Scary spider inquiry

[Justin D.]

Can anyone here identify a spider for me? I caught a scary-looking one in the house a few moments ago, and I'd really like to know what it is.



It's body is small, but its legs spread out to the width of the top of a can of soup.

There's no way I can tell Kristina about this. She'll never sleep in this house again. I'm actually quite worried for the dog. The scariest thing is that I found the spider just sitting on the armrest of the couch. Wasn't hiding or anything. I screamed like a little, little girl a few times when trying to capture it and then take a picture of it.

[Chuy!]

That looks suspiciously like a fiddleback spider... VERY POISONOUS! I don't know if they get that big, though... don't smash it with your hand as the poison will rot your skin... if you have any suspicious bites that look like ant bites... doctor time! May whatever god you believe in save your soul!!!

[Justin D.]

That looks suspiciously like a fiddleback spider... VERY POISONOUS! I don't know if they get that big, though... don't smash it with your hand as the poison will rot your skin... if you have any suspicious bites that look like ant bites... doctor time! May whatever god you believe in save your soul!!!

Someone else said it looks like a huntsman spider, and it seems to be that after looking it up. Luckily, it's not poisonous.

And dude, fiddleback spider? That made me look up images to verify and I felt like I was going to throw up just from looking at some of the pictures of people after getting bitten. Not cool.

[Chuy!]

Oh shit, did I not mention that I was joking? Egg on my face...

[Aden]

It also looks like it could be a female wolf spider. Those ladies get big!

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

my entymology experience is limited, but i BELIEVE that the larger the spider is, the less dangerous/poisonous. or that might just be scorpions. but i think it applies to both.

[sara farr]

Speaking of large DANGEROUS spiders...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BkomDGxQeA[/youtube]

One of my most FAVORITE movies. Very cheesy fx, but very good for its time.

Also... don't be scared, but...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dInbWS3 ... playnext=1[/youtube]

... and this one includes AWESOME ground breaking lighting techniques, developed by an USC professor! (Go Trojans!!)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Eh4nkP ... re=related[/youtube]

[Marc Majcher]

It also looks like it could be a female wolf spider. Those ladies get big!

Seconded. I just found one out back here, same thing, legspan probably four or five inches across. Totally harmless, as far as I know.

[Mike]

It appears to be a female giant house spider. I checked several sites and this looked the closest to your photo.

Females live under decks/porches in messy funnel-shaped webs. Late summer is their breeding time, and males will seek out females.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegenaria_duellica

Hint: Fiddleback/brown recluse spiders have six eyes in comparison to your regular 8 eyed spider.

[Justin D.]

It also looks like it could be a female wolf spider. Those ladies get big!

Seconded. I just found one out back here, same thing, legspan probably four or five inches across. Totally harmless, as far as I know.

It looks exactly like this one, whichever one it is, wolf or giant house. Luckily, they both seem to be low on the toxicity level, but I'm going to find out when the next time the exterminator comes by anyway. Either way, it scared the crap out of me when I found it on my couch.

Thanks, everyone. Except you, Chuy. You suck.

[Kim]

That spider only has seven legs! Poor little dude - I want to make him a tiny spider pegleg out of a twig.

[Chuy!]

You NEED me to suck......... the poison from your shoulder when that big bastard bites you... It's right behind you... you know what they say, "for every one you see, there's actually hundreds..." I'll miss you...