What kind of spider is this?
Location: Just south of Roseburg, OR
November 28, 2011 10:35 am
I was given an inflatable kayak. When I turned it over, this spider ran out. It was very aggressive, trying to chase me with its front legs lifted. I live in Douglas County, Oregon, and I have NEVER seen a spider like this before. There was no webbing or nest in the kayak. It was a little bigger than a half dollar.
Signature: Heather Goin
Folding Door Spider
Hi Heather,
This appears to us to be a Folding Door Spider, Antrodiaetus pacificus, which we identified on BugGuide. They are also known as Trapdoor Spiders. Females rarely leave their burrows, and they tend to have a longer lifespan. Males tend to leave their burrows at the onset of the autumn rains, and they wander about in search of a mate. Your individual is a male. Though his defense posture is threatening, Trapdoor Spiders are not considered a harmful species to humans, though it is possible they might bite. If that happened, the bite generally causes a brief local reaction.
Wow! Thanks for your speedy reply! Glad to know he isn’t harmful! 
¶ Posted 28 November 2011 § ‡ ° Tarantula, I believe
Location: Sierra Nevada foothills, northern California, at 2400 ft.
November 14, 2011 9:51 am
I found this approximately 1” spider in my bathroom last week (early November). I believe it is a Tarantula, but was amazed, as I am not sure how he got in, and we do get wet weather and occasional winter snow. I thought they were only found in hot, dry climates in California. Can you identify?
Signature: Rhonda L.
California Tarantula
Dear Rhonda,
Even at high altitudes, much of California is arid. It is our understanding that North American Tarantulas are in the genus Aphonopelma. According to BugGuide: “The Aphonopelma of North American are poorly known. Although many species have been described few specimens can be properly identified either by using available keys or by wading through species descriptions . Most identifiable specimens belong to species found in Mexico or Central America that are easily recognized by unique color patterns, such as that of A. seemanni . Correct identification of specimens collected within the United States is often suspect since determinations must be based on the process of elimination using collection dates and locality data in combination with coloration, coxal setation, and metatarsal scopulation .”
Tarantula
So, you agree this is a Tarantula (not a Trapdoor?). Thank you. R. Lawrence
Yes we do, but we would always defer to a true expert.
1
¶ Posted 15 November 2011 § ‡ ° Antrodiaetus found in Texas?
Location: Austin, TX
October 8, 2011 10:25 pm
This one was spotted in a patch of grass at the edge of a front yard facing a residential street. It was engaging ants (for food, perhaps). We were walking the dog when we spotted him (her?) and the dog almost ate it for breakfast. We spotted it shortly after a very light drizzle, in the midst of a Texas drought.
Signature: Alexis
Female Wafer Lid Trapdoor Spider
Good Morning Alexis,
First we want to commend you on your excellent sleuthing attempt to identify your Trapdoor Spider, however, we disagree with your genus identification. We believe this is a Wafer Lid Trapdoor Spider in the genus Eucteniza, based on photos posted to BugGuide. With Trapdoor Spiders, females have shorter legs and rarely leave their burrows. Males tend to wander, generally after a rain, in search of a mate. We doubt if she was trying to feed upon the ants, though the ants might have been the reason she fled her burrow. Perhaps there was enough rain to flood her out. Prey tend to be larger creatures, including crickets and similar ground dwelling insects and arthropods. We are very excited to have received your excellent images.
Wafer Lid Trapdoor Spider
Thank you, Daniel! We were very interested in finding out the identity of this spider because it was the largest spider we’ve seen outside of a terrarium.
I think you’re correct about the ants. They seemed to be bothering her more than she was bothering them. We have some aggressive fire ants in Texas. Perhaps the rain disturbed both of their homes.
Please feel free to add my photos to your collection. The exact location was 22nd Street and Leon Street, Austin, Texas (Travis County). Thanks again!
¶ Posted 09 October 2011 § ‡ ° Identify spider please
Location: South British Columbia, Canada. Okanagan Region.
September 24, 2011 4:18 pm
Hello,
We have these spiders come out in fall. Someone identified them as a type of trap door, related to tarantula. I would like another opinion please. They have ranged from not aggressive at all to being very aggressive. We have warm to hot summers and mild winters. They like to come inside our house when it gets cool out in fall and when maybe it is mating season?
Thank you,
Curt
Signature: Best wishes?
Folding Door Spider
Hi Curt,
We agree with the identification you received, however, we will take that a bit farther. Based on photos posted to BugGuide, we believe your spider is the same species as an unidentified species in the genus Antrodiaetus. There are several images on BugGuide from the Pacific Northwest with the same coloration. Folding Door Spiders are one group of Trapdoor Spiders. We also believe your individual is a male. Males often wander in search of mates while females remain in their burrows, hence it is less likely to encounter a female Trapdoor Spider. Despite your observation that some individuals act aggressively, Trapdoor Spiders are not considered a harmful species to humans.
Folding Door Spider
Hi Daniel,
Awesome, thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate the time you have taken.
This one in particular was very calm. When I find them in our house, I always catch them and let them go outside. It gives us an opportunity to have a good look at them as they’re quite interesting. Over the past ten years or so, we have run into several wandering around our back door and in our basement. In addition, we have a lot that look like different types of wolf spiders but many more that look like the hobo spider too. I find it hard to tell the difference.
Regarding the folding door spider, the first time I saw one was when our cat went to get a closer look at something. I saw the spider rear up and then run after our cat! I thought I was seeing things! It kind of looked like it was bent upward and its front legs were spread apart and in the air as it ran. In another instance, when I was trying to catch one in our house, it reared up like the one that chased after our cat and then jumped at me. I had the heebie jeebies for days. All the other ones we’ve caught have been calm. Maybe the ones that have seemed aggressive have not been, and are just after warmth or going towards vibration or something? Or maybe they were just very passionate? Seems too Hollywood.
