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Fishing spider

Dolomedes tenebrosus

Photo by LaydLuck
Published on Project Noah
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38.9188, -82.8412

Field Notes

Description:

Females make nursery-like webs for her young and are very protective of them. Females can be quite big with a leg span of near 4 inches (males are considerably smaller). Fishing spiders are ambush hunters. They can glide on water and even dive underneath due to their hydrophobic hair. This species is harmless to humans as they tend to be shy.

Habitat:

Live near water but have nomadic tendencies.

Notes:

I did not kill this spider! It is a very big spider and I was horrified to discover it in my house, but it was dead when I found it. Had it been alive, I would have done my best to relocate it to the outside.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

i'm pretty sure if i had held it in my palm, with its legs extended, it would have covered my palm! we found another one a few days later only a bit smaller... it was dead too...
Photographed
PublishedMay 11, 2013

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