black widow, they ARE
dangerous, so be very careful!! These are an introduced species in
the USA, and have been spreading across the subtropical US
since they were introduced in Florida. To the untrained eye, they
look very much like the harmless american house spider, but there is
one tell-tale sign ( beside the hourglass marking on the belly )
that helps distinguish them: their egg sacs are covered in little tufts of silk, whereas the house spider's sac
is smooth, almost papery. Here are some webpages to consult on brown
widows:
http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Latrodectus_geometricus
http://www.hobospider.org/widows.html
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/venomousspiders.htm
- Nathan Hepworth |
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18 August, 2004
Hello, I live in Southern California, just west of the Palm Springs area. I am trying to identify a spider. I have included a few pictures I took today. Can you tell me what kind of spider is "spider A"? It was about 1.5 inches with it's legs spread out (top to bottom). It was with "spider B". I found them both under one of those white plastic outdoor chairs. At one point spider A seemed to attack spider B, but then later checked to see if it was still there.
Thank You so much
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Reply:
Gerri - That is a silver Argiope, species Argiope argentata.
Beautiful spider you found!! -
Nathan Hepworth
18 August, 2004
What a great website, creepy but great! I know you said you
don't identify spiders but if anyone could give me any info on
this spider that lives in my dad's condo porch in South Padre
Island Tx.Thanks!
gerri |
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Reply: Those
are harmless orbweaving spiders. I can't tell
for sure, but the one to the left looks like Araneus trifolium, the
shamrock spider, and the second either another Araneus, or
possibly a Neoscona. Nathan Hepworth
17 August, 2004
sorry... i accidentally pushed the wrong button before i
attached the photos.
also, the last picture is one that resembles a different spider that
i saw crawling across my garage floor..
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Reply: That looks
like Araneus diadematus, the cross or common European garden
spider. It is a harmless orbweaving spider that has been
introduced from Europe to the US.
Nathan Hepworth |
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17 August, 2004
Hello,
This is a first for us, as we have now seen quite a few of this
spider in our backyard (Boston, Massachusetts). I am including two
photos of the same spider and I hope they come through. Aside from
this large one, there are several other webs with small sized
spiders of the same type. We haven't a clue as to what it is and are
hopeful that you could shed some light on it for us. I found you on
my google search.
Thank you in advance,
Andie Kurzman |
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Reply:
That looks like Thanatus formicinus, a type
of Philodromid crab spider. See the pic on this page:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/thumbnails/spidhome_thumbnails.htm
You'll scroll more than halfway down
the page, and it's under the header "Philodromidae, crab
spiders" - Nathan Hepworth |
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17 August, 2004
I love your site!
Here's a pic of an interesting little spider (1/4" wing-span) from
Arizona.
It's living in a crack in a night blooming cactus stem. |
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Reply:
That is Araneus trifolium,
the shamrock spider, a harmless species of orbweaving spider.
- Nathan Hepworth |
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15 August, 2004
We found this spider in Hanover, Pennsylvania (five miles
from the Maryland line) and it looks identical to the one found in
Manitoba, Canada yesterday. It does weave a web with very strong
silk (it was hard to pull him away from the grill cover that she
made her home! It also looks like she laid a little egg sac or
something on the cover. This fluff of silk is about half the size of
a dime. Any ideas about what type of spider this is? |
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Reply: Same as
above, Araneus trifolium (shamrock spider ). - Nathan Hepworth
13 August, 2004
I spent a couple hours going over your site (good stuff) and
could not find anything on this spider. I don't know what kind of
web it has because my wife collected it off a flower. We live near
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (3.5 hours north of Fargo, ND) Any idea? |
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Reply:
The spider that John has asked about,
providing an excellent picture, is none other than a tail-less whip
scorpion. They do not have spinnerets like a regular spider, and
they catch their prey with their pinchers (similar to a praying
mantis). Have no clue about whether or not they are venomous, but so
far know that they are non-aggressive to humans. |
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13 August, 2004
Do you have any idea what this is? With
legspan it was about 3" across.
