Spider
Location: SE lower Michigan
December 27, 2010 2:20 pm
Can you help me identify this spider? We have spotted them a few in our home.
Signature: H. Smith
Dear H. Smith,
Your spider is a Black Footed Spider or Yellow Sac Spider, Cheiracanthium mildei, a species that was introduced from Europe. It was once believed to be a species whose bite could cause necropsy around the bite, but that speculation is no longer believed. The revision can be read about on the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene website.
Thank you so much for taking a look at it.
We really do appreciate this awesome service to those of us out here that have no clue as to how to identify these things.
I live in ann arbor michigan they’re every where.I caught one in an empty pill bottle lastnight it freaked my girl out.
This does not really tell me about the spider. It only identifies it. I have found them in my home. Do they like dark or damp areas? Am I most likely to find their webs or nests in closets or basements? Are they quick to biter? Do I need to worry about them getting in the children’s beds at night? How do I get rid of them?
According to BugGuide: “They make a resting tube in a rolled leaf or under bark or stones. More often found inside man-made structures (as opposed to C. inclusum which is found more often outdoors).” BugGuide also states: “Yellow sac spider bites occur most frequently when the very defensive spider is trapped in clothing” and “Sac spiders are classified as hunting spiders. These spiders are very active at night and will emerge from their day resting sacs to run along walls and ceilings in pursuit of prey. If startled, they drop down on draglines and scurry away!” Since they are hunting spiders that are active at night, they might wind up in a bed. We do not provide extermination advice.
There’s been one of these on my front door for two days now.. in Tunisia! Small world, eh?