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Argiope
aurantia
(Ides of March 2005) yellow garden spider
Not a lover of spiders so you can imagine my alarm to find
this one dangling from the hem of my skirt. Fortunately it
reappeared the following morning and we were able to get these
photos. It was discovered near Mahone Bay on the
South Shore of Nova Scotia. Despite numerous e-mails to my
woodsy friends it went unidentified until I found your site.
Can you tell me what the range of this spider is and how commom
they are here? I've never seen anything like it.
Shauna Hatt
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada
Hi Shauna,
Yes, the Argiope aurantia can be alarming, but they are beautiful
spiders. They range throughout the United States and in Southern
Canada. I am not exactly sure how common they are in your
area. I am very happy you had the wherewithall to get that
beautiful photo after your startling first encounter.
Female
Domestic Spider
(Ides of March 2005) What is this guy?
A colony of these spiders has set up shop in a crawlspace
under a cottage on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, and seem
to be wintering over. It is a damp and cold area (just
above freezing). There are perhaps 6 of them, most having
egg sacks near them. I haven't seen anything like them
before!
Thanks
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Your gal is a female Domestic Spider, also commonly called
a House Spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum. These small harmless
Comb-Footed Spiders are common around the home, hence their
common name. Your photo nicely illustrates the large and bulbous
abdomen with its cream coloration and dark blotches. They
spin irregular webs.
Green Lynx Spiderlings
(03/14/2005) Baby spiders, bee, grasshopper
Hi! Thought you might enjoy these pix of: newly
hatched linx spiders (hard to tell on small picture, but when
I zoom in they look just like Mom), cute bee (maybe you can
ID this one?), and a big grasshopper on a cactus. Thanks
for the wonderful site.
Best Wishes,
Donna in San Diego
 
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the images of the Green Lynx Spiderlings.
Baby Wolf Spider
(03/13/2005) help!
Hi! We have a swampy yard that we are trying to remedy
(in south eastern West Virginia) and have put in a drainage
system of pipes and gravel throughout the entire back yard.
Now, in the winter/spring, we are INFESTED with these spiders
(attached). They are really small and with every step
you take in the grass, about 50-100 move with you. What
are they and how do we get them to leave????
Thank you!!!!
Christi
Hi Christi,
You have baby Wolf Spiders. They are hunting spiders and do
not build webs. The young are sometimes extremely plentiful
in the spring as you well know. Soon natural selection and
survival of the fittest will occur and they will feed on one
another. The population will then be in check.
Orchard
Spider
(03/11/2005) 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.
Possibly
Male Araneus and Silver Argiope
(03/10/2006) Two spiders?
Hi Bugman. I have two pictures for you. The first is a diminutive
spider I spotted on my back fence above my compost bin
this morning. Can you identify it and tell me a little about
it? I've never seen one shaped like this.
The second photo is gratuitous. I believe you may have received
photos of similar spiders before, but it's such a gorgeous
bug I thought I'd send it anyway. I took the picture in Belize
in Nov. 2003. Can you confirm the species?
Thanks for your help!
Ryan in Northern CA
Hi Ryan,
Your Belize spider is a female Silver Argiope, Argiope argentata.
It is a tropical species which is also found in the Southern
Continental states. Your small spider I am less sure about.
It is difficult to tell based on your photo. It might be a
male orb weaver which are often smaller and differently colored
than the more commonly seen females.
Male and Female Huntsman Spiders
(03/07/2005) 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.
Maimed Crab Spider
(03/05/2005) 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.
Jumping Spider
(03/01/2005) 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.
Crablike
Spiny Orb Weaver
(02/09/2005) 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.
Crab
Spider
(02/08/2005) 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.
Banded Argiope
(02/06/2005) 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 Weaver
(02/03/2005) 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.
Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver
(01/15/2005) 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.
Black Widow Photos
(12/21/2004) 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
(12/13/2004) 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.
Golden
Orb Weaver
(12/09/2004) 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.
Tarantula
(11/15/2004) Tarantula?
I hope you can venture a guess on this large spider, which
turned up in my living room in Sonoma County California this
morning. The picture is not great, but that's a Pretenders
LP cover. It was not particularly hairy, but did have lots
of small spiny protrusions on the legs, and some fine cinamon
colored hairs on some upper leg parts. Otherwise, all just
sort of charcoal color, with no obvious markings, with the
exception of a sort of radiation symbol mark on its thorax
(not abdomen). At the end of the abdomen were two distinct
downward pointing hooks, resembling fangs. This guy was ready
for a fight.
Thanks, and once again, sorry for the poor picture, but I
was hoping that region size and description would help.
Stefen Soltysiak
Director of Education
Rodney Strong Vineyards
Hi Stefen,
You shouldn't be so harsh about the quality of your photograph.
What is lacks in sharpness, it more than makes up for in creativity.
You can't miss with the Pretenders. You sure do have a Tarantula.
