Possible huntsman or crab spider in PR
February 7, 2010
We had a couple of these spiders in our rented house in Culebra PR late January. We relocated them outside once capturing them in large containers — boy did they run around quickly in the container once caught!
Spider lover in PA
Culebra Puerto Rico
Huntsman Spider
Dear Spider Lover,
You are correct. This is a Huntsman Spider or Giant Crab Spider in the family Sparassidae, though we are unable to tell from your photo if it is one of the most commonly encountered species, Heteropoda venatoria.
Brazilian Big Spider
February 5, 2010
I found this Spider on the top of a tree where i work, it is big, something like 3 to 4 inches…
Unfortunatelly i can’t get closer or get shots from other positon…
Is it an Nephila SP?
Thanks for your time!
Luiz Fernando R.
Brazil, SP, São Paulo
Golden Silk Spider
Hi Luiz,
You are correct. This is a Golden Silk Spider in the genus Nephila. According to available information, the only New World species is Nephila clavipes which is also found in the Southeastern United States. It is possible to see the golden color of the silk in your photograph.
spider
January 28, 2010
we found this nice spider in our house, and now we do like to have more information about it 
spider is 4-5 cm with all legs
Iwi
Australia, Sydney….my house
Male Garden Orbweaver Spider
Hi Iwi,
We have been unsuccessful in our attempts to identify your spider, and we hope that by posting it to our site, one of our readers will be able to identify it.
A comment that looks like it is correct: Garden Spider
Do believe this to be Eriophora biapicata, though there seems to be extreme amounts of diversity even within the species itself…
reference http://esperancewildlife.blogspot.com/2009/06/garden-spider-eriophora-biapicata.html
lttlechkn
Thanks for the link littlechkn. There is one photo of a male Garden Spider, Eriophora biapicata, that looks nearly identical. When we originally posted the photo, we thought it looked like an Orbweaver, but we weren’t certain. We then verified that with another image of a male Eriophora biaphicata on the FindaSpider website of Australian Spiders.
Ed. Note: We do not like to spread paranoia, but we thought in the interest of public awareness, we should post this link.
Aloha Daniel -
FYI -
A hui hou -
Eliza
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/killer-funnelweb-spiders-invade-sydney-1874230.html
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Posted 23 January 2010
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long legged spider
January 21, 2010
hi,
i found this big fella when i was trimming my wisteria. i havn’t seen him since. hes quite big about 10 cm from foot to foot ive tried looking for something similar but i cant seem to find anything. ive also tried looking for him again (rather timidly) curiousity got the better of me but i havnt seen him.
cheers julie
12ks out of ngaruawahia, new zealand
Possibly Huntsman Spider
Hi Julie,
In attempting to answer your question, we discovered a Museum of New Zealand spider website, but your specimen is not represented. We believe this is some species of Huntsman Spider because of the size and the leg span. It looks somewhat similar to a Shield Huntsman, Neosparassus salacius, pictured on the Insects of Brisbane website. We located another Australian Huntsman website, but again, nothing looks exactly like your specimen. There is some concern about the introduction of Australian Huntsman spiders to New Zealand, not because the spiders pose a threat to humans, but because of how they might feed upon native insects, upsetting the biodiversity in New Zealand. Here is a link to a news story. Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck with the identification of your spider.
Sheetweb Spider
Update from Karl
Hi Daniel:
I think this may be a sheetweb spider (Stiphidiidae) in the genus Cambridgea. The genus is endemic to New Zealand and there are apparently about 30 species. The size of this one suggests that it could be C. foliata, New Zealand’s largest spider. The Museum of New Zealand spider website you mentioned does not have a very useful photo, but it does provide good information about the group. Regards.
Karl
Cream coloured spider with red “upper legs”
January 15, 2010
Hi Bugman,
I saw this unusual spider in the middle of the night at a suburban house in Melbourne. It did not seem aggressive, in fact it did not move once while i was there. I have no idea what it is and some web searching has turned up nothing for me. If you could please shed some light on what it is this would be great!
Sorry about the photo…its not as clear as I would have liked but hopefully it is still good enough.
Cheers.
Chris
Melbourne suburbs, Vic
Garden Orb Web Spider
Hi Chris,
The Insects and Spiders of Brisbane website has numerous images of the Garden Orb Web Spider, Eriophora transmarina (Araneus transmarina) that exhibit this color pattern.
