Identifying spiders

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Identifying spiders by predominating colors, can be helpful in some cases. This page sorts spiders by their living and hunting habits.

People often have a need for identifying spiders. There are several ways of organizing such a search, and hypertext linking lets us organize the same photographs in many ways without using up large amounts of resources. The most salient question is often: "What was your spider doing when you found it?" Here are some possible answers:

If the the body length of the spider is well over 25 mm (1 inch) and fairly heavy of body, it is most likely a member of the Theraphosidae (commonly called tarantulas in English). (There are, however, some Huntsman spiders that are reported to have 10 inch leg spans.) Some tarantulas are terrestrial and are typically quite heavy bodied. Others are arboreal (such as the example shown below) and have somewhat lighter bodies.

Arboreal body type: Avicularia versicolor

Terrestrial body type: Grammostola rosea

Camouflaged in full view on a flower. (Thomisidae)

Cave dwellers of pale colors. (Nesticidae)

Nesticus

'Covered by rocks or burrowing in sand. (Zodariidae)

Crouching on a sketchy web with strands of varying width under fallen tree trunks, rocks, etc. (less than ½ inch, 11 mm, in length). Amaurobiidae

Pimus sp.

Dangling in the midst of a tangled spider web snare, or in a nearby shelter. (Theridiidae) (The bite of one member of this group can produce serious problems. Check here.)

Dew-revealing spiders are tiny creatures on nearly invisible webs. (Hahniidae)

Cryphoeca silvicola, female

Hanging head down on vertical surfaces, waiting to jump over approaching prey, spreading silk while jumping. (Hersiliidae)

Callobius sp.

Hiding in a vertical silken tube from within which they capture prey. (Atypidae)

Cylinders in crevices with "trip wires" radiating from them shelter members of this genus. Filistatidae

Invading the webs of other spiders. (Mimetidae)

Jumping from twig to wall, always keeping eight eyes on you. (Salticidae)

Jumping Spider
Eris Species

Lurking at the small end of a funnel-shaped web. (Dipluridae, Agelenidae, Hexathelidae, Amaurobiidae, Tegenaria) (The bite of two members of this group can produce serious problems. Check here and, for a less troublesome biter, check here.)

Mimicking ants. (Micaria, Castianerra, some Salticidae)

Popping up in all sorts of unexpected place -- on walls, in automobiles, and running fast in long straight lines. (Sparassidae)

Running along the surface of the ground or a floor. (Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, Pisauridae, Dolomedes, Gnaphosidae, Senoculidae, Prodidomidae Homolonychidae, Zoropsidae)

Sandwiched between dense, ropy layers of webbing under rocks or in crevices. (Urocteidae)

Semi-concealed in a diaphanous silken web of linked loops (a little like a plastic scrubber) in the twigs of plants and small crevices. They are quite small (no larger than 5 mm.l or .2 inch). Dictynidae

Shaking up and down rhythmically in an irregular web in a cellar or other such places. (Pholcidae)

Sheltered in a silken "pup tent" hidden in a rolled-up leaf. (Clubionidae, Anyphaenidae, Tengellidae, Zorocratidae, Miturgidae, Corinnidae, Liocranidae ) (The bite of one member of this group can produce serious problems. Check here.)

Sitting at the center of a flat spiral web or at the end of a signal line that leads to the web's center.(Araneidae, Uloboridae]])

Skimming over the surface of a pond or stream. (Pisauridae)

Skittering out from under stones, forest litter, etc. (Oonopidae, Caponiidae, Dysderidae, Plectreuridae)

Slanted orb web spiders. (Tetragnathidae)

Slinging silk in the form of cast nets or streams material cast from glands in the cephalothorax. (Hyptiotes, Dinopidae, Scytodidae)

Snare springing spiders. (Theridiosomatidae)

Spitting sticky liquid at prey.

Swimming down to an underwater habitat bell, or resting in such a diving bell. (Argyronetidae)

Tending a tiny diaphanous sheet web or dome. (Linyphiidae)

'Under stones or emerging onto a dingy-looking funnel web, these old-world spiders are over ½ inch long, hairy, and often quite colorful. Eresidae

Up a cylinderical tube that sits like a' cupola at the top of a tent-like silken roof, below which is a tangled silken snare. (Diguetidae)

Utilizing a patchy sheet web that look somewhat like crochet work. (Loxoceles) (The bite of one member of this group can produce serious problems. Check here.)

Wandering about in search of prey in subtropical and tropical areas. (Ctenidae, Acanthoctenidae) (The bite of members of one genus in this group can produce serious problems. Check here.)