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Six Spotted Fishing Spider eats Tadpole

fishing spider??
August 22, 2011 10:17 am
i posted pics to your facebbok page and have tried 3 time s unsuccessfully ot send them to you on here, it wont upload them. its a green spider, in the water and it had grabbed a tiny tadpole out of the water. its beena  couple of months since i posted them! wondering if you can help!
Signature: BIBEF

we do not check the facebook pages.  We reserve that as an open forum.  We only post letters that come to our website directly.  We are very curious about the photos of the spider you describe and we would love to see the photos.  Your aphid photos did arrive correctly.  Try attaching the spider photos to this response and please add all the information on the sighting, like location and date.
Thanks

hope it works this way, i have seen spiders near water, but never IN the water. the one pic is a good one of the spider, you can see its feet pressing on the surface of the water, and the second which sadly came out blurry, you can see the tadpole it grabbed out of the water in its mouth. i was only able to get the one with te tadpole and almost fell in the pond trying to get that one, so thats why only the blurry one! ive look ed at fishing spiders on your site and they dont really look like this one, but that could just be me!!

dolomedes triton bibef 300x242 Six Spotted Fishing Spider eats Tadpole

Six Spotted Fishing Spider

Dear Bibef,
We are very happy we requested you to resend these photos.  Other letters from you have come from Ohio.  Is this also Ohio?  This is definitely a Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes, and we have identified it as a Six Spotted Fishing Spider, Dolomedes triton.  We have some old images in our archives, including these images from Louisiana, and this image from Florida,  but your image is the only we have received depicting a food chain image with aquatic prey.

dolomedes triton tadpole bibef 300x225 Six Spotted Fishing Spider eats Tadpole

Six Spotted Fishing Spider eats Tadpole

yes ohio, caesars creek state park to be exact, and thank you, fun finding out they come in a variety of colors!!

4

Posted 22 August 2011 § Amphibians ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Fishing Spider and Paper Wasp Nest

What’s That Arachnid/What’s That Wasp
Location: Central Alabama
August 20, 2011 8:35 am
Dear Bugman:
It is August in Alabama and I feel like I live in the Amazon. It’s hot, humid, and all of the giant spiders and bugs have come out to play. I found this spider in the corner of my porch next to some type of wasp nest. Could you help me identify both? Thank you!
Signature: Southern Belle Besieged By Bugs

dolomedes polistes nest 276x300 Fishing Spider and Paper Wasp Nest

Fishing Spider and Paper Wasp Nest

Dear Southern Belle BBB,
What a crazy photo this is.  The spider is a female Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes, and they are generally found not far from water.  The wasps are Paper Wasps in the genus Polistes.

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Posted 20 August 2011 § Paper Wasps ‡ Comments (0) °

Fishing Spider

AAARGGHH! We hope there aren’t more of them under the dock.
Location: Southeast Wisconsin, Lac La Belle Oconomowoc
August 17, 2011 9:35 pm
This REALLY big scary looking spider is the first of its kind ever noticed at this location – on the dock at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, WI. It waited all day near what we think is it’s web, seen in one photo with finger pointing at ?egg sack vs. dinner? We lake people are used to daddy-long-legs and other spider varieties and bugs of all kinds, but this specimen seems awfully exotic. Any ideas?
Signature: Delahunt Clan

dolomedes delahunt1 246x300 Fishing Spider

Fishing Spider with Nursery Web

Dear Delahunt Clan,
This magnificent specimen is a female Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes.  Many species are found near water and some species actively hunt aquatic prey, diving beneath the surface of the water, remaining under for extended periods of time and catching small fish or tadpoles.  Fishing Spiders are hunting spiders that do not build a web to snare prey, however, they are in the Nursery Web Spider family, and they build a web in a suitable location after carrying around the egg sack in their chelicerae or fangs.  When she finds a suitable location for her Nursery Web, the female spider will guard the eggs.  Thanks for sending us this wonderful documentation.  Fishing Spiders are not considered to be dangerous to humans, though we concede that they might bite, though we have never received a report of a person being bitten by a Fishing Spider.

dolomedes delahunt cu 277x300 Fishing Spider

Fishing Spider

Thanks so much for your prompt reply!
Our family has had a good time with this new adventure.
And as magnificent as this “specimen” truly is, we really really hope there aren’t more of them under the dock.
But now we know there probably are.  : )
Emily

Fishing Spiders are also known as Dock Spiders as indicated in this University of Minnesota Extension website posting.

 

Posted 18 August 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Nursery Web Spider

Cornucopia of 6-legged spiders
Location: Toledo, OH
August 2, 2011 10:23 am
Whilst at my favorite park yesterday, I found two of these guys (which I am pretty sure are the same species, but please correct me if I am wrong.) Both of them seem to have endured some trauma and are lacking two legs. A friend affectionately, albeit a little politically incorrectly, referred to them as ’spiders from ’nam.’ I’m not sure what poor trauma befell these beauties, but I can assure you that based on the isolation of the environment I was in, it had nothing to due with human interference. Birds or frogs, perhaps?
Signature: Katy

nursery web spider katy 300x251 Nursery Web Spider

Nursery Web Spider

Hi Katy,
Both of your spiders are Nursery Web Spiders, Pisaurina mira, but while one appears to have lost two legs on the same side, the alleged symmetrical amputee does have eight legs.  Look closely at the front leg on each side and you will see that they are actually two legs held together.  Compare your photo to this image on BugGuidewhich makes the illusion created by this particular posture more apparent.

nursery web spider amputee katy 300x265 Nursery Web Spider

Nursery Web Spider amputee

 

Posted 03 August 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Fishing Spider

What’s This Creature?
Location: Hot & Humid Columbia, SC
July 19, 2011 10:05 am
I found this creature (at least 7”) on the side of my house (no web), outside my front door last week. After a short storm, this creature was gone. We’ve been trying to figure out what this is and haven’t had any luck. Thank you.
Signature: Tom

dolomedes tom 291x300 Fishing Spider

Fishing Spider

Hi Tom,
This is a Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes.

