Aug 31, 2008

Stowaway Spider

I gave us all a slight reprieve from spider posts, but they're back. Spiders are ubiquitous folks, as all invert lovers are wont to point out.

Ari encountered this quarter-sized spider in his camera bag. The spider was good enough to oblige him and pause for a photo shoot. Any clues as to what kind of spider this is? Ari lives in Oregon, but he is a world traveler, so the spider could have stowed away anywhere between Oregon and Finland. The spider doesn't have his passport on his person, so a specific ID isn't likely.



16 comments:

Denita TwoDragons said...

She looks like one of the wolf spider species, perhaps Hogna or Lycosa. They're rather cosmopolitan, so she could have come from almost anywhere. Maybe running her through Babelfish would give us some answers... ;-)

--TwoDragons

Anonymous said...

Looks like some sort of wolf spider... perhaps a trap door spider (though being a a camera bag would make no sense). And one the size of a quarter? I think I'd abandon my camera and have to run screaming.

CelestiHel said...

Though it looks like you've got plenty of folks who seem to know their spiders, I find that I get great help submitting bugs to websites like this one:

What's that Bug - http://www.whatsthatbug.com/index.html

They're really busy lately, but there are other. Just in case you felt like submitting some of your weird ones.

Anonymous said...

ick.

No other response needed.

Anonymous said...

When posting pics of spiders, is it possible to either zoom waaaay out so it's itty bitty or crop some/all of it's legs off?

Signed,
Scared of Spiders and Will Always Scream and Run Away

Nervavels said...

What a beauty! Quarter-sized, eh? I'm not sure what it is, but I'd keep it around! Safely behind something where it can't bite me, of course... :)

Chris said...

Perhaps you could put a chain around it and use it to ward off unwanted visitors.

(and I also vote for wolf spider, meaning it could well have been local, which is good news)

Will Von Wizzlepig said...

No expert here, but that guy's not furry enough to be a wolf spider. it could be the "common house spider", which varies a bit in appearance depending where you are in the pacific northwest. Probably not a hobo, though, the leg bands rule that out.

Anonymous said...

So far I'm leaning toward Callobius of some sort. I have to go home now, so I'll look more tomorrow. The eye arrangement doesn't look right for a wolf spider. They generally have two large primary eyes in the top row with a smaller set behind, and four tiny ones below, and a bit of an angular head at the top. Here's a good example. Wolf spider seems to be a catch-all term sometimes for any spider of that build.

Anonymous said...

My reaction?? BRRROOOHHH. (You know, that little noise you make when you look at something you don't like that gives you the heebie jeebies--yeah, that noise.)

I say again, BRRROOOHHH. (With a slight shake of the head and shoulders while clicking off the picture of the spider that is about ready to attack me from the computer screen with it's beady little eyes.)

Dr Girlfriend Costumes and Couture said...

I can identify this spider. It is clearly a Mobile Nightmare Unit (thanks Charlie Brooker).

Anonymous said...

I've seen quite a few spiders and what is remarkable abot this one is the pattern on its abdomen--that looks like a Buddha image--two eyes, a yeadpiece or turban--definitely like a face. Though it might be an alien face, alas.

Denita TwoDragons said...

Will Von Wizzlepig--I thought so too, but if you click on the picture you'll see that she's wet. Going for that "slicked back" look all the trendy arachnids are crazy about nowadays...

(BTW--Your nick is hysterical!)

--TwoDragons

Anonymous said...

Amaurobius ferox

Anonymous said...

brown recluse

Anonymous said...

This absolutely looks like a type of trapdoor spider.