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My boys told me there was a spider in their room....



2.5" Toothpick included for scale.

The Bugfreezer strikes again!

I need to find a microscope to confirm whether this is a giant house spider or a hobo spider. Glad we caught it when we did!

*shudder*

I don't have a problem with most bugs...but this one is just too big to be in Washington state...the cold generally keeps them smaller right?

Did you get any shipments in recently?

sure looks like fiddle on his back.

Rocketdork wrote:I don't have a problem with most bugs...but this one is just too big to be in Washington state...the cold generally keeps them smaller right? Did you get any shipments in recently?

Western WA has the giant house spiders all over the place. These, like the hobo, are european imports. These are not supposed to be in Eastern WA, but that reference is over 10 years old, and as many folks as come to Moscow-Pullman from the West Side, it would not surprise me if they have a toehold here.

Rocketdork wrote:sure looks like fiddle on his back.

Happily this is not a brown recluse. It is in the genus Tegenaria. Here is a pic of a brown recluse (genus Loxosceles):

I've got a soft spot in my heart for spiders. When I was in middle school, I had an interesting biology instructor who had a number of live "friends" in the classroom. One of them was a Mexican red legged tarantula. I may have been imagining things, but he seemed to be the most gentle animal I have ever had the opportunity to handle. I kinda miss him in my old age.

On a seperate subject, I kinda envy you BF. Last time I said "I gotta find a microscope" was when bio was near me with his hand on his zipper!

So you were actively interested in seeing what he was about to unleash on you?

"unleash" seems so massive, I was thinking more "unbind"

Ok now I am creeped out. Yucky. Last year my friend and I were sitting in my room (very small...can fit two and a half twin beds and it is completely full) and she said, "Kayla, what is that on the floor....at that second we screamed and hopped on my bed. We grabbed a glass and stuck it over the spider and would not touch the floor all night. It was a Hobo Spider....and it was big. I hate spiders...they make my skin crawl.

ironpants wrote:"unleash" seems so massive, I was thinking more "unbind"

Heh... um... shut up! *pout*

Good comeback!

phhhht!

bugfreezer wrote:I need to find a microscope to confirm whether this is a giant house spider or a hobo spider.

Last summer while finnishing the basement I had one about the same size come creepping up on me from behind. Kinda spooked me and he got the hammer. I have seen many of these all my life here in Spokane. Lady J swears that it is a Hobo. I say that they are just plain old, well fed house spiders. They are kind of pale greyish-yellow in color and appear almost smooth and hairless. Don't think they have markings on thier back but can't remember. No prominent spinnerets.

Any idea what they may be? If you do, you would solve a very long debate.

If you could show me a pic or two (preferably pre-hammering), I could take a shot at it.

There are three imported species that make up the House spider complex - all of these are members of the family Agelenidae:

Tegenaria domestica - Domestic House spider, a.k.a. Barn Funnel Weaving spider
Tegenaria gigantea (a.k.a. duellica )- Giant House spider
Tegenaria agrestis - Aggressive House spider, a.k.a. Hobo spider

And none of these are to be confused with Achaearanea tepidariorum, the Common House spider, which is shaped more like a Black Widow (family Theridiidae), but not considered toxic to humans - you do not usually see these east of the Cascades.

We also have our own native species of Agelenids, which have distinct color patterns and once known connot be mistaken for hobo spiders.

The only way to conclusively identify whether a spider is a hobo is by microscopic examination of their external genitalia. An excellent reference is found here.

Not much help, I know - sorry. My suspicion is that I caught a T. gigantea, but I need to make sure.

bugfreezer wrote:microscopic examination of their external genitalia

Yeah, baby, spider porn!:shock:

Actually interesting article to read.

bio wrote:

ironpants wrote:"unleash" seems so massive, I was thinking more "unbind"

Heh... um... shut up! *pout*

Yeah, I guess that's why he always shows pictures of his butt. He has a wide angle lens on the webcam, not a zoom!

Rocketdork wrote:Yeah, baby, spider porn!

Since so much taxonomy (=species identification/classification) on non-vertebrates and plants require close examination of reproductive structures, one can't help but wonder...after all, it's entirely legal and no one is protesting.

We call the books "Field Guides"...you may not be too far from the truth there, RD.

Dang, busted!!!