Dark Fishing Spider - Dolomedes tenebrosus

by Carol Senske

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Dark Fishing Spider - Dolomedes tenebrosus

Artist

Carol Senske

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Photograph - Photograph

Description

Dolomedes tenebrosus, also called the Dark Fishing Spider, is quite large. The female can be over 3" if you count the legs. Although they certainly could bite people, reports of bites are very rare - they'd rather stay in a dark, quiet place than bother you.

Although they can run on water, even dive, and do catch tiny fish when the opportunity arises, these spiders love to live in the woods, not just near water. We often get them in our house and must rush to catch them ( a quart yogurt container works well) and put them outside before the cat eats them.

They are excellent Moms, carry the egg sack until the babies are almost ready to hatch. Mom attaches her eggs to a vertical surface, builds a protective web around it and stays with the babies until they are ready to disperse.

they are beautifully marked and sort of fuzzy.

Range data is roughly the eastern half of the USA but not Florida and Georgia.

This is quite a nice site with excellent information and images:

http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/dolomede.html

Uploaded

June 6th, 2012

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