Tarantulas belong to the family Theraphosidae. About 30 species
of Tarantulas live within the United States, for the most
part in the arid Southwest. Many California species belong
to the genus Aphonopelma. Tarantulas often live in colonies
in burrows in the ground. They often loose much of their hair
just before molting. Though they rarely bite and have weak
venom, it is possible for dislodged hairs to cause inflamation
if they become imbedded in skin or eyes, a possible defense
mechanism. The downward pointing hooks on the abdomen you
mention are actually spinnerettes for spinning silk.
Male California Trap-Door Spider
(11/11/2004) UNKNOWN SPIDER-STH CALIFORNIA.
HI BUGMAN,
This spider was found in a pool in Calabasas Southern California.
I have seen 3 other website site images of this spider, all
found in pools in Southern California. No one has managed
to identify it so far?
Cheers,
Derek.
Hi Derek,
Just last week, our neighbors Jeannie and Ayn delivered a
similar spider to our Mt. Washington doorstep. It was found
in their pool. You both, and I assume the three other people
online as well, have a male California Trap-Door Spider, Bothriocyrtum
californicum. The males have the reddish abdomen and longer
legs. Females are much stouter spiders with shorter legs.
They build burrows with trap-doors and ambush prey that wanders
past. They prefer sunny, dry, south-facing hillsides. The
males are much shorter lived than the females who rarely leave
their burrows. Males have the longer legs so they can travel
in search of a mate. Often they meet an untimely end by drowning
in swimming pools. Rains seem to trigger the mating activity.
Cross
Spider
(11/11/2004) is this a garden spider?
Your website is great. This spider has grown all summer
with webs starting from one end of our deck to the other,
we sat and watched him for a few hours one night making his
web. He is grown very very large. I am hoping
he or she is a garden spider, cross spider or barn spider
are they all the same?
Thank you so much
Elizabeth Jolly
Hi Elizabeth,
You have a Cross Spider. Garden Spiders, Cross Spiders and
Barn Spiders are all members of the same group known collectively
as Orb Weavers.
Kaira
species? Maybe
(11/10/2004) Spider identification
Hi,
I found this spider and its egg sac in my flower garden.
The eggs are light orange in color. I have searched
the internet in hopes of identification. No luck!
Any help you can give me will be appreciated.
Lorrie
 
Hi Lorrie,
We turned to our very old copy of Comstock's Spider Book for
this one. We believe it is one of the orb weavers from the
genus Kaira. When the book was printed in 1948, Kaira alba
was reported in Southern states. The book states: "The abdomen
is subglobose, with a hump on each side at the base; each
hump bears numerous conical tubercles." The black and white
photo looks very similar. Sorry, that is the best we can do.
Wolf
Spider
(11/09/2004) Can you tell me what kind of spider?
I found this spider on my bathroom floor this morning. I
captured it in a cup and now I'm not sure what to do with
it. I don't really have the heart to kill it, but
I also don't really want it saying hello to me everyday when
I go into the bathroom. I live in Princeton, NJ.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
-Mike Tanasy
Hi Mike,
I hope you released the Wolf Spider outside where it can hunt
down injurious insects.
Giant
Crab Spider
(11/09/2004)
Sadly, we accidentally deleted the original letter from
J. Gavin at the Flamingo Condominiums in some Spanish speaking
country that accompanied this image of a Giant Crab Spider.
J found this spider in the lobby. We are not sure of the exact
species, but we do know that Giant Crab Spiders do not spin
webs and are often welcome in tropical homes because they
eat roaches.
Green
Lynx with eggs and Silver Argiope
(11/06/2004) 4 bug pix, ID for spider?
Hi!
Sent some of these earlier, but got an error message so I'm
trying again. First one is a caterpillar found on my passion
flower vine, second one is a katydid in the basil. third is
a spider (orb weaver?), the last is my
favorite spider picture, great green and brown coloring. Can
you ID the
last one? Thanks! Love your site, found it when
I was trying to ID a scary
bug which turned out to be a Jerusalem cricket.
Donna B.
San Diego
 
Hi Donna,
We are happy to identify your Green Lynx Spider female tending
to her eggsac. This is one of our favorite spiders. We are
thrilled to get the other spider photo though, which is a
Silver Argiope, Argiope argentata. It is the first photo of
this species we have received. It ranges from Florida to California.
The female hangs head down in her orb web. The much smaller
male twitches the web of the female to see if it is safe to
approach for mating. He is often eaten.
Silver Argiope side view
Thanks for your quick reply and ID! Here's a side view of
the Silver Argiope. I think its eating another green bug which
you can see a bit of in the first picture.
Donna B.
Thanks for the follow-up photo Donna. The green bug is
a tree hopper.
Unidentified
Orb Weaver
(11/06/2004) black and orange in Virginia
I found this crawling across the blacktop at my house.
I've been led to believe bright colors indicate poison, but,
after reading your website, I have found that isn't necessarily
true. I saw some awful scary looking harmless spiders.
