Tanzanian Spider
Location: Morogoro and Mabibo of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
February 12, 2011 11:53 pm
I took this picture in 2008 while in Morogoro, Tanzania (a rural area). I still have no idea what it is, and have done a fair share of googling to figure it out. Three years later and still unsuccessful at finding an answer. I was about 2 inches away from this thing to take the picture, but it was worth the risk. If it helps at all, its web was strung under the shade of a tree.
I also wanted to know if you had any idea about the common types of tree spiders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital. Unfortunately the pictures I had were useless in identification, but I can tell you this–they seemed to be in colonies, strung high in the trees together, and (i kid you not) roughly the size of my hand. Once again, I was unsuccessful in identifying the absolutely unbelievable creatures.
Thank you for your help. I have been curious for so long, and any comments are greatly appreciated.
Signature: Kendal
Horned Spider from Tanzania
Hi Kendal,
This is a Spiny Orbweaver, and we believe it may be in the genus Gasteracantha, though we need to do some additional research to verify that identification. We found a blog with postings of Horned Spiders that look quite similar, and they are in the genus Gasteracantha. ZipcodeZoo lists numerous species in the genus. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to properly identify the species. Your other request might be Golden Silk Spiders in the genus Nephila.
Spiny Orbweaver
Funnel or Trapdoor?
Folding Door Spider
Funnel or Trapdoor?
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
February 8, 2011 3:43 pm
I found this while sweeping outside. We home school, so any new spider we find, we scoop into a jar and try to identify it. Then we let it go.
We live in Oregon. Wasn’t sure if it was a trapdoor or funnel spider.
Thanks!
Kim
Signature: Arachnid Wonders
Folding Door Spider
Hi Kim,
Thanks to the multiple views you have provided, we strongly believe this is a Folding Door Spider in the genus Antrodiaetus based on images posted to BugGuide. There are several families of Trapdoor Spiders, and Folding Door Spiders are distinguished from the Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spiders and the Wafer-Lid Trapdoor Spiders, but BugGuide doesn’t really explain the distinguishing features. It is nice to hear about your home schooling tactics, but we must caution you that here at What’s That Bug?, we are not experts and we do not have any formal entomological training, nor have we ever taken any college level courses in Arachnids. We are artists who are trying to promote an understanding and appreciation of the lower beasts and their importance to the web of life on our fragile planet. For more accurate identifications, you should seek assistance from your local natural history museum. There is much misinformation on the internet, and our humble website is no exception.
Folding Door Spider
Spider
Location: Rome, NY
February 8, 2011 2:20 am
Hi, this spider was in my bathroom on top of the heat duct then after I took the picture scampered down the duct very quickly. I reside in Central NY. The body was about an inch in length – it was a little large for my liking!
Any help identifying would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Signature: Amy Wheeler
Eastern Parson Spider
Hi Amy,
We haven’t posted any recent images of the harmless Eastern Parson Spider, Herpyllus ecclesiasticus, in quite some time. Your letter and photo are welcomed additions to our archive. There are may nice images of the Parson Spider on BugGuide.
Spider Wasp vs Garden Spider
Location: Central Arkansas
February 7, 2011 12:59 am
I saw where you thought it was odd that a Spider Wasp would hunt a Garden Spider. Thought I’d throw you a little of my own ”evidence”!
Taken in Central Arkansas, btw.
Regards,
Signature: Alan D Tetkoskie
Blue Black Spider Wasp preys upon Orbweaver
Hi Alan,
Thanks so much for sending your photo. Our statement was based upon information posted on BugGuide and not upon any research in books. Scientific theories are based upon observations, and the camera has provided a marvelous tool to assist in observation and the gathering of data. It would be interesting to determine if certain species in the Blue Black Spider Wasp genus Anoplius have a preference for Orbweavers. When one clicks upon the browse button while on the Anoplius genus page on BugGuide, instead of getting the choice of species, one gets the choice of subgenera, and only upon browsing the individual subgenera do actual species come up. Perhaps an expert in the field will be able to provide us with a comment the clarify if any of the species in the genus Anoplius have evolved a set of spider hunting skills that enable them to specialize in hunting Orbweavers. Thanks again for sending us your documentation.
wasp and paralyzed spider
Location: Hyannis Massachusetts
February 4, 2011 10:09 pm
Hi guys, I saw these two locked in combat one summer day in Hyannis, Massachusetts and ran for my camera. By the time I got back it was all over and the wasp had won. In this picture she is dragging the spider to the hole she dug after paralyzing it. I’d like to know the official ID of each of them, especially the spider.
Signature: any
Blue Black Spider Wasp and Orbweaver
Hi any,
We believe your wasp is a Blue Black Spider Wasp in the genus Anoplius based on information on BugGuide which indicates: “Larvae are provisioned with wolf spiders, funnel web spiders. Many are generalists and will provision with nearly every common family of spider found in North America.“ That information is interesting, because Orbweavers are atypical prey. We believe the spider is a Giant Lichen Orbweaver, Araneus bicentenarius, based upon photos on BugGuide.
green lynx spider
Location: coastal san diego
February 2, 2011 1:04 pm
This will be the last time I visit your site. You have sent me two pass words and neither work. Just wanted to tell you that your life span information on the Green Lynx spider is incorrect. I have watched one continuously and she is now sitting on her second egg sac. She survived the December rains with her first spiderlings and became pregnant again. Since spiderlings winter over, I have to assume she started life in 2009. You can see the older egg sack in the picture to the left
Signature: meredith french
Green Lynx Spider with Egg Sac
Dear Meredith,
We are sorry to hear that you are having technical difficulties. Our technical staff is completely separate from our editorial staff. All we can say is that if our awesome webmaster cannot correct your problem, there must be a major system incompatibility that is creating the problem. Thanks for sending your photo of a Green Lynx Spider protecting her second egg sac. Green Lynx Spiders may produce multiple broods, but even under ideal conditions, it would be highly unusual for a female to live through a second season.
At the American Museum of Natural History, Gossamer Silk From Spiders – NYTimes.com
January 24, 2011
Because of my interest in arthropods, my daughter sent me this link. I thought you’d love to link to it on your site! There is a nice photo of Golden Orb Weavers from Madagascar, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/arts/design/23spiders.html?_r=2
Thanks. We have seen this online article before and we had thought we had already linked to it on our site, but we were unable to locate it in the archives. It is now a posting.
Daniel, the green lynx spiderlings emerged
Location: South Pasadena, CA
January 24, 2011 12:40 am
I was happy to spot these tiny spiders yesterday morning.
Signature: Barbara
Green Lynx Spiderlings
Hi Barbara,
Thanks so much for continuing to document to the life cycle of the Green Lynx Spider in your garden. Your hatchling Spiderlings are so cute. The weakest among them will most likely provide food for their more aggressive siblings, ensuring that only the most robust individuals with the best survival skills will contribute to the gene pool of future generations. Since we both know that Daniel is the only person who deals with the content of What’s That Bug? I can dispense with the use of the royal we in this response. I am currently creating some homemade signage to post in Elyria Canyon Park where there is a patch of native milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa, that comes up every year, though it sometimes gets trampled to the ground when brush clearance is too aggressive along the paths. I would like permission to use some of your monarch caterpillar photos with the signage, though I have never seem any Monarch Caterpillars at the location. More on this later because I will be late for work if I don’t tear myself away from the computer now.
Green Lynx Spiderlings
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