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Can someone help me identify this spider?


Guest 00Smurf

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The biggest I've killed was easily 5 inches long and I could hear it running around on the wood floor.

My Dad and grandpa saw a spider that they say was as big as a dinner plate under a barn. It

Thats f'n huge.

 

this thread remids me; I've been wanting to bug-bomb my garage. Recomendations?

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Damn, how did I miss an insect thread? It does look to be a wolf spider. Harmless and very helpful. Currently, the area is being overran with funnel spiders (aka Grass Spiders). They look like a wolf spider to the untrained eye, especially, if they are free of their web running around. Generally, the funnel webs build a flat web with a funnel in one corner or in the center against walls, corners, plants, trees, etc. They are generally nocturnal. Again, I mentino these, too because as I said, there have been alot lately everywhere. They are harmless, as well for the most part and compete with harmful spiders for space/food.

The brown recluse is not a common Ohio spider. THe ones to worry about are the Hobo spiders and some Sac spiders.

 

Hobos

Male:

http://www.srv.net/~dkv/hobospider/malehobo.jpg

Female:

http://www.srv.net/~dkv/hobospider/femhobo.jpg

Web:

http://www.srv.net/~dkv/hobospider/hoboweb.jpg

 

Sacs:

http://www.marion.ohio-state.edu/SpiderWeb/SpiderPictures/Clubionidae/Cheiracanthium%20mildei.JPG

And especially Yellow Sacs:

http://hobospider.org/yellosac.jpg

 

Both of these species (Hobo and Sac) are capable of necrotic wounds and much more common throughout Ohio than the recluse and many other harmful spiders.

 

One more helpful hint: If you see a large wofl spider running around your house, get a good look at its abdomen first. Large female wolfies carry their eggsacs with them until they hatch and then the babies remain on the female piggybacking for sometime afterwards. If you disturb them to greatly or spray them, the babies will shoot off in every direction, lol. I know this from experience years and years ago. If you disturb them, wait a bit, the babies will sometimes find their way back and then you can coax the female into a container or something.

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Funny thing about the Recluse, Hobo, and Sac spiders; Their shape is almost identical. Take away texture and color, compare them as a sihloette, and you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart. They alst tent to habitate int he same way.

 

So, knowing that, keep your kids away from spiders that look like that.

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I took these last Fall of some nice Golden Orb Weavers that were around my house:

 

http://www.wease.net/Spider/Spider1.JPG

 

http://www.wease.net/Spider/Spider2.JPG

 

http://www.wease.net/Spider/Spider3.JPG

 

They are pretty cool looking and should be out and about very soon... :)

My girlfriend and I spotted one on a bench out around her house, scared her pretty bad :)

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wolf spiders are fast. they dont spin webs, if i recall correctly from my eagle scout days. apparently, they actually hunt their food, hence the name.

 

i had an ivy patch out back as a kid, and there were literally hundreds of funnel web spiders in that bitch. ive been finding wolf spiders in my crib lately too. its the onset of fall thats doing it. as the nights get cooler, the spiders try to move into warmer places, like your basement, or my shower.

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Nice info. Spiders completely flip me out with terror, but I am just a curious kind of guy so I like learning about them. I think I got a bunch of those funnel spiders in my barn since there are usually webs around too. How big can they get? The biggest I've seen here is maybe 1 inch, but I've seen funnels back in Marietta that suggested a much larger one made it.

 

Evan

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While we're on it I did a little reading through google searching and found that 1.5 inches is considered a big spider for ohio and that one they call a fishing spider (the damn thing can run on top of water) can be up to 3 inches. I actually saw one of those while I was out trail riding once. Mike got stuck in a hole if I remember right and my dad and I got out to look and hook a strap and the thing ran out under the truck and across the water. Freaked me out of course.

 

Okay so I know I've seen many many spiders in my life time that were bigger than 2 inches. I've seen a few that were bigger that 3 inches and I've seen one personally that was as big as my hand. They weren't all the same type for sure as I hate the things bad enough that each one is burned into my memory forever. What types could be that big or are they just freaks and I'm just the unlucky person who encounters them. One was even at scout camp very light brown easily 3 inches and eventually the guys caught it and showed me its dead body so I'd know it was dead.

 

Evan

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3" is plenty big.

http://www.hr-rna.com/RNA/images/Spiders/FishingSpider%20tenebr%20Palarm%20TL.jpg

Funny:

http://www.davelog.com/fazed/dst.jpg

 

neat:

 

creepy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwn3V2PHiiA&mode=related&search=

Camel spiders eat differently from any spider I've heard of, do they consume chunks? It has jaws.

edit: they aint spiders, makes sense now.

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lol Between the dogs and I, we can usually clear the flies by the evening. Of course, it's because I let the dogs out and leave the back door open the flies come in in the first place. I also have a pet jumping spider (if you can really call it a pet) that all bugs found in the house goto the spider's cage. Two bugs enter, only one bug lives. I say lives, because it doesn't get to leave. :D
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Finally got a picture of one of them tonight. This was the only one I could get a good shot of and it was curled up. They seem to hide in the wood siding during the day and sit in the midle of their webs at night. Any ideas?

 

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Spider.jpg

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I got a little better pic tonight, but my camera's not so good in the dark. It's too bad I don't see them out much durning the day. Can anyone identify it yet?

 

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Spider2.jpg

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Can't remember the exact specie of orb weaver it is but they are nocturnal. Nothing to worry about and it really deals a helluva blow to the local insect population at night. If I get a chance, I'll find it.

 

In the meantime, I came across this website just the other day. It's great for finding out what you've found and/or posting pics of what you've found.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

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