rss
Leucauge venusta photo
I went through your site and indentified my little spider friend,
Leucauga venusta. Thank you. This was taken next to a house wall in
central Florida in late August. Red spots.
Carl
Thank you for your beautiful image of an Orchard Spider, Leucauge venusta.
Hi,
I was surfing the net searching for infos on the camel spider and found your site, thank you for your articles ! It s very instructive and i spent much time discovering american bugs 
That made me remember of a trip i made to indonesia, and of two spiders we found in our bedroom… they seem really common there, do you know if they are dangerous ?
Thank you,
Pierre
Hi Pierre,
We are very happy to have your photos of both the male (left) and female Huntsman Spider or Banana Spider, Heteropoda venatoria, nicely showing the relative size. This spider is found around the world, especially in tropical ports. Not only are they harmless, these very large Giant Crab Spiders are welcome in many tropical countries because they roam about on the walls and eat cockroaches. Here is a site with more information.
found in house with clothes
Dear Bug Detective:
I found this spider on the floor after shaking out some clothes that had been waiting too long for laundering. The second picture better shows its coloration. You will see that he lost a leg during capture maneuvers. He walks a bit sideways and contracts smaller when confronted, drawing his legs back so that that swoop back and the front aim forward.
Thanks for any help with this.
The Wards
Dear Wards,
I don’t know how this poor maimed Crab Spider, Family Thomisidae, found its way into the dirty laundry. They generally wander over the ground, climbing flowers and plants in search of prey. They do not spin webs. There are over 200 North American species. They are harmless.
bug definition
I have these Spiders in my Garage. Last year my wife flipped out and killed one that was between 1/2" and 3/4". All the ones that we have seen since have bee half that size. We live in the pacific Northwest. If it helps any, these spiders are very aware. I had one on the hood of my car while I was waxing it. I tried to sneak up on it. As I got about 4 feet away it turned towards and me and reared up it’s head as if it had no fear of me whatsoever and wanted me to know it.
You have a species of Jumping Spider from the Family Salticidae. They are small, often colorful, do not build webs but stalk their prey, and are harmless to humans. They have excellent eyesight and have very rapid movements.
Colorful Spider
Would like to know what this colorful fellow is. Took the picture on Maui , Hawaii on the way to a little waterfall. Then I saw it on a Hawaii travelogue but they didn’t identify it.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Your Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver, Gasteracantha elipsoides, ranges throughout the continental United States, being most common in Florida and other parts of the South. Obviously, it also lives in Hawaii. They build enormous webs, expecially considering that the spiders are a mere 1/2 inch in size. Thank you for the beautiful photograph.
Spider in Alabama
Hi Bugman,
I live in Alabama, and have recently found 3 spiders in my home in the last 2 days. Two of them were the same type, and one (the one I have the picture of) was of a different type. I wish I had a picture of the first type because it was the frightening looking one, about the size of the quarter, not hairy, didn’t look like a wolf spider to me, but what do I know? I’ll be on the lookout and if another one comes along I’ll be sure to snap a picture of it (but hopefully won’t have to do so). Anyway, here is the picture of the second one. The two pictures are of the same spider; they look different because one I used the flash and it washed all the color out and made the spider look gray. It’s actually colored more like the orange looking picture. Sorry the pictures aren’t great quality; my digital camera doesn’t do macro work too well. Can you tell me what kind it is? Thanks!
Anna
Hi Anna,
The spider in your photo is a type of crab spider, Family Thomisidae, possibly the Elegant Crab Spider, Xysticus elegans. It does not build a web and is often seen running along fences. It ranges from Maine to Georgia and west to Arizona and north to Alberta. It is harmless.
An orb weaver but what kind????
Hi there,
my niece found this rather lage spider in her back yard!!! I don’t know the name of the species but I believe it’s an orb weaver. Is this a male or female??? She told me it was about 3 to 4 inches long or so, they live in whittier california. The picture was taken last fall around mid october to november, unfortunally they killed it because they didn’t want it to come in their house. But it is an awesome picture even though I hate spiders!!!
Sincerely,
Darcy Jimenez
Montebello, CA
Hi Darcy,
Your niece photographed a female Banded Argiope, Argiope trifasciata. They are closely related to the common Yellow Argiope. It is common in the west and tolerates arid climates. It is a harmless and beautiful spider. Sadly, she will not be procreating.
Orb Weaving Spider
Mr. Bugman
I found this spider in a web in our window well. Do you have an idea of what’s its identity is?
Regards,
Bill
Hi Bill,
You are correct, it is an Orb Weaver.
PLEASE HELP!
My name is Dave and my family and I were taking a tour of a house for sale in Jacksonville, FL when I came across this spider sitting in the middle of a gigantic web in the backyard. I’ve been looking everywhere for info on it and can’t find anything. I’m originally from CA and have never seen anything like it. Would you please tell me what kind it is and if its dangerous?
Thanks.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Thank you for the nice image of a Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver demonstrating a brave hand for scale. The spider is harmless, unless you are a hapless flying insect that flies into it large orb web. This spider is common in the South. Our most recent guide book list the scientific name as changed from Gasteracantha cancriformis to Gasteracantha elipsoides. This striking spider was once featured on an American postage stamp.
Oh! and speaking of monsters… I’ve attached a few pictures of a black widow I found crawling up my leg as I studied….=) Also set that one free… I really should have thought about my downstairs neighbors before chucking it out my 4th story window… I also had a bad termite problem in that apartment… but those pictures are just plain gross. I’ve sinced moved into a new apartment… So far… no bugs…
Thanks again!
Leah
Thank you for the Black Widow photos Leah. You are a brave girl.
Black widow picture + "bee" question
Hello,
A friend told me about your site – it’s great!! I’ve been reading with a mixture of the creeps and fascination. Thank you for the informative site and terrific pictures. Speaking of pictures, attached is one of a black widow if you’d like more for your collection. We found this one on our outdoor grill (hence the “ Kenmore” logo) – much bigger than we had expected.
I also have a question – unfortunately no picture since we have moved recently. At our old house in San Jose , we used to have “bees” visiting our flowers – except these were so big and lumbering we called them “Bee-52s.” Their bodies were huge and shiny black (guessing an inch long?). They were so large their buzz sounded amplified and when they landed on flowers the whole limb would sag down. They seemed to be solitary – if another one came along they’d lumber over and chase them. Was this a bee and if so what kind? It was definitely interested in flowers (it loved the ones on our potato bush).
Thanks very much!
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for the Black Widow Photo and also your kind letter. We believe your bee is a female Carpenter Bee.
Texas Spider
Hi!
First, let me compliment your website. Since I’ve moved to the South (I’m from California), I’ve seen some crazy bugs that are HUGE and your website has helped. This past summer we’ve moved from Louisiana to College Station, TX, and this spider was ready to welcome us on our apartment balcony. It was frighteningly huge. Is it the Golden Orb Weaving spider? It is a picture of the belly, I think. I didn’t have the heart (or nerves) to try and flip it over to get a picture to see the other side of it. Thanks!
Marissa
Hi Marissa,
Your spider is definitely one of the Orb-Weaving Argiopes, probably Argiope aurantia which sometimes goes by the common names Black and Yellow Argiope or Golden Orb Weaver, and occasionally Orange Orb-Weaver which gives some indication of the variability of the coloration and markings of individual specimens. They are distributed throughout the U.S. including California. They are truly impressive spiders.
