Spider ID Help

Spadata ^ | 4 Jul 2004

[steplock]

I need some SPIDER identification help.

A few weeks ago, I was bitten by a Brown Recluse (very painful and long lasting effects). One of my dogs was bitten by another spider - and my wife a couple days ago was also bitten - but NOT by another Recluse luckily.

Tonight I just found THIS rather large spider sitting at my back door - now dead!

Can anyone identify this arachnid? Hot Springs Arkansas area. Thanx!

ps. that is 1 inch on the scale.

[Zap Brannigan]

Here is a site where people try to identify each other's spiders. Although hosted in Australia, people also post from U.S.

http://www.rochedalss.qld.edu.au/spiderphotos.htm

[datura]

I never had arachnophobia until I served in the Sinai. Out on remote site we had to man our perimeter every morning and night, and one morning one of these 4 jawed bastards fell on my shoulder out of the sandbags. Felt like a first-baseman's mitt grabbing me in the dark.

I don't think I've ever moved that fast at anything.....My squad members caught it, and we kept it as a pet for the 6 months we were there. Watching them eat scorpions is amazing.

[ngc6656]

Actually, that IS the top side of the spider.

Whoops! Sure am glad I added the smiley face to the request.

The legs were pulled up and I didn't really want to reach down there and straighten them out.

Hardly blame you for that. I'm not terrified of spiders, even had a pet jumping spider one time, but I don't like offering fingers as food or for target practice.

[Nick Danger]

ps. that is 1 inch on the scale.

I think it's too big. What I would do is bring the heel of a shoe down on it sharply, several times, until it achieves a height more like 1/32nd of an inch.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Oh - that's simple.


It's a dead spider. Duh.


Actually - looks like the writing spiders we have around here. I've seen them get pretty good sized - five inches or so with the legs spread out.

[txhurl]

What do they write about, mostly? Terroristic birds and Raid?

[Quix]

Far from a spider expert.

I know that the wolf spiders in Taiwan--their pee, saliva or some such is very toxic.

[Tennessee_Bob]

My black widow experience. I was in the Air Force, stationed at glorious Nellis AFB, NV. Went out in the box shed (where we kept all our boxes for reuse, hence the name "box shed") and was digging around for a packing box for an engine part. Got bit on the right fore arm and didn't even notice it. Next morning, I get up, right fore arm is swollen, hot to the touch, and red. Went to sick call. Physicians Assistant calls in a doctor, doctor asks a couple questions "dark places? warm places? etc etc" and tells me "Sergeant, you've been bitten by a black widow. There's nothing we can do for you now."

Nothing you can do for me? I'm thinking that's it - I'm dead, better get to legal and write a will - doc sees the look on my face and says "Oh - I mean, if you'd come in yesterday, we could have done this or that or the other thing. As it is, we'll give you some antibiotics for possible infection and put you on quarters for two days."

Dammit, Doctor - you really need to work on your bedside manner.

[Nick Danger]

Incidentally, let me put in a plug for Swifter, that dust-mop thingie. With no dust-paper on it, it provides a hard planar surface of sizeable dimension, on the end of a nice long handle. I have found that it is large enough so that even if the bug senses this thing coming straight down on it, it can't ran fast enough to get away before the bug-height-adjustment is performed.

[ngc6656]

Here is a site where people try to identify each other's spiders. Although hosted in Australia, people also post from U.S. <

Thanks. Interesting site.

[Merdoug]

It's a barn spider. Pretty common in the south. Not dangerous. Makes a big round web.

[RandallFlagg]

Yep. Wolf spider. Run like hell.

That thing looks HUGH!

[Tennessee_Bob]

What do they write about, mostly?

Hell, I don't know - looks like they're just scribbling mainly. Could be Aramaic for that matter.

[LittleRedRooster]

I used to live in West Little Rock and caught many Black Widow and BR spiders. Moved to Maumelle near the Arkansas River and saw many spiders larger than the one you have pictured. If you had a BR in your house then you probably have many. many BR spiders in your attic. Call the UofA they have done extensive studies of BR spiders in Arkansas. You could need some help.

[Tennessee_Bob]

That thing looks HUGH!

Oh, please - this is a series thread!

[Maven]

I'm so lucky - with my two cats, anything that wanders in here that has more than four legs becomes a toy.

Maven

[RandallFlagg]

OK, ya got my curiousity going, but the pic didn't show up.

[RandallFlagg]

We have one cat. We like to keep him in practice with the laser pointer.

[txhurl]

Barn spider?

Wolf-types burrow caves in the ground and spin webs about the entrance and pounce out on any web-shakers. Wolfs, tarantulas are pretty heavy - web can't support their weight so they must burrow.

There are huge banana-spiders - the ones who zig-zag a 'Z' line in their web, but their legs are thin and hairless. Thick-legged, hairy spiders typically burrow.

While we're at it, crabs are water-spiders and spiders are land-crabs. Arachnidae, the eight-leggers. I often wonder if spiders taste as good to birds as crabs taste to me. Now I'm hungry.

[Defender2]

looks like a Timber Spider.