I took the pic on my patio in Tucson, Arizona
last night.
Thanks,
John |
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Another Reply:
Actually.... They are arachnids, but they aren't spiders. The
technical name for them is "Solifugid", but they go by "sunspider"
or "windscorpion" ( the front two appendages aren't technically
"legs", but "pedipalps", and are used for catching prey, not for
locomotion. ) It is likely either stuffed or pregnant, like he said.
These are not
dangerous, as they don't have venom, but they can give quite the
bite with
those jaws. Nathan Hepworth
Reply:
This spider is in the same family as the
camel spider, but a bit smaller in size. Judging from my personal
experience with Camel Spiders in Iraq, the ten legged creature in
this picture is obviously a female (bolder in size), and had either
eaten a big meal, or is pregnant (one of the two). They are not
exactly in the family of arachnids, because they have ten legs, the
front two used to assist in climbing slippery surfaces. They can go
where a regular spider cannot. |
13 August, 2004
Ok, I skimmed through your great spider site and didn’t see
this spider. We found it at the end of our garage in Las Vegas,
Nevada and we were wondering what kind of spider this may be. Of if
it is a spider at all. Thanks! Cheers
Kurt |
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Reply: Julie and
Bertrand - Well, I'm not sure just what was going on, but they
were not making babies. They are of totally different species. The
smaller is not a "true spider", but a "mygalomorph", the group of
spiders that includes the trapdoor spiders and tarantulas.
Yours is most likely a trapdoor spider. The larger one is a
true spider, possibly a Tegenaria, or house spider. All I can guess
is the larger attacked and killed the smaller spider, and maybe got
bitten by it in the process. - Nathan Hepworth
12 August, 2004
Hello Here are a couple of pictures of a spider found in a
parisian garden. We have a
doubt on the type of the spider, not only considering it was 1,8
inchs, but also because it had been bitten or vampirized by another
spider, three times smaller... As you might notice on the picture
the huge spider was covered of a white glue, stuck to its back. The
smallest never moved, seemed dead whereas the biggest moved when we
shooked it. Could you confirm us not only its type but also pick up
between the three
solutions below:
- they were making babies
- the small one died trying to kill the bigest
- the smallest was a clone of the biggest,
like twins would be (one being sick and uncompletely grown) Thanks
for your help, Great website ;)))
Julie & Bertrand from Paris |
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Reply: Nathan and
Vanessa - That is a wolf spider for sure, probably from the
genus Hogna. - Nathan Hepworth |
12 August, 2004
I found this spider in Amherstburg, Ontario Canada. The
picture shows it standing next to a quarter (canadian coin). The
spider is around 3 inches. I have never seen anything this big
around here before. Can you please tell me what this is.
nathanandvanessa2002@hotmail.com |
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Reply:
That looks like a Dolomedes tenebrosus, a type
of fishing spider. Despite their name, "Fishing spiders" are
not always found
near water - Nathan Hepworth
9 August, 2004
I ran into this spider next to the garbage can, was wondering
if you knew what it was?
Thanks,
Jason |
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7 August, 2004
Found on my bathroom floor....any idea what it is?
I THINK THIS MIGHT BE IT
Callobius severus |
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31
July, 2004
I found this spider in my front yard. My fear got the best of
me, so I killed it. After, though, I noticed it had a flourecent
green abdomen. I tried to identify it online that night, but I
couldn't find it. The closest I got was the Yellow Orb Weaver. I
don't have a digital camara, so please excuse the bad quality. Can
you help me.