Do you know what this is?
Sue
Hi Sue,
Sorry I can't give you an exact species, but your orb weaver
is harmless. We hope it is still alive.
(11/05/2004)
Spider identification
Hello!
I’ve been trying to identify a spider that I’ve
seen in our yard, and stumbled on your terrific website.
I’ve attached a photo. It is fairly large (I’d
estimate between 3/4” and 1” from head to tail),
it moves quickly, and it seems to have good vision –
it sees me coming from a meter or two away and changes its
path to avoid me. I live in New Mexico.
Twice this week, I’ve seen one of these spiders eating,
or at least killing, another large spider. First, I
saw one carrying off the carcass of a black widow, and the
second time I saw one dragging away the body of one of its
own species (the attached photo shows it with its kin in its
clutches). In both cases, the spider was carrying the
body from one place to another.
What kind of spider is this? Is it likely to bite people?
What’s the effect of its bite on humans? I have
a very young child, so I’m thinking about the possible
dangers lurking in our garden. (But I like spiders,
and don’t want to kill them unless they’re a danger.
Plus, we have quite a few black widows around our yard and
garage, so I’d just as soon have a critter around that
likes to hunt them).
Thanks!
Jon Van Hoose
Hi Jon,
Your spider is a Jumping Spider from the family Salticiidae.
She looks like a large female. These spiders do not build
webs, but hunt. You are correct that they have very good vision.
While it is possible for many spiders to bite, they are not
really harmful. They are truly fascinating spiders.
Araneus
Orb Weaver
(11/04/2004) id question
Hi I photographed this spider on my deck in NC. He
moved from screen door to window to eaves. Could it be a garden
orb?
Thanks,
Bill McDearmon
Hi Bill,
You definitely have an Araneus Orb Weaver spider.
Cat
Faced Spider
(10/13/2004) SpiderHey!
I was really hoping to find my mystery spider on your page.
Since it was not there, Here it is! Please help. This
one is really ugly (beautiful?) -- scary looking (since I
have 3 small children). Thus, I felt compelled to put it to
rest after taking the photos. I have lived in Salt Lake, Utah
area for 7 years and have never once seen anything even resembling
this spider. Further questions are: I'm assuming since I have
seen one, and it appeared mature (about the size of a walnut
when curled up, the butt (abdomen, thorax?) is about the size
of a garbanzo bean.) there must be more around. I have lived
in this house for 7 months and this is the first I have seen
of this type of spider. It was outdoors. Should I expect to
see more of them or is this a unique situation. Does it live
underground? In trees? Fields? Anyways. I guess any information
you could give me on it would be helpful and once identified
I could do some research on my own.
IT appears to RESEMBLE a verrucosa type. But the legs appear
much "healthier" in size. After reading everything
on your site I feel bad about "getting rid of" it.
I was in a hurry and didn't want it to get away if it was
dangerous for my children. Please forgive me.
Thanks,
B. Clark
Salt Lake City, Utah
 
Hi Benjamin
First, I must appologize for the lengthy delay. Sometimes
we can identify something quickly and other times a very circuitous
route brings us to an answer. Just yesterday, I got a letter
from young Nicholas inquiring about a Catspider. I had never
heard of it. His dad wrote back thanking me and providing
a link that lead to the identification of your spider, Araneas
gemmoides, the Cat Faced Spider. Here is Nicholas' dad's letter:
(01/20/2005) Dear Bugman, What my son is referring to
is a Cat Spider, aka Cat-face Spider, and what this site
is calling Araneus gemmoides. There are never very many, but
we occasionally get one living on our porch. They create big,
beautiful and strong orb webs. As a kid, we called the one
on our porch a "pet". I seem to remember hundreds of baby
cat spiders hatching all at once. We will be sure to send
you a picture if we see another one this coming summer. Thank
you for taking the time to answer my son's questions. He's
a bit of a young spider & bug fanatic, and always has at least
one tank (usually more) with a spider inside - he even kept
a black widow for about 3 weeks over the summer, which was
both fascinating and scary for us as parents.
Best Regards,
Nick's Dad
Spectacled Spider
(10/11/2004) pretty spider
This beauty was found high on the wall in our bedroom today.
My husband "rescued" it and relocated it back
outside. Haven't found it online as yet. Can you identify
for me?
Thanks!
Jan
Hi Jan,
Our old Comstock Spider Book identifies this as a color variety
of Aranea gigas conspicellata known as the Spectacled Spider.
It is one of the Orb Weavers
Araneus
species
(10/11/2004) Hello,
I found this on my patio wall and it looks like one that I
stepped on last month in Scottsdale, AZ. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Kelli Benne
Hi Kelli,
It is one of the Araneus species of Orb Weavers. Harmless.
Cross
Spider or Garden Spider
(10/11/2004) what am I?
