Unknown large spider
Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 5:41 PM
I have used your site for a few years now and love it. A great resource. I found this spider today (Nov. 2, 2008) near the four corners/Monument Valley, close to Mexican Hat, Utah. It was larger than a Black Widow, about the size of a half dollar. And as you can see in the photo it has a large abdomen, maybe the size of a small grape. Very strong web. The closest I found on your site is a banded orb weaver but this is not quite the same and we saw no zig zag in its web.
Brandt
Mexican Hat, Utah
Banded Orb Weaver
Hi Brandt,
Sorry about the delay, but between our convention trip with students and the elections, we fell behind in responses. We are finally returning to older letters we never opened. We agree with your first assumption that this is a Banded Orb Weaver, Argiope trifasciata. Often the markings of desert creatures are lighter to better reflect light, preventing overheating. BugGuide indicates that the stabilimentum of the web is less prominent than the Golden Orb Weaver, but some information on BugGuide explaining this is truncated. This truly is a stunning individual.
Please ID this spider!
Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 3:19 PM
We found this spider in our garage in Cincinnati, OH about a week ago. (late Oct. early Nov.). I dont think it had rained or anything but it is not a spider that I have ever seen in the area before. Its body w/o the legs is a little smaller than 1/2 inch. If you need any other info or pics just email me. Thanks for any help!
Mikey
Cincinnati, OH
Marbled Orb Weaver
Hi Mikey,
What a positively gorgeous Marbled Orb Weaver, Araneus marmoreus, a highly variable species whose many variations can be viewed on BugGuide.
Spider
Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 7:34 PM
This spider was spotted out in the middle of the afternoon on 10/28. When i was trying to take his picture he retreated into what seemed to his home. I found it unusual that he had no web and but rather a cocoon like house. I have tried looking through different Florida Spider web sights and field guides but thus far have been unsuccessful in identifying it. I would really appreciate your help. Cheers!
Erin A.
Pine Island, SW Florida
Regal Jumper
Hi Erin,
Several days ago we posted images of a Regal Jumping Spider, Phidippus regius, in and out of its tent. That photo was a different color variation of the species, and your photos are a wonderful addition to our archive of this variable species from Florida that builds a retreat for itself when it needs shelter or when it is threatened. There is a slightly darker version of your individual’s pattern posted to BugGuide, and you can also see the great variety of colorations and patterns for this species.
Regal Jumper retreats to tent
Green lynx spider eats bumble bee
Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 7:35 AM
Hi Bugman. Maybe this is the true reason for the bee shortage. We saw this food chain demonstration while hiking Moss Park in Orlando, Fl. on Nov.1st. The sun was setting and so we also saw gorgeous orb weavers busy spinning their webs. None of my past submissions have been posted so since this is your favorite spider, I hope my photo will make it to your website. By the way, I impressed my husband when I blurted out “oh, that’s a green lynx spider”! (just a little identifcation I picked up from my visits to your site). Thanks for the great website.
Elizabeth from Orlando
Orlando, Fl.
Green Lynx Spider eats Bumble Bee
Hi Elizabeth,
What a marvelous photo of our favorite spider, the Green Lynx Spider, Peucetia viridans.
Spider Identification
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 12:14 PM
I found this spider in my yard after running into his/her intricately made web that ran across the entry to my front door. What on earth is it? Thanks! Love the site by the way! 
Lauren F.
Cotati, CA
Cross Spider
Hi Lauren,
Your spider is a harmless Cross Spider, Araneus diadematus, a species introduced from Europe and found in both the eastern and western U.S. You can find many images and more information on BugGuide. A bit of trivia for you concerns Anita and Arabella, the names of the first two spiders sent into space. In 1973, Anita and Arabella, female Cross Spiders, were sent into space aboard Skylab 3 as an experiment to observe how gravity affected web spinning. Both Anita and Arabella died of dehydration during the mission, but their bodies are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution for posterity. You man visit About.com to read more about Spiders in Space.
.
Wolf Spider?
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Is this a kind of wolf spider? It was on the floor of an old garage and moved very quickly. It was almost the size of a compact disc with legs outreached. Body was about size of bottle cap.
JR
USA, northeast
White Banded Fishing Spider
Hi JR,
This is a Dolomedes Fishing Spider, not a Wolf Spider. Fishing Spiders are in the Nursery Web Spider group, and like Wolf Spiders, they are hunting spiders and not snare web building spiders. We believe your specimen is a White Banded Fishing Spider, Dolomedes albineus, based on an image posted to BugGuide. Your location, USA, northeast, is a bit vague. BugGuide lists sightings as far north as Delaware, but that doesn’t mean the species is unknown in New England. If this is not the White Banded Fishing Spider, it is another member of the genus Dolomedes.
Thanks Daniel, very interesting! I am sorry about the vague location. I
found it in Norridgewock, Maine, about 40 minutes north from Augusta and 1.5
hours north from Portland.
Thanks again, Jim
What is this bug?
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 3:03 AM
Found this bug drying out on a brick in the Mazzaron region of Spain after a rain shower. Was wondering if you could identify.
William
Mazzaron, Spain
Female Wolf Spider with Egg Sac from Spain
Hi William,
This is a female Wolf Spider, but we are not certain of the species. Female Wolf Spiders drag their egg sacs around with them and once the spiderlings hatch, the mother spider will carry the young on her back for several days until they disperse. This care method probably has the advantage of distributing the spiderlings in a larger area because of the mobility of the adult.
Six Legged Spider?
Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 5:12 PM
Can you identify this spider, and is it harmful? I thought it was odd becuase it has only 6 hairy legs. It’s leg span is about 4 inches. I did not kill it, because I figured to be that size it must be eating a lot of other bugs. I have attached a photo. Thanks . . . Joan
Joan
Punta Gorda, FL
Huntsman Spider
Hi Joan,
You are a good person, and wise to not have killed this male Huntsman Spider, Heteropoda venatoria. Huntsman Spiders are also called Banana Spiders or Giant Crab Spiders and they are nocturnal hunting spiders that do not spin webs, preferring to hunt their prey. They are valued in many areas because they consume cockroaches.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your reply. I am surpised that you did not comment on his 6 legs. Isn’t that unusual for a spider? I thought spiders generally have 8 legs. I have attached a photo of another spider taken last year about this time. At the time I had identified it as a Huntsman by comparing it to photos on the website. Now I am not sure if that was corrrect. It was about the same size, but looked different from the 6 legged guy. It wasn’t as hairy. It also behaved differently. Last year’s spider moved very quickly if approached, whereas the 6 legged guy stayed put, and let me take lots of pictures.
Thanks again. Since moving to Florida, I have been fasinated by the spiders . . .
Joan
Huntsman Spider female
Hi Joan,
The six legged specimen is a male and your new photo is a female Huntsman Spider. They have sexual dimorphism, meaning the sexes have pronounced visual differences. In some animals, the differences are so pronounced that they appear to be different species. Often spiders lose legs, and occasionally, if they are young enough, the legs partially regenerate. Not so with your male Huntsman.
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Posted 04 November 2008
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Tiny pale green spider on forest floor…
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 9:27 AM
I was examining a scrape on the forest floor, looking for hair when I found this tiny little spider! It coudnt be bigger than a centimeter across the longest point (wish I had had a coin with me for size reference). It walked sideways like a crab. When disturbed it pulled its legs in and tried to look inconspicuous. After I got done taking pictures it crawled to the underside of a leaf and hid.
Dana
Athens, Georgia
Crab Spider
Hi Dana,
This is a Crab Spider in the family Thomisidae. We are not certain of the genus or species, but we would hesitate a guess at the genus Misumenops as evidenced by images posted to BugGuide. Crab Spiders do not build hunting webs. They ambush their prey using camouflage techniques.
What’s she doing in there?
Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 7:47 AM
I happened accross this little spider hiding this morning. I am in north central Florida (Branford) and we had our first freeze overnight. I was taking some photos this morning and found what looked like a cocoon but there was a spider hanging out of it. My curiosity has been working at me and I had to go back and coerce the spider out to learn a little more. I got it to come out and identified it as a female regal jumping spider. I have read that they do make tents but I can’t find any photos of their structure. Is this her tent or did she commandeer some poor cocoon to get out of the cold this morning?
Amy
Branford, FL
Regal Jumping Spider in Tent
Hi Amy,
We needed to research this tent making with regards to the female Regal Jumping Spider, Phidippus regius. We found images on BugGuide that showed a female in a tent in Orange County Florida. This tent is just a shelter for protection and probably helped your spider excape the frost. This is a highly variable species, and BugGuide shown numerous photos of the color variations. You should be commended on your identification.
Regal Jumping Spider
Thanks so much for your response, I have admired your site for quite some time and I am pleased to be a part of it now. Aside from your site, I also get spider info from the book Florida’s Fabulous Spiders. That is where I found the ID for this spider. The Florida’s Fabulous Series is no substitute for good old field guides, but they are great for learning interesting facts about some common species. Thanks again for the info,
Amy
Whip Spider
Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 9:39 PM
My friends came over for breakfast the other day and while I was talking I noticed a little spider hanging off the side of a plant pot. I told my friends but as soon as they turned around the spider coiled up its legs and looked exactly like a small stick. They thought I was mad! But eventually they saw it move and became very interested in the little fellow.
It’s about 2 to 3 cm long and I think it looks a little bit like a miniature face-hugger form the film Alien!
Today I searched online and discovered that it is a whip spider. I know that the pictures I took of it aren’t too amazing, but it was so difficult to get a picture of it with its legs spread out that I thought images of them un-camouflaged would be quite rare.
Bonnie
Melbourne, Australia
Whip Spider
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for contributing photos of the fascinating Whip Spider, Argyrodes colubrinus, to our website archives. We are linking to the Australian Museum Online website that states: “Whip Spiders get their name from their elongate, worm-like body shape – up to about 20 mm long but only about 1 mm wide. They are common in forest habitats and can readily be seen in gardens on summer nights, suspended on delicate silk lines in spaces among shrubbery.
They specialise in feeding on wandering spiders, usually juveniles. The Whip Spider sits at the top of a few long silk threads that run downs below it among foliage. When a wandering spider walks up one of these handy silk `bridges’ it gets a nasty surprise. The waiting Whip Spider uses toothed bristles on the end segment of the last leg to comb out swathes of entangling sticky silk from its spinnerets. These rapidly entangle the struggling victim so that it cannot escape. “
Whip Spider
Orb weaver nookie
Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Just wanted to share a picture of the two Orb weavers we shared our patio with this summer. We live in Charleston, SC. We named them Lilith and Frasier. Unfortunately, Lilith disappeared about a week after this photo was taken.
Amy
Charleston, SC
Golden Silk Spider Courtship
Hi Amy,
What an amazing photo of a pair of Golden Silk Spiders, Nephila clavipes. We are not sure who was named Lilith, but the larger of the pair is the female. We would think that it would have been the smaller male that vanished.
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