a journal about spiders found around Western PA
I was kneeling down on the floor sweeping cat-ejected kitty litter with a hand broom when I noticed a tiny, tan spider cruising along the floor. I'm talkin' TINY, like the head of a pin with legs. I only saw it because it was moving. A few hours prior, I caught a freely roaming juvenile... Continue Reading →
What makes for a good spider photo ID? Here are a few tips that will help if you're thinking of sending a photo to any type of social media group, nature app, or your friendly neighborhood "spiderologist". Identifying spiders to species by looking at a photo is very tricky and not as easy as you'd... Continue Reading →
I've been calling them "windowsill spiders" - small (~4mm), brown jumping spiders (Salticidae family) that appear against the white paint of the window sill as they scout for bugs. They were common enough, bland enough, and small enough that I never really gave them more thought than acknowledging that they were around. The face of... Continue Reading →
This is a story about luck, transformation, and opportunities (or the lack thereof) in the life of a peculiar spider, Neospintharus trigonum. These spiders are in the Theridiidae family AKA comb-footed spiders and/or cobweb spiders. I found one in my backyard (Pgh) in mid-May. I only spotted this speck of a spider because it was... Continue Reading →
Considering our current events, I thought this might be an interesting topic, although a good suggestion from my sister, "Do spiders poop?" is definitely something blog-able in the near future. These two topics may overlap on some level. I've witnessed a lot of spider deaths of various causes and sometimes spider poop is the last... Continue Reading →
It's hard to find spiders in winter around here. During winter hikes, I casually search by peeking beneath loose bark and flipping over an occasional rock or log (and putting it back in place after). Sometimes, I get lucky. Most of the time I find nothing. The types of spiders I most often DO find... Continue Reading →
There's a reason I don't have many blogs about the family Salticidae (salt-TISS-id-ee) AKA jumping spiders. These active, fuzzy spiders are SO mobile that I've always felt badly about keeping them cooped up inside a container. Plus, they have more anthropomorphic qualities than other spiders with those big eyes looking at me as they pace... Continue Reading →
It was a warm, sunny day in the outskirts of the city. The windows were open and the sheer curtains were billowing in the breeze. The day was lazy with the cats perched on the window sills, ears and tails twitching. I was digging around in my supplies when I heard the strangest sound. It... Continue Reading →
Single male spider seeking mature female. Must have pitted carapace, be between 6 and 7 mm, and have white "T" marking on the front of the abdomen. Likes to hang out, do ropes courses, and enjoys romantic insect dinners at twilight.*** I was visiting family in the Jefferson Hills area south of Pittsburgh over the winter... Continue Reading →
The "slower" days of winter in the spider world aren't slower because there aren't any spiders to find, they're slower because they're harder to find. I did a few sweep net samples in November and December in Frick Park to see what was out there and scooped up some spiders that were new to me.... Continue Reading →
False WIDOW? Right away, people get nervous about the name. It's the perfect cue for scary music and another reason to be afraid of spiders. But it's not. The first thing everyone wants to know is, "Are they venomous?" All spiders, except for the family Uloboridae are venomous, so when an article boasts, "VENOMOUS SPIDERS... Continue Reading →
