Help?
Hi There, I was wading through a bush at a hotel in Spain (trying to find a ping pong ball infact) and came across this angry looking Spider, almost destroying its web! I have attached a couple of pictures of the spider that i saw, any ideas of what it might be? Thanks
Steve. P

Hi Steve,
This Orb Weaver is Argiope bruennichi, commonly called the Wasp Spider. Spiders in this genus are also sometimes called Writing Spiders because of the zigzag stabilimentum in the web. We found a website with additional information on this lovely European species.

Unknown Spider
I live in Whittier Ca and have never seen a spider like this I have had it in a container for three days now and just fed it another spider. I have enclosed a few photos. It is red with a blackish-gray bottom it has fangs and is as a quarter when it’s legs are stretched out. what type of spider is this?
Lorena

Hi Lorena,
You should release this harmless Sowbug Killer back into the garden where it will do what its name implies, kill and eat Sowbugs.

Argiope and suiter, strange behavior, and Proud momma mantid
Bugman,
Thought you might like some pics from Guam. 12 is one of my many Orb-weavers (not sure of the species) and the first time I’ve seen one with a room-mate so far. 15 is the same female hanging upside down from the web in the rain. I’ve seen her do this a couple of times when it’s raining. I’m guessing it’s to prevent drowning? I thought it was dead the first time I saw it, but she was back in her web after the rain stopped. Again tonight, she was hang-drying herself. I particularly like this picture, the raindrops clinging to her body are pretty sexy don’t you think? 14 is a manti(s/d, which is plural?) taking a breather after laying eggs. We never have to worry about the temp dropping so far as to cause the eggs to go dormant. What is the incubation period if the temp stays at hatching temperature?
Charles

Hi Charles,
Time will only allow us to post one of your images, and we are very fond of the mating Argiope appensa, commonly called the Banana Spider on Guam. The female spider has much greater mass than her dimutive mate. Spiders in the genus Argiope nearly always hang up-side-down in the web, regardless of rain.

Spider ID unknown
Hey there bugman! Big fan of the website, keep up the good work. Anyway, I found this beauty on thanksgiving, and have no idea what it is exactly. I live in Maryland. Spider is about 2 inches from front to back(including legs), in this photo. Spider was very calm. I just cant seem to find anything that looks like it on the internet. At first I thought wolf but after looking at many different kind, I am not so sure any more.

This positively gorgeous spider is a Cork Lid Trapdoor Spider in the genus UMmidia. There are numerous images on Bugguide which has this to say: “Dig tunnel in ground and seal with a silk-hinged lid. They hide under this lid and make forays out when prey is sensed, presumably by vibration. Males are often found wandering in late spring, presumably looking for mates.” Perhaps global warming has upset this guy’s timing.

Confused. . . .
I just recently moved to Guam and it seems all the locals call this a banana spider. I did today actually see a real banana spider. So the leads me to wonder, what spider is this? Golden orb weaver or a St. Andrews Cross Spider? I was a little confused after reading about them on your "spiders" page.
Mike (from Guam)

Hi Mike,
Your confusion lies in the use of the common name Banana Spider. We know of three spiders that share this common name, Nephila clavipes (AKA Golden Silk Spider), Heteropoda venatoria (AKA Huntsman Spider), and your spider, Argiope appensa. According to Wikipedia: “On Guam , where A. appensa is ubiquitous, it is frequently visited by Argyrodes argentatus . Locals there refer to A. appensa as banana spiders . Following the introduction of the brown tree snake and the subsequent extinction or near-extinction of many of the island’s small birds, spider populations on Guam exploded decreasing predation and competition.”

Spider with 10 legs???
Hi,
I found this spider floating dead in my pool today. I fished it out, spread the legs out (which seemed to have small hooks on the ends), and took these photos. We do have a lot of Wolf Spiders here but this one seemed too big to be a wolf spider. Is it a Trap-Door Spider or a Tarantula? Do these normally live outside or are they found inside houses too. I would hate to wake up and find one in my bed. Plus are those "extra legs" in front the mandibles of the spider? And do they bite? Thanks for answering all my questions. Thanks for such a wonderful website,
Jannine C.
Walnut Creek, CA

Hi Jannine,
This is a Tarantula. During the winter in the American Southwest, male Mygalomorphs, the suborder that included Tarantulas and Trapdoor Spiders, wander in search of mates. There are many casualities, like your poor drowned suitor. Tarantulas might wander into homes, but they are just occasional visitors, not inhabitants. The fifth pair of legs you mention are called pedipalps. Pedipalps are enlarged in many male spiders so they can transfer sperm to the female.