Hi,
Now that I have looked through your site and feel completely
crawly, can you ID this awesome spider? My son found it and
2 others in our yard and has taken to tossing worms into the
webs to feed them. This by the way is really cool to watch.
Anyways, is it one I should be weary of? Thanks in advance.
Barbie
Wallingford CT
Hi Barbie,
Your Cross Spider is also known as a Garden Spider, Araneus
diadematus. It is a harmless European import.
Banana
Spider or Giant Crab Spider
(10/11/2004)
I live in the central west coast of Florida (near Tampa bay)
and I found this spyder in the bathroom high up in the corner.
The wife says she thinks it's a poisonous bananna spyder (we
do have quite a few bannana trees) because she say's they
jump, I've never witnessed this. But this is not the first
I've seen these. But never do I see a nest making
me think it's a "wolf" or a "fishing spyder".
We do have large web making spyders and the one in question
spins a web but, I'm still doubious.
The doubting spyder houser....
May the love of God be with you and yours,
Respectfully,
Glenn T. Ennis
Hi Glenn,
Your wife is partly correct. You have a Giant Crab Spider,
probably Heteropoda venatoria, a female. They are sometimes
called Banana Spiders because they are sometimes imported
with bunches of bananas and people mistake them for tarantulas.
The species if found worldwide in tropical regions, but is
also common in Florida. They often enter homes where they
are content to feed on cockroaches, hence they are beneficial.
The female will carry her egg sac around with her until the
spiderlings hatch. They are harmless to humans.
Agelena
naevia
(10/11/2004)
this spider ran out of a crack in my bathroom ....
Looks like Agelena naevia, one of the larger grass spiders.
Argiope
trifasciata
(10/10/2004) San Jose Spider
Hi
I found this spider in my back yard in San Jose, it's very
pretty but a bit scary for me. Can you tell me what
it is? I hope it stays outside and doesn't try and get
inside now the days are cooling down.
thanks
Carolyn Cable
Hi Carolyn,
You have one of the Argiope Orb Weavers, Argiope trifasciata,
the Banded Garden Spider. This genus of spiders is harmless,
though might bite if provoked.
Golden
Huntsman Spider
(10/09/2004) large spider can't find it in my book
Dear Bugman
This spider was outside on a glass window in Sedona Arizona
on 10/7/04. It's body was about the size of a elongated quarter. The
legs made it at least 3"+ across. It seemed to only have
6 legs although perhaps there is another small pair up by
the head. The underneath was a creamy white with
a black line around its spinerets. I tried to find it on the
Internet and in books I have but I could not identify it especially
the legs. Thanks for your help.
Liza Vernet in Sedona
Hi Liza,
Our Audubon Guide to Insects and Spiders has a good photo
of the Golden Huntsman Spider, Olios fasciculatus, one of
the Giant Crab Spiders. These are large spiders. They are
found in New Mexico and Utah, west to California. It builds
no organized web, but wanders in slow search of prey. Your
specimen must have lost some legs in an altercation.
Jumping
Spider
(10/09/2004) What's that spider?
I looked though your spider pics and couldn't find this one
so I'm sending a couple of pictures. This guy had the
most impressive fangs I've ever seen. I found him drowned
in a dish at a garage sale and bought the dish to get the
spider. Crazy huh? So how bad would it hurt to
be bitten by one of these?
Kay Herndon / Spicewood, Texas
Hi Kay,
I love your garage sale story. You have a species of Jumping
Spider from the family Salticidae. It is one of the Phidippus
species. Many of the Jumping Spiders are brightly colored,
and there is a group that has flourescent green fangs like
your photo. We haven't heard of anyone being bitten by a Jumping
Spider but we supppose the possibility does exist.
Crab Spider
(10/09/2004) Spider?
First, this is an awesome sight. I have spent hours looking
at the pictures and finding out about all these bugs I didn't
know existed. As for my bug...I live in Los Angeles and found
this little guy on my counter while I was putting some flowers
in a vase. I think it's a spider but it appears to only have
6 legs and I thought spiders have 8. It did however release
some sort of silk when I was trying to get it onto a branch.
It sat on this flower for a while with it's two long front
legs stretched out. It also seemed to be eating something
off the flower.
What is it?
Thanks!
Elena DiMeo
Hi Elena,
You have a species of Crab Spider, Family Thomisidae. They
are sometimes called Flower Spiders because they wait for
prey on blossoms. Here is a good site
with many great Crab Spider photos.
Marbled
Orb Weaver
(10/08/2004) Spider Identification Request
Hi, I love your site. I stumbled upon it while trying
to see if this is a harmless spider since three of them have
appeared on my deck. From reading your site, I am guesing
a harmless golden orb. What do you think?
Thanks,
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
Your spider is not a Golden Orb Weaver, but a Marbled Orb
Weaver, Araneus marmoreus. They range throughout the U.S.
to Alaska. It hides in a retreat of the web and will drop
to the ground if approached. It usually builds its web on
low shrubs and in high grasses.
