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More spider photos

Spider facts

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Ant Mimic Spiders        Cellar Spiders     Cobweb Spiders     Crab Spiders     Fishing Spiders
Funnel web Spiders    Giant House Spiders   
Giant Crab Spiders     Hobo Spiders     
Jumping Spiders     Orb Weaver Spiders    Sac Spiders     Widow Spiders    Wolf Spiders 

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Ant Mimic Spider Spiders

Ant Mimic Spider
1340 This appears to be a red-spotted antmimic spider (Castianeira descripta; Aranae:Corrinidae); sometimes known as a velvet ant mimic spider – see http://canadianarachnology.dyndns.org/data/canada_spiders/images/habitus/Castianeira_descripta.jpg for an image. They are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Cellar Spiders

4017 This is a cellar spider (family Pholcidae). Although it looks like a Holocnemus species (see http://tinyurl.com/caemjyb for an example), I can find no records of this genus from Ontario. These spiders are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Cobweb Spiders

1091 This could be Enoplognatha ovata, a highly variable species in the family Theridiidae (cobweb spiders). See http://st.blog.cz/f/foto.blog.cz/obrazky/101589.jpg and http://www.ulg.ac.be/museezoo/ara/agrandi/images/45.jpg for images. It is not dangerous to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

1146. This spider is in the family Theridiidae (cobweb/comb-footed spiders); likely in the genus Latrodectus, such as the western black widow (L. hesperus; see http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/natural/insects/bugsfaq/pics/blackwid.jpg ). False black widow/cupboard spiders in the genus Steatoda are similar in overall appearance, but females in this genus usually have a prominent pale transverse band near the front of the abdomen, and no such marking is visible in the photo. Bites from Steatoda can be painful, and bites from at least one species in this genus (S. grossa in Australia) may require medical attention. As a small child, I received a very painful bite from one of these spiders (likely S. borealis) that left a lasting impression. It was a long time before I picked up another spider! Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Crab Spiders

1015 This is a crab spider (family Thomisidae); specifically, the goldenrod crab spider, Misumena vatia – see http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/spiders/crab.html). These are ambush hunters that do not spin a capture web. Usually, they are found on flowers that more or less match their own color, which they can change to some degree. They are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.
This is a crab spider (family Thomisidae); it resembles Misumessus oblongus – see http://tinyurl.com/93ouk69 for an image. All crab spiders are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

White crab spider

This is a crab spider (family Thomisidae); it resembles Misumessus oblongus – see http://tinyurl.com/93ouk69 for an image. All crab spiders are harmless to humans.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Fishing Spiders

4424 These are two different examples of fishing/nursery web spiders in the family Pisauridae. The one on the left is Pisaurina mira (see http://tinyurl.com/kuojwjx) and the one on the right is Dolemedes tenebrosus, known as the dark fishing spider (see http://www.spiders.us/guide/species/dolomedes-tenebrosus/) for an image.Large specimens can deliver a painful (but not dangerous) bite if mishandled. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 This is another fishing spider (family Pisauridae) in the genus Dolomedes. It is harmless to humans, although a specimen as large as this one could deliver a painful bite if mishandled. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

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Giant House Spiders

This appears to be a male of the species Tegenaria Gigantea, AKA the Barn Spider or Giant House Spider.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegenaria_duellica . It is large, fast, and scary looking, but harmless. The males are seen far more often than the females, as the females tend to stay in nests of silk under objects outside, and the males wander about looking for them. The large ‘fist’ shaped appendages in front of its front legs are its pedipalps, the spider’s version of the penis. It is a close relative of the far more rare Tegenaria Agrestis, AKA the Hobo Spider.  Scott S.

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Grass Spider

This appears to be a male spider in the family Agelenidae (funnel web/grass spiders), likely in the genus Tegenaria (see http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/images/gigantea.jpg  for an image). Males in this family often wander quite some distance from their web, and then come to human attention when their wandering results in their accidental entrapment in tubs and the like. In spite of their appearance, they should pose no threat to human health. One species in this genus, the so-called ‘hobo spider’ (Tegenaria agrestis), has been implicated in cases of slow-healing ulcers (necrotic arachnidism) following a bite, but some controversy still exists on this subject. See http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Agelenidae/Agelenidae.htm for much more information on this group of spiders. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV.

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Giant Crab Spiders

This is a giant crab spider (family Sparassidae; formerly Heteropodidae), likely in the genus Olios. Also known as huntsman spiders, they are harmless to humans, but large specimens reportedly can deliver a painful bite if mishandled.. See http://www.ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/spiders/giantcrabspiders.html  for more information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Hobo Spiders

This spider appears to be in the genus Tegenaria, which includes the hobo spider. Positive identification can be quite difficult without resorting to microscopic examination of some body parts. See http://tinyurl.com/cmphed for detailed information on this subject. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Jumping Spiders

 

This is a jumping spider (family Salticidae) in the genus Phidippus; most likely Phidippus johnsoni – see http://tinyurl.com/kenzopc for an image and more information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Mygalomorph Spiders

This is a mygalomorph spider (the group to which tarantulas, etc. belong), possibly a male in the genus Antrodiaetus, see http://tinyurl.com/j3oluh9 for an example. Males of these spiders often are found wandering about, apparently in search of a mate, while the females usually are found in their burrows. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Orb Weaver Spiders

5456 Is this an orb weaver?  It was on a clematis vine outside in Sept. in central Alberta.  It has a dark square underside of it’s ‘belly’ and is about one and a half inches when spread out.  Sue.
This is indeed an orb weaving spider (family Araneidae), possibly Araneus trifolium, an extremely variable species – see http://tinyurl.com/qcqehgq for an example. All orb weavers are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

4024  This spider is Argiope trifasciata, a harmless orb weaver known as the banded garden spider – see http://tinyurl.com/8sq4a9g for more detailed information.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

This is an orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae). Specifically, it appears to be Araneus gemmoides, sometimes known as the cat-face spider – see http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/images/catFace6.jpg. It is harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

1505 This is an orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae) that somehow has wandered away from its web.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Sac Spiders

This could be an immature sac spider (family Clubionidae; see http://www.insectimages.org/images/384×256/1252101.jpg for an image). Some sac spiders have been implicated in causing necrotic, slow-healing bites.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV

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Widow Spiders

This appears to be a male widow spider (Latrodectus spp.); note the enlarged pedipalps and the ventral ‘hourglass’marking. Male widow spiders generally are considered harmless to humans (they are capable of biting, but both their fangs and venom glands are much smaller than those of female widow spiders).  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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Wolf Spiders

1956  This is a wolf spider (family Lycosidae), likely a so-called ‘rabid wolf spider,’ see http://homepage.mac.com/eceisner/Spiders/rabidwolfm.jpg They are harmless to humans, but large specimens can give a painful nip if mishandled. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

This appears to be a large wolf spider (family Lycosidae). About the only other spiders of that size and general appearance in your area are the fishing/dock/nursery-web spiders in the family Pisauridae, but their eyes are less prominent, and their legs tend to be longer in relation to their body size. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

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