Thank you for the information.
Curt
1
¶ Posted 25 September 2011 § ‡ ° Shiny black spider with a fuzzy brown abdomen
Location: Redmond, WA
September 19, 2011 1:45 am
Dear Bugman,
I was alarmed to discover a spider on the wall right next to me. I’m generally happy to see my arachnid housemates–the long-legged web weavers that hunt ants, move nice and slow, and stay put beneath the sink, but this one was downright scary looking by comparison and moved real fast. (It’s about the size of a nickel.) I took a couple pictures, went to adjust the zoom, then looked back and it was gone.
My usual policy is to squish things that might be dangerous and I can’t avoid when I can, before they hide under something. (Especially since I live in a studio–it disappeared about eight feet away from my bed, and right next to my dresser.) But since this spider has found a momentary reprieve, just how dangerous is it? Is it safe for me to capture and put outside, or even safe enough to leave alone altogether?
I’ll feel a lot better either not squishing something unnecessarily, or knowing that it was honest self defense. Thanks!
Signature: Tim
Trapdoor Spider
Hi Tim,
We wish your photo had better detail, because we believe this is a Trapdoor Spider, and it really resembles the California Trapdoor Spider, Bothriocyrtum californicum. While insects and spiders do not have any respect for state or country borders, they do have habitat restrictions that limit their ranges. We have only ever received reports of California Trapdoor Spiders from California, and all the sightings on BugGuide are also from California. This is not an aggressive species and they are not considered dangerous, however, BugGuide recently added this bit of trivia to the sorely lacking in information info page: “According to Guinness World Records, as of 2009, this is the strongest spider. It has been able to resist a force 38 times its own weight when defending its trapdoor. This equates to a man trying to hold a door closed while it is being pulled on the other side by a small jet plane!(1) Unfortunately, the Guinness book doesn’t mention if it’s the strongest North American spider or if it’s the strongest in the world. Also, one thing to think about is whether or not every spider’s strength has been measured. I guess one can safely say that the information is flawed in that aspect, but it still asserts the fact that these spiders ARE very strong.”
1
¶ Posted 19 September 2011 § ‡ ° What’s this bug, please?
Location: Central Virginia
September 18, 2011 4:22 pm
Looked and could not find this one id’d anywhere. Any idea what it might be?
Signature: Kkildea
Red Legged Purseweb Spider
Dear Kkildea,
Your photo has really brightened our day. This is a male Red Legged Purseweb Spider, Sphodros rufipes, and only the males have the signature red legs. Females rarely leave their pursewebs, and the males wander about in search of a mate. When we first ran a post on this species in 2003, we reported that they were considered rare and possibly endangered. Most of our reports come in June, so this September sighting is unusual. Purseweb Spiders are primitive spiders related to Tarantulas and Trapdoor Spiders, and they are not considered to be dangerous to humans.
1
Spider found in a pool in Atlanta
Location: Atlanta, GA
April 10, 2011 12:04 pm
Hi Bug Man,
Via facebook, my friend, Marla found this big ”boy.” What kid of spider is it? Seems big and scary. Is it?
Signature: Robin Payne, Snellville, GA
Trapdoor Spider
Hi Robin,
This appears to be a male Trapdoor Spider. Trapdoor Spiders live in burrows with camouflaged, hinged doors. They ambush unwary prey that happens to walk by. Trapdoor Spiders are closely related to Tarantulas, though they are much smaller. Trapdoor Spiders might bite if provoked, but the bite is relatively harmless. Female Trapdoor Spiders rarely leave their burrows, but male Trapdoor Spiders will wander in search of a mate. The California Trapdoor Spider frequently falls into swimming pools and the same may be true for other members of the group. We believe this may be a spider in the genus Myrmekiaphila based on photos posted to BugGuide. This posting on BugGuide indicates that the species may have a relationship to bodies of water.
Thanks so much. I sent your note to my friend and we are both glad to know what that big guy is.
¶ Posted 10 April 2011 § ‡ ° Location: South Africa, in captivity
March 6, 2011
Attached are pictures of my Brazilian Red and White molting. I had a few good pictures but you can decide which ones to include. There is one of the shed skin that shows the size of the spider.
Tarantula Molting
This is my Brazilian Red and White Tarantula molting. The scientific name seems to be Nhandu chromatus, but as you have mentioned I also use the web to do research and this may be wrong.
It almost seems as if she’s dead and a lot of inexperienced tarantula keepers do not realize this and many tarantulas have been thrown in the trash. If someone would like to have a pet tarantula, please do your homework before getting one. They are fairly easy to look after but be prepared to have a pet “rock”. They will sit for hours and do nothing and some borrow underground and you might see them 5 times a year. They are however fascinating and I love these misunderstood creatures.
I hope you enjoy these pictures of my beauty molting.
Regards,
Henk Kramer
P.S. Daniel, please let me know if I should rather submit through your site. I just struggle with uploading the pictures.
Thank you again for an awesome site! And I hope I am not flooding your mailbox.
Tarantula Exuvia
Hi Henk,
We are sorry to hear you are having problems uploading images. Thanks for sending all these photos of your very pretty Brazilian Tarantula. We had a difficult time selecting three images that are representative of the molting process.
Freshly Molted Tarantula
Addendum: We decided to add one more image of your freshly molted Tarantula playing dead.
Molted Tarantula playing dead
¶ Posted 07 March 2011 § ‡ ° 
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