Asriel Gonzalez
asrielgonzalez@hotmail.com
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Reply: This looks like a woodlouse
spider. Here's a link to a page on them:
http://spiders.entomology.wisc.edu/Dysderidae/Dysdera/crocata.html |
29
July, 2004
I live on southern Vancouver Island, and these spiders are
very common around my house, and I was wondering if you knew what
they are. They generally live under things like rotting logs, or
flower pots, but have been known to come inside. They can climb up
and down smooth surfaces and they run very fast. They sometimes
burrow in sand or dirt as well. Here are some pictures I took this
morning; it was rather easy to find a spider. The spider is about 5
or 6 cm long, legs included. |
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Reply: I would be very,
very careful with that one. I can't tell for sure from the
photo ( another shot, not so shady would help), but it LOOKS like a
Phoneutria fera or nigriventor, which is VERY dangerous. It's venom
is extremely strong, and they are ridiculouslyaggressive. Do NOT get
near it!!!!! Here is a page to look at ( with a picture ):
http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/P-fera.html
This spider is native to Brazil and its neighboring countries, but
the appearance definitely matches your spider. Where are you
located? - Nathan Hepworth26
July, 2004
I have a spider on the house and I've never seen this type
before. I am sending a picture or two of it, and would like to know
if I should do anything about it. It is very large with grey
blackish skin. The texture almost resembles a lizards skin. Please
send a response to this e-mail.
Just me, Hal J. King |
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23
July, 2004
The other day, I came across what turned out to be a fairly
good sized spider nest in one of my bushes. There on top of the nest
was a spider which I was able to take a picture of. I have never
encounter a spider of this size, or type before in New Hampshire. I
am very interested in knowing what kind of spider it was. Any help
you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Jeffrey Drew |
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20
July, 2004
Hello. I live in eastern North Carolina about 30 miles from
the coast. I discovered these webs in my back yard and was wondering
what type of spider lived in them. It appears to be some type of
funnel web, but I don't think that those types of spiders live in
this area. We had put some crickets from the yard into the webs
trying to get photos, but the spiders proved to be too fast for our
digital camera. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Our dog
wonders around back there. Thanks, Jason |
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18 July, 2004:
I'm sorry now I didn't take the time to take more photos of
this spider which I found on an orb shaped web suspended in the
doorway of a tool shed. I'd noticed the web earlier but then later
walked through it in a hurry to find a tool I needed. The spider
ended up on
my arm and when I brushed it away I noticed it was unusual. I found
it crawling on the floor and at that time it's back looked very much
like the photo's Arya A. Sadhana took and that are posted on your
site. It reminded me of a large fly when looking at the back.
I live in central West Virginia in the US. I left it suspended on a
web strand hanging from the bail of a small bucket where it had
crawled and appeared to have settled in for the afternoon. Tonight
it is gone and I hope to find it in a web somewhere on my back porch
in the morning. I'd love to know what the heck this spider is
called.
Wes Jones |
Reply: It looks like a
spiny micrathena. |
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Reply: I really enjoyed looking at your website. There is an
entry for july 14 2004 from someone in arizona. It looks like a
tailess whipscorpion. I think part of there latin name is Amblypygid.
I used to raise them with an old boyfriend.
14 July, 2004:
Hi,
I live in Phoenix Arizona (USA), and found (see picture) a spider in
our garage. The body was about 2 cm and in total 7 cm.
Do you know what kind of spider this is?
Thanks,
Remko |
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Reply: The photos of a spider and
toad caught in a web are of a female brown widow
(Latrodectus geometricus) and a very young southern toad (Bufo
terrestris). Josh Hillman 14 July, 2004:
Hi Glen,
Took these this morning on my front porch in Lakeland, FL US. Looks
like a brown widow to me, but I failed to get a pic of it's
undercarriage. Here's hoping that you can identify. Enjoy!
All the best,
Tim Stradling
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Reply:
Your website is pretty amazing. I was looking at the many
unidentified spider you have pictured and noticed that one looked
very familiar to me. It was submitted 13 July 2004. This looks just
like what we have around here in eastern Idaho. They are very common
(if it is the same one). We call them cat-faces. I'm not sure what
the real name is for them, unless cat-faced is the real name. I did
a search on the internet under cat face spiders and found an good
picture and site of what is called the Cat-Faced spider (source is
Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension,
Entomology).
Here is the link to that site and the photo of the Cat-Faced spider
(Araneus gemma) :
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/catspid.htm
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/images/catFace6.jpg
Let me know if this helps. To me it looks extremely similar. The
"star" pattern looks a bit more distinct on your site's photo, but
the general patterns both look very similar in your picture and the
Colorado State one above.