Wolf
Spider
(10/08/2004) what kind of spider is this?
Hi; could you tell me what kind of spider this is .
I found it in my yard in Dorr MICHIGAN.
Im KEEPING IT AS A PET . I've had it for about a month.
It likes crickets.
katrina
Hi Katrina,
It looks like a Wolf Spider from the Family Lycosidae. They
live on the ground and hunt prey at night. Female spiders
care for their young.
Fishing
Spider
(10/03/2004) Hi
Can you help with this giant spider we found at a friends
house, In northern Ontario. The spider was at least 4 inches
from leg tip to tip. I have seen a similar looking spider
on your site called a fishing spider. Could this also be one?
Thanks
T Lacombe
Hi T.,
We believe you are correct in the Fishing Spider theory. Looks
like Dolomedes tenebrosus, one of the largest members of the
genus. They can be identified by the well-marked black chevrons
on the posterior half of the abdomen, with a light brown spot
at each end of each chevron. Your photo shows these marking
quite well.
Araneus
species
(10/03/2004) New Visitor
Greetings,
I was wondering if you recognize this spider that has recently
appeared around my house. It is about one and a half inches
from the end of one leg to another and is currently residing
in New Hampshire. Thanks for any info!
John
Hi John,
You have an Orb Weaving Spider from the genus Araneus. Sorry
I can't give you an exact species name. She is a female and
will probably be laying eggs soon if she hasn't already. She
is harmless.
Cross
Spider
(10/01/2004) what's that spider?
believe this to be a golden orb but not sure...found 10.01.04
in Worcester Massachusetts
Not a Golden Orb Weaver, but a relative called the Cross
Spider, Araneus diadematus. It is a European import also known
as the Garden Spider.
Unidentified
Orb Weaver
(09/30/2004) whats my spider?
Hi, I saw this particular spider last year around this time
and this year I see what seems to be the same spider as before.
What kind of spider is this and is it poisonous?
While all spiders have poison glands, your unidentified
Orb Weaver from the genus Araneus poses no threat to you,
however, it does seem adept at capturing and dispatching small
winged insects.
Spectacled
Spider
(09/10/2004) spider identification
Hello,
I found this spider in my back yard in CT hiding in the corner
of my daughters swing set behind a beautiful web. Can
you identify it?
Best Regards,
Mike
Hi Mike,
You definitely have an Orbweaver from the genus Araneus, and
we believe it to be the Spectacled Spider, Aranea gigas conspicellata.
The black markings on your spider are very pronounced. She
is a female and harmless. Thanks for sending the beautiful
photo.
Green Lynx Spider Having a Snack? You
bet it is.
(09/10/2004) Hello from Houston Tx
We caught this cool pic of what I believe to be a Green Lynx
munching on a leaf footed bug (we have a bunch of leaf footed
bugs on our young pecan tree) We live in a suburb of Houston
(Katy Tx).
We moved into our home about a year ago and we have been trying
to make our large backyard into a sort of wildlife haven for
our 4 children to enjoy and learn . We planted Butterfly weed,
morning Glory Passion flower, and all sorts of other flowers
and foilage. The Butterfly , Hummingbird, and Tree frog
response has been fantastic! The unexpected insect population
has been even more fascinating! I never cared for "Bugs",
but over the summer I have developed a big interest! Seeing
creatures that I have never seen before.
A couple of weeks ago we found a Assassin bug on one of our
vines. Iwas researching on the internet trying to Identify
this creature to see if it was harmful to our vegetable garden,
when I stumbled upon your site. Since then I have been a daily
WHAT'S THAT BUG visitor, and my wife has used it for reference
in the classroom! (She is an Environmental Science Teacher
at the High School level) Needless to say , I credit your
extremely Cool site for sparking this interest in me (at the
ripe old age of 37), and my wife is thankful for anything
that keeps me off the golf course!
Thanks
Tony Fossee
Hi Tony,
We get many letters that make us feel good about our humble
site, but yours is one of the best. I am so happy to hear
we are helpful and have had a positive influence. Yes, your
spider is a Green Lynx, Puecetia viridans. It is our favorite
spider. I once saw one leap about a foot to capture a butterfly,
which it missed, but I was still impressed. If you are a recent
visitor to our site, you should know that we usually go offline
about mid month due to heavy traffic.
On a side note, we were just approached to do a limited edition
What's That Bug? calendar, and we would love to include your
letter and photo. Most of our favorite letters are so old
we cannot even contact the senders, but I wanted you to have
a heads up. Thanks again for the warm letter and have a nice
day
Daniel
Orb
Weaver
(09/09/2004)
I found your site after browsing for some more information
regarding a spider I noticed today. After some research,
I found that it is a jeweled araneus. A couple of the
photos, however, turned out quite nicely and I thought you
might want to use them for your site because of the relatively
unusual coloration of this spider. Its legs were striped
and bright red, and its abdomen very yellow. This specimen
was about an inch long, and after photographing it I let it
go on its merry way, hopefully to devour some of the mosquitos
that plague our Kansan backyard.
