My little sisters said I should ask you
Location: Denver Colorado
August 31, 2010 1:01 am
about this spider I found at work, we were wondering what kind it is. We looked through your spider pictures and didn’t see anything that resembled it. It looks bigger in the picture, the actual size is about 3 inches total and just the body is about an inch. If you have time to identify it for us that would be great. My little sisters use your site a lot for school and for fun. They are really excited!
Nick, Kailee and Miranda Johnson
possibly Carolina Wolf Spider
Hi Nick,
Your spider looks to us like it is a Wolf Spider, probably in the genus Hogna. It might be Hogna carolinensis (see BugGuide which states: “Considered to be the largest wolf spider in North America” in support of the information you have provided regarding size) or possibly Hogna coloradensis (see BugGuide). BugGuide provides this description of Hogna coloradensis: “Hogna coloradensis – PDF from The Journal of Arachnology – An 8 page paper with drawings, descriptions, and range. ‘Hogna coloradensis can be separated from all other Hogna and Lycosidae by a dark area immediately anterior to the epigastric furrow as well as a small dark area just anterior to the spinnerets, the rest of the venter is light with spots.’“ Should you care to read the entire Journal or Arachnology paper, it is also posted online.
Back Porch Spider
August 29, 2010
Hi Daniel and Lisa,
This spider has been nothing but tenacious over the last week. It has taught me to look before I step out onto my back porch. Three webs in six days were constructed overnight to trip me, to brush my hair, or to keep me from using the back steps! Here, it lies in wait for breakfast!
Is it simply “an orb-weaving” spider or something more specific?
Thanx for your time,
R.G. Marion
Cosby, TN
Great Smoky Mountains
Orbweaver Web
Dear R.G.,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of an Orbweaver Spider and its web and providing details of the spider’s nightly activities. Each year, as summer nears an end and the warm autumn days shorten, we get countless requests to identify Orbweaver Spiders and questions regarding the danger they might cause. Spiders with orb webs in the family Araneidae (see BugGuide) are not aggressive and they rarely bite. The bite, in the unlikely event that it occurs, is not serious and will cause minor local swelling and tenderness. Orbweavers do not pose a threat and they should be left to spin their webs and capture flying insects like flies and mosquitoes. Your photo illustrates the classic orb web. We suspect your spider is in the genus Araneus.
Haitian spider?
Location: Haiti
August 28, 2010 6:22 pm
While in Haiti I was amazed to see this lovely spider hanging out beside the path. I looke at your site and it seems that you do not have any from Haiti. Is this in fact a Golden silk spider? Or am I incorrect?
Lorraine
Golden Silk Spider
Hi Lorraine,
You are correct. This is Nephila clavipes, the Golden Silk Spider, and it is the only New World representative in the genus.
Evil lerking in the fields of Ottawa
Location: Ottawa, Ontario. In a field with no water nearby.
August 28, 2010 7:04 pm
Hey Bugman,
I was trying to take an interesting picture and to do so, it involved walking through this small field.
Upon tredging through this tall grass my friend and I noticed this huge horrid looking spider!
All it’s legs were black, and about half-way towards its body they seemed to be almost clear.
It was mainly black with a yellow sploch between where all its legs meet, near it’s ”head” on its underside, then also further up along its body.
On its top it seemed really almost soft to the touch (not that I touched it)but it looked almost like suede.
It was also mostly black with a yellow sort of design.
Lasltly, it seemed to have a small-ish flat, grey head.
After we saw one we started to notice them everywhere, so I snapped a few pictures and got out!
Thanks so much
Jessica
Golden Orbweaver
Hi Jessica,
Many people consider the Golden Orbweaver, Argiope aurantia, to be the most beautiful spider in North America. They are not aggressive and rarely bite, and when they do bite, the reaction is mild and does not last long.
not a spider expert by no means lol
Location: Mississippi
August 23, 2010 2:21 pm
I was in the backyard and stumbled across this spider, was just curious as to what it was. When I first saw it, it appeared to have parts of its legs and body glowing a neon green color, when I grabbed my camera it had stopped glowing, apparently having no more need for it as it found it’s lunch.
It’s web was also huge and worthy of note as well.
Ox_King
Golden Orbweaver
Dear Ox_King,
Your spider, Argiope aurantia, has several common names including Golden Orbweaver. We have never heard of a Golden Orbweaver glowing, and we suspect it was an optical illusion caused by light striking the exceptional coloration of this spectacular spider.
Orchid Spider?
Location: Southeast
August 22, 2010 5:22 pm
This spider had spun a beautiful web with a zig zag down the middle. We figured it was some type of orb spider and ran to the computer to check it out on WTB. Seems to fit the descrip of a Orchid Spider. Are we correct. It is on the corner of our deck door… should we leave it be? Do the markings mean anything?
dlhickory
Golden Orbweaver
Dear dlhickory,
This is a Golden Orbweaver, Argiope aurantia, a spider frequently called a Writing Spider because of the zigzag stabilimentum it weaves into its web (See BugGuide). We don’t know where you got the information about the Orchid Spider because it is not on our website, and a web search of those terms brings up information on spider orchids.
Tutelina elegans jumping spider with crazy double mohawk!
August 18, 2010
Ed. Note: No location provided
Location: Oklahoma we believe
Jumping Spider
Hi,
I thought you might like these pictures of what I believe to be a male Tutelina elegans. There has been an abundance of jumping spiders in Oklahoma this year, but this is the only male T. elegans I’ve found. This little guy had one of the craziest hairdos I’ve ever seen on a jumper! In addition to his double mohawks he had tufts of black hair on his front legs. He was very cooperative when I photographed him and I wish I’d been able to get a better shot of his awesome hairdo. I also have some pictures of what I’m pretty sure are female T. elegans if you want to see them. Thanks for the great site,
Josh Kouri
Jumping Spider
Hi Josh,
Thanks for sending us your Jumping Spider photos and we agree that this does appear to be a photo of a male Tutelina elegans based on images posted to BugGuide and this description: “Tutelina similis is very similar, but adult male elegans has a black tuft of hairs on tibia I, and adult female elegans has a white basal band around the abdomen.(1) In my experience with female elegans, identifiable marks begin to show at the antepenultimate instar. Earlier instars of either species, which appear gray in color, probably cannot be identified beyond genus.“ The black tufts of hair on the tibia are quite visible in one of your photos in particular. We suspect that this sighting was in Oklahoma like your numerous previous submissions, though since you did not use our standard form for this submission, there is no location indicated.
Jumping Spider
Hi Daniel,
Sorry about that; the jumping spider was found in central Oklahoma. Thanks for the conformation on the I.D.
Josh
Huge spider
Location: San Antonio, Texas
August 15, 2010 8:04 pm
I actually measured this spider, and she was about two inches from butt to mandibles. She doesn’t really look like any of the spiders I can find online.
This photo was taken August 14th, in San Antonio, Texas.
Andrea in San Antonio
Golden Orbweaver
Hi Andrea,
Your Golden Orbweaver, Argiope aurantia, is also known as a Writing Spider because of the zigzag stabilimentum that is woven into the web. We expect to be getting numerous identification requests for the Golden Orbweaver as well as other Orbweavers because summer is nearing an end and the spiders are nearing maturity. The large females, like your specimen, are frequently seen in their webs. Orbweavers are rarely seen far from their webs, and as spiders go, they are considered sedentary.
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