CLOSED: Spider w. egg sac

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
KyWoods Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a) Apr 25, 2010

She is about 3", including legs. I saved her from the kitties (and them from her), who thought she was fun to chase and bat at!
I am in the northern tip of Kentucky, right across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio, and we are surrounded by woods.

Thumbnail by KyWoods
Post #7736223
Quote
suunto Sinks Grove, WV Apr 25, 2010

Any hunting spider that large in your area is going to be either a wolf spider (family Lycosidae) or a fishing/dock spider (family Pisauridae). The image is not clear enough to see diagnostic characters, but I believe that this more likely is a wolf spider, as the egg sac appears attached to its abdomen, typical for this family - see http://tinyurl.com/2eshx3x for an example. Fishing spiders carry their egg sacs with their mouthparts - see http://tinyurl.com/27r6eeq for an example. Large specimens of either group can deliver a painful but not dangerous bite if mishandled.

Post #7736750
Quote
KyWoods Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a) Apr 25, 2010

We do have wolf spiders here, but I've only seen the ones with the brown stripes--males? Here's a clearer picture.

Thumbnail by KyWoods
Post #7736841
Quote
suunto Sinks Grove, WV Apr 25, 2010

Definitely a wolf spider. This is a very large family, and not all of them look alike. See http://tinyurl.com/y9s4wk3 for a small sampling.

Post #7736961
Quote
juliep127 Louisville, KY Apr 25, 2010

Oh yeah!!! I had those huge things when I lived in the woods!! I had to have my house sprayed because my daughter was bitten and part of her skin rotted off. She was put in the hospital. We just thought it was a mosquito bite at first, and as time went on it started to rot. It was awful. Some of mine had a spread as big as the palm of your hand. My exterminator at that time took pictures because he had never seen any as big as those were.
I had one on my bedroom wall. I tried spraying it with everything!! It would not die. It finally died when I maced it. Can you believe that!! YIKES!!!!!!

Post #7736978
Quote
KyWoods Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a) Apr 25, 2010

Hmm...I just catch them in a plastic container and release them back into the woods when I see them in the house. I read that the bite isn't that awful, but I guess it could get infected. Eeew, sorry about your daughter's incident!

Thanks for all the responses, I am satisfied that this is a wolf spider!

This message was edited Apr 25, 2010 10:24 PM

Post #7736989
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Insect and Spider Identification Threads

Go to all Insect and Spider Identification threads
BACK TO TOP