-Brandon
Hi Brandon,
Thank you for the photos. We are not entirely sure you have
a Jeweled Araneus, but it is some species of Orb Weaver.
Fishing Spider
(09/08/2004) Spider ID?
Hi.
I found this guy on the wall of my bike shed. We
found the same sort of spider, only even bigger, on the floor
in our basement a few months ago. They don't seem
to be associated with webs, and they don't seem to be great
climbers. They're clearly more comfortable on the
ground. And they're INCREDIBLY fast. This
-- with the two sets of front legs together -- seems to be
a common resting position.
This one was 2.5-3" from leg tip to leg tip. (The
one in the basement was 3.5-4") We live in Saint Paul,
MN. We've been in our house for years, and we've
never seen them before. What ARE these guys?
Thanks for your help.
-Liza
Hi Liza,
Beautiful photo of a Fishing Spider, genus Dolomedes, probably
Dolomedes tenebrosus. It is found in wooded areas, often near
water but it can also stray far from ponds and streams. If
disturbed, it can dive below the surface of the water and
remain submerged for 30 minutes or longer. It can catch small
fish, hence the common name. Though fearsome appearing, they
are harmless.
Rabid Wolf Spider
(09/08/2004) Can you help id this spider?
Wasn't sure if this was a spotted fishing spider, wolf spider
or something else?
Rick
My Rick
I admire your courage getting close enough to a Rabid Wolf
Spider, Lycosa rabida, to place a $5 bill. The spider, though
large and fearsome appearing, is actually harmless. It is
found in woods and meadows among litter and on low foliage
from Oklahoma north to Nebraska, east to Maine, and south
to Florida. People fear the bite, hence the common name. A
closely related species in Europe, Lycosa tarentula, is responsible
for a crazy legend stating the only way to survive the bite
is to dance the wildly provocative tarentella.
Golden Orb Weaver
(09/08/2004) A beautiful Creature
Dear Bugman [Daniel]:
Thank you so much for your informative website. Thanks
to your insight, I can now sleep at night, and continue to
watch this amazing creature for as long as she wants to inhabit
our garden. My 4 year old daughter pointed it out
to her mother while weeding the garden recently. We
were aprehensive until I found that the Golden Orb Weaver
in our garden is harmless. Her abdomen would almost
cover a nickle I guess and she is about 1 1/2" long when
her legs are arranged top to bottom. I hope you enjoy
the attached photo. This is the first time we have encountered
this spider in our 5 years in this residence. We live in the
rural area of Georgetown, Ontario, Canada about 25 miles west
of downtown Toronto. By the way, do I have to be worried
about being overrun with weaver babies??? Many thanks, and
kindest regards,
Peter J. Solomon
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your beautiful letter and gorgeous photo. I
am so happy you spared the lovely female Argiope aurantia.
I don't think you need to fear being overrun by spiders. We
had a female in our garden several years ago who laid eggs,
and we haven't had a mature specimen since. The spiders balloon
away after hatching, catching the wind with silk lines and
flying away, dispersing great distances. The adults, on the
contrary, are not mobile, and will continue to make a web
in the same vacinity night after night.
Male
Green Lynx Spider
(09/07/2004) Green Spider on prickley pear fruit
I live in montebello, California and it's been warm here so
there's been a lot of bugs out recently, I just took this
picture tonight of this spider on a prickley pear fruit from
a catus he was maybe about 2 inches legs in all and green
with brown legs can you tell me if it's poisen's and what
kind it is and what is does???? Thanks.
Sincerely,
Darcy Jimenez
Hi Darcy,
Your photo shows a male Green Lynx Spider. We usually get
photos of females which are much larger. These are hunting
spiders. They leap at their prey. Their green coloration helps
to hide them in foliage. They are often found on flowers waiting
for flying insects.
Arrow-Head Spider, Verrucosa arenata
(09/05/2004) white triangle on back?
Hello,
Your site is the most comprehensive collection Ive seen so
far. I live in North Carolina. Something has been biting me
(but not my wife?) at night. The bites are not painful but
can be really itchty at times. I found this spider crawling
in our sheets this evening. Given its very distinctive white
triangle on the back and striped legs I thought the ID would
be cake. After looking at many sites, including yours, I have
yet to find a match. We have seen many different kinds of
spiders in and around our house so this one may be unrelated
to the bites. Still Id just like to know what we've got here.
Thanks
Paul
Hi Paul,
We love getting good photos of new species for our site. My
old Comstock Spider Book calls your spider Verrucosa arenata
and you have a female. Some authors call the genus Aranea.
The abdomen is distinctive and triangular in outline. The
large triangular spot can be white, yellow, pink or green.