Enoch Heileson
Idaho Falls, ID |
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13 July,
2004:
Thanks for the Reply. Sorry about the first photo, maybe this
one works?
I just thought this thing was fairly unusual (at least I have never
seen anything like it around here)
Note the well defined "Star" with the arrow pointing forward (above
the star) |
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13 July,
2004:
Sorry the pictures are blurry, when I tried to get a close-up
the spider spit gobs of white fluid out of its backside that arced
about two inches in the air, so I left it alone. The scary part is
that I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada, and we don't have all that many
"large" spiders here...it's supposed to be too cold, I think. We
also saw four or five egg sacks the size of golf balls full of
greenish thingies. The spider is sitting on a "two-by-six" piece of
lumber, and it was one of several around the yard of a house my
sister is thinking of buying. I also took a picture of a hole in the
floor of the kitchen that I was too chicken to look into, so I just
pointed and clicked, and when I saw it on the computer, there's the
silhouette of another spider. Are these garden variety spiders, or
did someone bring back something from vacation that they shouldn't
have?
Thanks,
Barb Burns
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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10 July,
2004:
I live in the Texas Hill Country. (Rocky ground, dryish
climate) This spider is at the top of the outside brick by the porch
ceiling, above a door. The brick is 2 3/4" wide. I've looked all
over the web to identify it. The closest I've come is the Nursery
Web Spider, the Huntsman, and the Wolf Spider. But the eyes seem
different than any of those (from the pictures I saw) What might it
be? (Picture taken July 2004)
Brenn Colson |
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8 July,
2004:
hi
I live in southern Maryland and this spider has taken up residence
in my basement. it's body is at least 1in long. if you know what it
is, please tell me. thanks!
Emily |
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Reply:
This is a female spinybacked orbweaver (Gasteracantha
cancriformis). The yellow coloring is common in species from
Texas; Florida species have white
instead. Josh Hillman
6 July, 2004:
Hello,
I live in Taylor Texas which is in Central Texas 30 miles northeast
of Austin. I found this small spider about 5mm, that spun a web
between my boat and fence. I am 42 and have lived in central Texas
all of my life and have never seen one before. Can you identify it
for me thanks.
Dario Connors
Taylor, |
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6 July, 2004:
not sure what it is, not sure it's a spider even. it was the
funniest little guy, reminded me of Pigpen in the peanuts
cartoon. He left a little trail of dirt or dust behind him. i found
him on our kitchen floor in Massachusetts. he was less than .5 mm in
length hope someone can shed some light on what it is!
thanks, george |
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6 July, 2004:
This is a picture of a huge spider that I think is a funnel web
or hololena. I have seen dozens here on my farm in the Blue Ridge
Mts. of Virginia, but this one was between 2 & 3 inches long!!
visit the New River Valley's homeless animals online at
www.nrvanimalshelters.com |
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2 July, 2004:
I LOVE your site!! What a great educational tool! I live in
Chattanooga, Tennessee which is located in South Eastern, US. I know
that your expertise is mostly about Australian spiders but I thought
I would give you guys a try and see if you could help me identify
this spider. I found him unfortunately drowned in a cup my little
son had left in our garden which had been grown over by weeds. It
was quite startling on discovery, but now I can't stop wondering
about who this guy is. I assume he was living in the cup which tells
me that it did not live in a web. That is about all I know. Any
suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much
for such a great resource
Cheers, Stacie Jackson |
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Reply: Hello again, this spider pictured with the
date of 2 July is also a bold/daring jumping spider. |
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2 July, 2004:
Hello:
My name is Anita. My 10 year old son, Brandon and I wanted to
contribute to your website. We took this picture today in our
backyard garden. We do not know what it is and I teach him not to
touch, trap and/or play with anything he cannot positively identify
so we made no attempts to catch it for closer photos to take
measurement and any other more descriptive information. I hope the
photo is provide enough info for photos. |
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Click here for the first part of
2004. |
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