Posted 20 July 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Fishing Spider and Brood XIX comment

Howling at the Moon?
Location: Mount Zion, Illinois
June 24, 2011 9:17 pm
Dear Daniel,
My husband found this spider in the basement, and after he’d finished yelling (screaming), he was kind enough to let me take a few pictures. I’ve been through bugguide.net and your website and my field guides, so here’s my question: Is it a wolf spider (genus Pardosa)? Is it a fishing spider (genus Dolomedes)? If it’s a wolf spider, it’s the largest I’ve ever seen…definitely large enough to howl at the moon with the real wolves. icon wink Fishing Spider and Brood XIX comment
She was released outside in the woods.
PS – In response to your editor’s note about Brood XIX on the cicada page, they were quite prevalent here. The sound outside was deafening. When they first started emerging, I walked by a small bush that had at least 30 molting within a square foot. Their emergence and subsequent disappearance was quick but amazing!
Thanks!!
Signature: Michelle B

dolomedes michelle 300x214 Fishing Spider and Brood XIX comment

Fishing Spider

Hi Michelle,
This sure looks like a Fishing Spider, probably Dolomedes tenebrosus, to us.  We are happy you came to your husband’s rescue and that you relocated this harmless, but frightening looking predator.  Thanks so much for your comment on Brood XIX.

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Posted 25 June 2011 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (0) °

Fishing Spiders and Brown Recluses, Part 2

Dark Fishing Spiders- Very helpful in the house
Location:  Wildwood, Missouri
Jun 16, 2011,  11:26 PM
I found a couple photos of the mother spider I kept as a pet and her babies. The mother spider was a joy to have around, I first found her in my grandmother’s basement.  She was one of the best spiders I’ve had as a pet, and I’ve had several wolf spiders and a tarantula. Studying her behavior was a joy, and I kept a journal of her behavior. It was interesting to see how much she liked to eat recluses! She’d pick them over crickets when both were in her box. Since releasing a few of her babies outside the house (Most were released at parks with ponds and lakes), there haven’t been any infestation problems!
Use whichever photos you like on your website. Or none if you don’t like them, I don’t mind either way.
All are named by species and dated by when the photo was taken.
The photos are as follows:
My first sighting of a fishing spider, 1 year before the mother spider.

dolomedes cassie 20100416 300x208 Fishing Spiders and Brown Recluses, Part 2

Female Fishing Spider, April 16, 2010

2 months prior to finding her in the basement- suspect its her. Quarter next to her as size reference.
Mother and Babies, day after the babies emerged from egg sac.
Recluse sighting on the ceiling.
The recluse that gave me a bit of a scare when it came up through the toilet. I actually saw it come up!
Cassie

dolomedes spiderlings cassie 20100803 300x215 Fishing Spiders and Brown Recluses, Part 2

Fishing Spiderlings, August 3, 2010

Hi Cassie,
We are positively thrilled that you took the time to locate these images.  We are posting half of them with your letter and we are replacing the image of the Fishing Spider on your original posting with another of the images.  You never provided us with a location.  Can you at least provide the state where you took the photos?

recluse toilet cassie 20100628.JPG 300x216 Fishing Spiders and Brown Recluses, Part 2

Brown Recluse in the toilet

Location is Wildwood, Missouri, just a couple miles from Rockwood Reservation. That was actually one of the places I released some of the babies. I still see some of those that I put in the yard- they love the ground level birdbath on hot days. Being near the reservation means I get to see all sorts of interesting creatures. I’ve raised a wheel bug from the day it hatched, countless wolf spider and mantises, and several other fascinating creepy crawlies. I love monitoring their behaviors, and finding out their favorite foods and environments. I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing bugs, and when I don’t recognize one I’ll set up a habitat for it, identify it, and study it a couple days. My family used to make bets with each other on if I’d be an entomologist, herpetologist, or artist. If I get any more good snapshots of the local bugs, I’ll be sure to send them!

Posted 24 June 2011 § Bite of the Brown Recluse ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

Fishing Spider with Egg Sac

Nursery Web Spider? With egg case
Location: Central Illinois
June 20, 2011 9:21 pm
This beautiful spider was found on the bottom on a mower that was sitting in a grass area next to a forest. We think it’s some kind of nursery web spider but would like a positive ID. Thanks in advance for your help.
We love your web site!
Signature: Spider Fan

dolomedes eggsac illinois 300x268 Fishing Spider with Egg Sac

Fishing Spider

Dear Spider Fan,
You are correct that this is a Nursery Web Spider in the family Pisauridae, and we can guarantee, at least based upon the currently accepted taxonomy, that this is a Fishing Spider in the genus Dolomedes.  Furthermore, we believe it is most likely Dolomedes tenebrosus, based on images and information posted on BugGuide.  To try to further clarify things, all members in the family Pisauridae are called Nursery Web Spiders because of the maternal care given to the eggs and spiderlings.  After carrying around her egg sac for some time, the female will find an appropriate location and there she will construct the nursery web and she will continue to guard her eggs and hatchlings.  Members of the genus Dolomedes are called Fishing Spiders because many are found in close proximity to water and some are even capable of diving beneath the surface of the water and capturing aquatic prey.  They can also run across the surface of the water.

Posted 21 June 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

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