OverviewSpiders are generally categorized as either web spinners or hunters depending on how they catch their prey. Hunting spiders wander around searching for their prey or hunt by laying in ambush. The more insects there are inside a building, the more likely it is to have spiders living there. Spiders also like to find refuge in warmer buildings as the nights cool off in the fall. All spiders are carnivorous and with few exceptions have poison glands. They have spinarets used for making webs to snare their prey, but some actually roam around hunting for victims. Webs may be used to make homes, lacing leaves or grass together, and they also may be used to bind their catch. The Jumping Spider attaches a strand just before jumping-a type of lifeline so as not to jump too far into a place where it may have difficulty in getting out. Eggs are encased in webbing, usually in a sac, which is then hidden under bark or rocks, kept in a nest, fastened in the snare web, or carried around (like the Wolf Spider). Some never even see their offspring, some protect the eggs until they hatch, and the Wolf Spider even carries the young around until they can hunt on their own. Spiders feed by removing the internal liquid contents of their prey with their Chelicera (fangs). |
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Wolf Spider Wolf Spiders are large, hairy spiders, with bodies often over an inch in size. Males are smaller than the females. Most spiders have two eye rows, but the Wolf has three. They have three tiny claws at the end of each leg. Wolf spiders can inflict serious bites on people. Read More... |
Trapdoor Spider Like Tarantulas, which are a type of Trapdoor spider, the common Trapdoor spiders are now quite rare in Southern California. Also like Tarantulas, they were sold as pets in the early 1900's. Their natural habitat has been almost completely urbanized, which is the main reason that they are fairly rare, and are now considered endangered. Read More... |
Jumping Spider This small, active spider is frequently mistaken for the black widow because of its red abdomen. In truth, it bears no real resemblance, having very short legs and only being 3/8 inch in size. It also has fairly large eyes. Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. They typically have eight eyes arranged in two or three rows. The front, and most distinctive row is enlarged and forward facing to enable stereoscopic vision. The others are situated back on the cephalothorax. Colours and patterns vary widely. Several species of jumping spiders appear to mimic ants, beetles, or pseudoscorpions. Others may appear to be parts of grass stems, bumps on twigs, bark, part of a rock or even part of a sand surface.Read More... |
Orb Web Weaver There are many kinds of Web (or orb) Weaver spiders; most have a large abdomen and fairly long legs. They range in body size up to about an inch, and many have colorful markings. At least two varieties can inflict bites on humans, notably the Common Orb Weaver and the Jeweled Araneus. The many Web Weavers are the ones responsible for the beautiful spoke-patterned webs you see hanging between trees or shrubs. They are medium to large-sized, with a body of about a half-inch to an inch. Read More... |
Tarantula Tarantulas have become fairly rare due to urbanization of their natural habitat. They used to be numerous on the dry grass- and brush-covered hillsides in Central Arizona. When they are found, they are usually in colonies or groups of several Tarantulas. Tarantulas live in burrows or gaps under rocks. They will often utilize an abandoned rodent hole, which they will at least partially line with silk to make it into a comfortable home. They use their fangs and legs to move soil around to "remodel" their new habitat. Read More... |
Black Widow Black widow spiders have quite a reputation-and they deserve it! The effect of the black widow spider bite can range from slight skin irritations to death, however no one has died from a Black Widow bite in the United States for over ten years. Since the toxicity of the bite is in proportion to body weight, small children are more vulnerable to a bite of the same dosage than an adult. Read More... |
Brown Recluse The spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a well-known member of the Sicariidae (formerly placed in a family "Loxoscelidae"). It is usually between 6–20 mm (¼ in and ¾ in). dorsal side of its cephalothorax, with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider, resulting in the nicknames fiddleback spider, brown fiddler or violin spider. Coloring varies from light tan to brown and the violin marking may not be visible. Read More... |
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