It is a Southern species that is occasionally found as far
north as Long Island. It is probably not the cause of your
wife's bites. A Google search turned up a site
that had this information: "The arrow-head spider, Verrucosa
arenata, has three distinct color forms, which occur in the
same habitat. Our goal is to understand the ecological and
behavioral factors that allow for the maintenance of this
polymorphism. More specifically, we are interested in understanding
how predation (e.g., crypsis) and assortative mating maintains
these color forms."
Possibly
Male Cross Spider
(09/06/2004) Spider ?
I have visited your interesting site, but I need your help.
Yesterday I have made a macro of a spider and I would like
to know its scientific & common name... We are in France
/ Europe. In advance thank you very much for your help.
Christian
Hi Christian,
With the Orb Web Builders, the female spider is often several
times larger than the male and it is the female, with her
longer lifespan, that attracts most of the attention, including
photographic documentation in books and on websites. I believe,
though I am not sure, that your spider is a male Orb Web Builder
in the genus Araneus, possibly the Cross Spider, Araneus diadematus.
This spider is native to Europe, but has been introduced to
the U.S. We just got two photos of females yesterday.
Ed. Note: Check out Christian's website.
Cross
Spider
(09/05/2004) Spider by bedroom window
Dear Bugman,
I’ve just discovered this scary spider outside my bedroom
window. Is it poisonous or harmful to either me or my
cat? I have just moved to Marin county in Northern California,
and my back yard is home to a startling number of spider webs.
Could you tell me if there are other spiders I should
beware of in this area? We have friends who have small
children. Thanks so much for your knowledge and
information.
Hilary
Hi Hilary,
Your Orb Weaver is a Garden Spider or Cross Spider, Araneus
diadematus. It can be identified by the median row of diamond-shaped
silvery spots on the abdomen traversed by a dark line, hence
the common name Cross Spider. According to our Audubon Field
Guide this species was introduced from Europe and ranges in
the East. Despite California's strict produce importation
laws, new species seem to get introduced. Luckily, this is
not a harmful species. The spider builds a large orb web and
hangs face down waiting for flying and jumping insects. It
is found in city and suburban hardens between homes and shrubs.
An unusual habit is that the spider eats the remains of its
web and spins a new web each night. Your dangerous spiders
are Black Widows and Violin Spiders.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you so much for your interesting reply. We will re-locate
the spider to some bushes outside of our yard. Although,
it has been kind of fun watching it for a few days. It's
amazing how the web can withstand such strong winds.
Hilary
Another
Cross Spider
(09/05/2004) Southern Ontario Spider ID
Ran into this tough looking guy in my Garage this morning.
Been trying to track it down, but have been unable to as of
yet. Just a little larger than a dime as you
can see by the photo. Any ideas on what kind of spider it
is?
-Chris
Hi Chris,
Yours is the second photo of a Cross Spider, Araneus diadematus,
that we received today.
Seven
Spiders from Dotty!!
(09/05/2004) Hi:
I just discovered your terrific web site while trying to identify
some spiders I’ve seen in my yard. I’m sending
7 images in two different emails. Is it OK to send several
at once? I didn’t find any guidelines regarding submittal.
I’ve tried and tried to identify these spiders, without
any luck. I can send any of these images in a higher resolution
if you need them for identification. Thank you greatly for
your help.Thanks. I live in Wichita, Ks,, and keep my yard
in a naturalized state. BTW, I'm very impressed with your
(tactful) efforts to educate those who have (usually out of
ignorance) killed the species in the photos they send. I have
made it my goal to learn about everything that lives in my
yard (flora and fauna). In the process, I've grown to love
them all, even the scariest-looking insects. Problem is, I
search and search and just can't find any identification for
many of them.
Regards,
Dotty
Hi Dotty,
Identifying all 7 of your spiders is a daunting task. We will
try to get them all for you. This one is easy since we identified
it last year. Herpyllus vasifer is found under stones and
rubbish on the ground, between boards, and in crevices in
dark places. It runs with exceeding rapidity. It is widely
distributed in the U.S.
The photo above is probably a Running Crab Spider from the
genus Philodromus.
Marbled Orb Weaver
(09/05/2004) what's this spider?
Hi:
Found this guy hanging out on our siding. Never seen
one like this in our area. We live in Upper Michigan
.
Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark,
It appears you have a photo of a Marbled Orb Weaver, Araneus
marmoreus. These are shy spiders that hide in a retreat, only
emerging when prey has been snagged in their web. It is found
throughout the United States, north to Alaska.
Squashed
Fishing Spider
(09/05/2004) Wondering
I found your website after finding and killing this wonder
in my yard. The body is almost an inch long and the
legs are just over an inch long. His smaller top part of his
body reminds me of a crab as you can see it's a little flatter.
I'm in North west Georgia and found him on the side of my
house. I found no web near him. I was petrified
at first then after finding your site I feel bad that it might
be perfectly harmless. Please let me know in case I
come across more then I can be more informed.
Big doesn't necessarily mean bad.
