The Urban Pantheist ([info]urbpan) wrote in [info]entomology,
2010-12-13 19:56:00

Spider ID?



This spider was found in a shipment of crickets. The zookeepers decided to keep it in a little terrarium, and asked me to identify it. It doesn't look like any local (New England) spider I've seen before. There's no way to know where it comes from since the company ships from several satellite locations--possibly the midwest, possibly the south (U.S.). I tried to get a good shot of the eye arrangement, but didn't do a great job. Can anyone get close?



EDIT: It is almost certainly Thanatus vulgaris, the house crab spider, known from countless pet owner bulletin boards as a hitchhiker in cricket shipments. See my blog entry on the species here: http://urbpan.livejournal.com/1173371.html Thanks for everyone's help!

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  • 11 comments

[info]catmother

December 14 2010, 01:21:41 UTC 1 year ago

http://greennature.com/gallery/spider-pictures/sixspotted-orbweaver.jpg

This is the closest I could find, are there any spots on the abdomen?

[info]urbpan

December 14 2010, 01:48:27 UTC 1 year ago

Not like on the six-spot orbweaver. The main difference (which isn't obvious by comparing the pictures) is that the six-spot is a teeny-tiny spider, and the one I've pictured here is 3/4 an inch long or so.

(here's another six-spot: http://urbpan.livejournal.com/1131994.html)

Thanks, though!

[info]threestarblue

December 14 2010, 01:52:19 UTC 1 year ago

i'm thinking this looks like a pumpkin spider.

[info]wirrrn

December 14 2010, 02:32:22 UTC 1 year ago


The closest things it resembles to me are a] a very fat Brown Recluse b] A pale Fishing Spider c] A very large Crab spider. Sorry I can't be of more help!

[info]rhodielady_47

December 14 2010, 03:12:31 UTC 1 year ago

This spider looks vaguely like an extremely well-fed wolf spider except for the fact that it isn't hairy enough.
:]

[info]tceisele

December 14 2010, 09:32:47 UTC 1 year ago

I think it's some kind of crab spider

Last year, we also found a spider in a shipment of crickets, which looked almost exactly like a younger version of yours (a bit smaller and paler). I got some good pictures of it which are posted here, along with a description. Ours had the standard crab-spider eye arrangement, and it looks like yours probably does too, so I'd say they are probably some kind of running crab spiders.

In the posting, I speculated that there could be a population of these spiders established in the cricket breeder's cages. The fact that you found one too tends to lend support to this possibility.

[info]urbpan

December 14 2010, 10:52:37 UTC 1 year ago

Re: I think it's some kind of crab spider

Wow, that one does look similar. And my second photo shows a typical running crab spider stance. I think you are onto something.

[info]urbpan

December 14 2010, 10:54:47 UTC 1 year ago

Re: I think it's some kind of crab spider

Hey, is this you?: http://bugguide.net/node/view/365896/bgpage

Mighty strange coincidence if it isn't.

[info]tceisele

December 14 2010, 12:56:34 UTC 1 year ago

Re: I think it's some kind of crab spider

Actually no, it isn't me, I live in Michigan. Sure looks like the same spider species, though. The theory that at least one major cricket breeder has an established, thriving crab spider population in their rearing cages has just received a pretty substantial boost!

[info]urbpan

December 14 2010, 20:12:44 UTC 1 year ago

Re: I think it's some kind of crab spider

Very interesting.

I just took a look at your site. Very nice! People ask you some weird questions. People seem to find my page when looking for "red spiders." (Woodlouse spiders.)

[info]temeres

December 14 2010, 18:45:22 UTC 1 year ago

My immediate thought, going especially by the second picture, is that it might be a species of Philodromus. Not swearing to that, of course - spiders are tricksy to ID. It's a big genus with lotsa species that have a tendency to look more than a little similar.
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