BS: can you id spiders

Subject: BS: can you id spiders
From: mg
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 03:33 PM

someone came to my extension office today with a spider I couldn't idenitfy with the resources and internet I have..and I am not a spider biologist. Anyway, it is not too big...a couple cms I would guess. It has lots of triangles in rows down its body. It has a very hard shell, sort of dark brown. It looks like a large ladybug almost..very black legs. It is chunky and compact..I have sent it off for official id but does anyone have a clue? This is in coastal Washignton state USA..the family goes to Colorado a lot but spider can come from anywhere of course. mg

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Bert
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 03:43 PM

A couple of centimeters! Is that just the body or does it include the legs?

What shape is the body?
How long are the legs compared with the body?

My first guess would be a web spinner somewhat like the common garden spider. I think I recall seeing some with triangles on their backs.

They are similar in shape to the black widow but usually somewhat larger and a little bit more furry.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:03 PM

I don't usually think of spiders as having "shells"

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Bert
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:14 PM

They have an exoskeleton made of chitin. Most spiders are soft, some are hard.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: mg
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:19 PM

make that maybe .6 cm. Body is oval tending towards circle..not enlongated. Legs are fairly short compared to most spiders. Legs very black and sort of thick. Triangles are very definite..I think about three rows of several each. Spider is gone now. mg

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:30 PM

anything like this?

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:36 PM

Sounds more like a tick to me.

I've taken classes in entemological identification (though I'm out of practice), and I (and Bat Goddess) know an entomologist who works for NH State. If he's not familiar with Washington bugs, maybe he at least can find a website, which I'm now off to hunt up.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 04:55 PM

GUEST posted that while I was typing, cuz I'm slow. It certainly looks more like what Mary described than my (dumbass) suggestion of a tick.

At least this thread has reminded me to try to find out what I encountered on a hosta a couple of days ago, a snow white crab spider whose back was outlined in brown. A very strinking little guy.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 05:56 PM

http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/camelspider.htm

Maybe it was one of these?

Don

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 06:02 PM

You're sure it had eight legs, not six legs and two feelers that look like legs? Was the body truly segmented in two--the abdomen and the thorax? It sounds like something that mimics a spider, with short legs like you describe. Some sort of beetle or bug.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: MudGuard
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 06:54 PM

I had the same "problem" recently.

What I did was:
Use google's image search with "spider" (I used the German word "Spinne" as I am German). You will find lots of images.
I looked at the previews Google provided, and only if one of the previews looked similar, I viewed the original image in a new window.

I found the (latin) names of 3 spiders which looked similar to "my" spider. I then used 3 Google image searches, using one of the latin names for each search. Thus I got more pictures to compare and could finally narrow it down to just one name: Araniella cucurbitina (Sorry, descriptions in German only)

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: mg
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 09:53 PM

Guest..it really did not look like that. Legs were very black..I must say I didn't count them. I don't remember a separate head..more like a ladybug with the head incorporated, but I could be wrong. Maybe it really isn't a spider...not familiar with image search but I'll check it out later.

mg

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 10:31 PM

Maybe 'tick' wasn't such a wacky idea. Here's a page with some pictures, as well as information. The first oneon the page is the 'Black Legged Tick' (Deer Tick). .6 cm is really big for a tick though - they hard ticks are smaller than ladybugs. The soft ticks are usually a bit bigger than hard ticks. When they're full, they get bigger, rounder, and their head looks proportionately smaller.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 02:38 AM

Good page, Jeri. And scary stuff, when you think about the damage ticks do when spreading disease. Here's a search on tick images. It contains links to some movie posters for what looked like a B-movie of the same title. Eliminating those also got rid of some of the interesting (and gross) photos of engorged ticks so I left them in place.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 08:40 PM

Ooh, yummy. That reminds me, I must go and de-louse the child just in case.

I had a lovely one the other week, hanging from my buddlea, it was almost olive green with deep black markings, and a flash of lime green on the belly. I suspect it was just a Garden Orb, but it was such a lovely variation, I was quite taken with it.

I think one of the cats ate it.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 12:03 AM

Small and short legs, could be a jumping spider (Salticidae) but there are other things to consider: number, size, and position of the eyes; shape of abdomen; hairiness etc. Go here http://www.arachnology.org/
Click on Arachnology Pages on the left and get links to many spider sites.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 06:07 PM

There was a Monster from the Id in the movie "Forbidden Planet". But it didn't look like a spider.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 05:31 PM

LOOKING TO ID SPIDER IN PORTLAND OREGON
1 INCH BODY DARK BROWN OR BLACK WITH WITH WHITE CROSS ON BACK
SAW ON WEB ON RAIN GUTTER.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST,Blszqx
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 05:59 PM

That is not a spider at all, Mary. It is an advance scout for the Martian invasion, set to take place in 2012. Do not be alarmed. There is nothing you can do about it anyway, so I advise you to simply get the maximum enjoyment out of the 7 years and a few months you have left. We Martians intend to make major improvements to the Earth soon after touchdown, and the first one will be to get rid of the one species that is presently threatening the survival of all life on Earth. I think I hardly need tell you which species that is.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 06:04 PM

Guest, how big was it? From what you describe, it sounds like a harmless Wolf spider. I just move them outside. They are small, seldome bigger than a US nickle, and pretty hairy all over. Do a Google Images seach for wolf spider.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 06:17 PM

Wolf Spider

Rabid Wof Spider

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Amos
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:10 PM

Sounds like a Tegenaria, perhaps? See if it is any of these.

A

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Blowzabella
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:39 PM

Now I shall have nightmares - thanks Amos!

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 12:13 AM

There are only two types of spider: one,the large, hairy, threatening, stuff-of-nightmares spider; and two, the small, bald, spindly-legged, threatening, stuff-of-nightmares spider. Niether should be approached- the only safe way of dealing with spiders is to stand at a safe distance and scream at the top of your lungs until somone braver comes and removes them.....That's my experience anyway, folks! :)

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: Bert
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 12:19 AM

GUEST 29 Sep 04 - 05:31 PM. that is the common white cross spider. She is also a garden spider, and spins a large web.

The one with the series of triangles on her back is very similar, but is slightly smaller and spins a smaller web.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: dianavan
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 12:22 AM

Sounds more like an insect to me.

diana

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 04:27 AM

OOPs just smashed my screen with my shoe!

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST,guest, sally
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 01:37 PM

I'm sitting here at my computer desk in South Central Texas, watching a spider exactly as you've described, wondering the same thing -- what is it?

They are definitely spiders, and for little boogers, they weave enormous webs. And their shell is hard as a rock. I've got them all over the yard, as we do most autumns.

I don't know what they are, but I'll try to find out on my end.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 02:27 PM

My partner Liz is obviously related to Blissfully Ignorant, I say 'can you ID that?' She says 'yes it's a spider, get rid of it pleeeeeaaasssse'
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST,TJ
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 09:26 PM

The wonderfully funny US public radio news quiz program "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" had a question this week on what a recent poll showed to be the biggest phobia of British citizens. The answer was spiders, beating out things like terrorism and death in general. Me, I've always found them to be interesting litle beasties, the vast majority of which, of course, are completely harmless to humans.

I had a very talented orb-weaver living on my porch all summer. It was amazing to watch her construct her web every evening, a creature with a brain about the size of a pencil point who was able to trace the same complex geometrical design every night with singular resolve.

Subject: RE: BS: can you id spiders
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 09:31 PM

I can relate to that. The only good spider is under a copy of The Yellow Pages. Very under it.