Thanks,
Annette Fox
Hi Annette,
Yes, big does not mean bad. You have squashed what appears
to be a Whitish Dolomedes, Doloemedes albinus, or possibly
a color variation on one of the other Dolomedes. These are
sometimes called Fishing Spiders or Nursery Web Spiders. They
will not harm you. They do not build webs to capture prey,
just to lay eggs.
Another Araneas Orb Weaver
(09/04/2004) barn spider?
Hello!
We have a few of these in our front yard in North Carolina
only at night only in the Fall. They spin gigantic webs (roughly
2x2 feet )--but with a very strong anchor webbing that often
goes 10-15 feet to the web itself. The spiders are large with
a big abdomen,and they have hairs on their legs (as can be
seen in the picture). By morning, the webs are gone completely
and the spiders can't be found. They seem somewhat like barn
spiders, but the fine-scale concentric web weaving seems different.
Let us know what you think they are.
--Zab
Hi Zab,
Tha Barn Spider, Araneas cavaticus, is just one of a large
genus known collectively as Orb Weavers. Most have the behavior
you describe, including building a large web nightly, and
hiding by day. I can't commit to an exact species in your
case.
Araneas Orb Weaver
(09/04/2004) spider
Greetings-
This spider has been building a spectacular web outside my
parent's house for the last 2 weeks. Its body is about
1 inch long (head to tail), and about 2 inches from tip of
front legs to tip of back legs. It has spots on its
back that aren't obvious in this photo- it builds its web
each night and hides during the day so we have had trouble
taking its picture! It is a magnificent spider, but
we haven't seen anything like this before (in Cupertino, California)
and I we are wondering if it is introduced from somewhere
else.
your help will be much appreciated!
cheers,
Karah
Hi Karah,
Your Orb Weaver, Araneas species, is a common spider in the
United States as well as other parts of the world. The spiders
spin a new web each night.
Cobweb Spider
(09/03/2004) Hi Bugman,
Could you help me identify this spider. We have these
every year, usually from spring to fall and they seem to enjoy
the bathroom more than anywhere else. Some of them are
small and other very large measuring about 3 - 5 inches of
leg span. They come back very quickly, it doesn't matter
how many times we remove them and clean up after them.
They are back within a couple of days. Sometimes we
have up to 20 at a time. They aren't bothersome.
They seem to like to use hair and thread in their webs and
I never see them catch food and eat. What are they?
This particular one seems to have a big ball she / he is holding
onto with little bumps all over. Is that an egg sack.
I have searched for many years trying to find this spider
but have had no luck. We live in the Northwestern mountains
of New Jersey. I have a few other spiders that I have
yet to get pictures of and will post them also when I do.
Thanks,
Kathy
 
Hi Kathy,
Search no further. You have Cobweb Spiders, Pholcus phalangioides.
These are domestic spiders, often found in the bathroom. Sometimes
when the web is disturbed, the spider gyrates wildly. That
does appear to be an eggsac. One of your photos also shows
a discarded skin from a prior molt.
Argiope
aurantia
(09/01/2004) Writing Spider?
I live in Hickory, NC (Western NC), and this spider just appeared
by our front door last Saturday. Sunday morning, spider
and web were gone. Monday, I found him about ten feet
away with his web between the house and a shrub. Thought
you might appreciate the pics. Excellent site!
Thanks!
Gene Annas
Hi again Gene,
Writing Spider, a common name given to spiders who make a
stabilimentum in the web like your photo shows, is just one
common name for Agriope aurantia, also known as Miranda aurantia.
Other common names include Golden or Yellow Garden Spider,
Golden Orb Weaver, and Black and Yellow Argiope. Thanks for
the beautiful photo.
Barn
Spider
(09/02/2004) Huge Scary Spider, I'm shaking as I type this!
Hello,
I am from Austin, Texas and we have a very scary spider we've
been keeping alive (sometimes even feeding it!) on our wooden
porch Might I add that this area is wooded with no water close
by. His/Her web is a typical spider's web you see
in movies, not a funnel web or an orb web. It usually
only comes out at night, burrowing between the metal and the
glass during the day. It also usually sits with
its legs drawn in. Today I got a special treat,
because it had just finished with its molting phase and its
web was disturbed so its legs were extended and it out during
the day to pose for my camera. The pictures lighten
its abdomen markings as they are more of a dark brown with
visible hairs, and there are dark brown and white stripes
on his legs. In addition his butt is kind of raised
up, in the shape of a tear drop. Might I add that
I just went outside to check on it, and it jumped from the
wall, falling to the ground. I've never noted
aggressive behaviour before like this, nor have I seen it
jump before. I'm so scared now because its very
fast, and when its legs are extended, its larger than a half
dollar.
Please help!
Rissa
PS, I took a picture of the molted shell, and feel free to
edit any of this!
 
Hi Rissa,
You have a Barn Spider, Araneus cavaticus. The
spider builds a large orb web at night and stands in it, but
generally seeks shelter above the web during the day. It is
usually found in shady locations.
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