Ed. Note:
January 16, 2010
We just received this link via email, and though we knew about the strength and beauty of spider silk, we thought our readership might enjoy reading about this textile that is on display.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/
Red Spider with Large Brown Shiny Abdomen
January 13, 2010
Found in the garage this morning next to a box that had been in storage for a long time and had been taken out.
It seems “shy” – it prefers to stay motionless with its legs drawn tightly to the body. I wasn’t even sure it was a spider at first since the abdomen resembles some kind of seed.
To take the photo and get it to extend its legs I had to shake the container a bit.
MAK
Malibu, CA
Sow Bug Killer
Hi MAK,
Your spider is Dysdera crocata, and BugGuide calls it by three different common names that refer to variations on the common name of its prey. The names on BugGuide are Woodlouse Hunter, Sow Bug Hunter and Pill Bug Hunter, though Charles Hogue, in his wonderful book Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, refers to it by the even more accurate name Sow Bug Killer. The Biosecurity of New Zealand website calls this species a Slater Spider because Slater is a common name for the prey in New Zealand and Australia. According to that site: “Slater spiders originate in Europe but are now common throughout much of the world. They may be found throughout New Zealand and are common in suburban gardens.“
Is this another Green Lynx Spider?
January 12, 2010
It sat on the inner car door on the Hermon Mountain area, Israël, last december. It was really small, as you maybe can see from part of my index finger in the corner.
Nike
Nimrod Castle, Israël
Green Huntsman Spider
Hi Nike,
This is a Green Huntsman Spider. We found a beautiful photo from France on TrekNature website, where it is identified as Micrommata virescens, a name also used on the Spiders of Slovakia website. We found other images of Green Huntsman Spiders identified as Micrommata rosea on the NaturePhoto CZ website. We still haven’t found much information on the range of the Green Huntsman Spider, though there are images online from France, Germany and Slovakia. Huntsman Spiders in the family Sparassidae often lose legs, much like your specimen.
Unknown spider in Tasmania – Funnelweb?
January 10, 2010
Hi Bug people!
Whilst bush walking in South West Tasmania last week (cool, damp forest & heathland) we happened to see this large black spider on the edge of the trail. It was aggressively displaying as we approached (waving front legs, and ‘jolting’), and as I took the photograph. I wonder if you could assist us in identifying it?
It looks a bit like a funnelweb, but I’m not sure. Seems a bit dramatic, but would that be droplets of venom on it’s fangs??
Thanks for all your work,
Nick and Kathryn
South West National Park, Tasmania
Wolf Spider with Spiderlings
Dear Nick and Kathryn,
Though we cannot find a match online, even on the awesome Spiders of Australia website, it is our opinion that this is a female Wolf Spider in the family Lycosidae. It appears that there are spiderlings on the abdomen of your specimen, and this behavior is unique to Wolf Spiders, and the eye pattern which includes two large eyes is also an identification feature of the family. Wolf Spiders are not considered to be dangerous.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks very much for the reply. Very informative as always.
Many Thanks,
Nick
spider think its a golden silk but not sure
January 7, 2010
hi i was out in the gambia in october 09 and these spiders were everywhere just wanted to know what they are and if there dangerous or not as i do go out to the gambia alot now.
?
the gambia
Golden Silk Spider from Gambia
Dear ?,
You are correct. This is a Golden Silk Spider in the genus Nephila. All spiders have venom, but only a few species are dangerous to humans, and the Golden Silk Spiders are not considered dangerous. It is possible that they might bite, though reports are very rare. Reactions to the bite will vary with the individual, but again, the bite of the Golden Silk Spider is not considered dangerous.
Spidentification
January 6, 2010
Dear Bugman: I sent these photos to you on 11/8/09. I still hold out hope that you willl spidentify this lovely creature who was living in our shower, even though I now have a pretty good idea that she is a jumping spider. I carried her out to the garden back in November; we saw her again yesterday on the outside of our window. Her back was much redder but she was as large as ever, about 3/4″ long. She is the CUTEST spider I could ever imagine! What type of jumping spider is she?
In Love With a Jumping Spider
Los Angeles, CA
Jumping Spider
Dear In Love With a Jumping Spider,
We don’t believe we are able to conclusively identify this Jumping Spider to the species level, but it does resemble an image of Phidippus asotus that is posted to BugGuide. Your original letter came while we were struggling to complete our manuscript, and now we are attempting to meet our deadline for manuscript revisions. We wish the photos were of higher resolution. Perhaps one of our readers can verify this identification. The enthusiasm of your letter is refreshing.
Jumping Spider
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