Friend or foe?
April 19, 2010
I found this spider in my friends pool. The match book should provide a good estimate as to its size.
Aaron Grimes
Marin County, California
Hi Aaron,
This looks to us like a Trapdoor Spider, probably a Wafer Lid Trapdoor Spider in the genus Promyrmekiaphila which BugGuide reports from California. It looks like a male, and male Trapdoor Spiders often drown in swimming pools while searching for a mate. Trapdoor Spiders are harmless to humans and pets.
