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Tom Murray | profile | all galleries >> Texas Spiders

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Texas Spiders

Immature Silver Argiope-Argiope argentata	Immature Silver Argiope-Argiope argentata	Arrow-shaped Micrathena, Micrathena sagittata	Silver Argiope, Argiope argentata
Neoscona oaxacensis	Green Lynx Spider - Peucetia viridans, on her egg sac	Gasteracantha cancriformis - Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver	Mexican Two-tailed Spider - Tama mexicana
Larinia directa	Orchard Spider - Leucauge venusta	Orchard Spider - Leucauge venusta	Metepeira labyrinthea
Silver Argiope, Argiope argentata.	Jumping spider, family Salticidae. Pretty sure its that "pantropical" one	Gray Wall Jumper - Menemerus bivitattus

Donna		18-Jul-2008 17:39
By the way...the brown one I found on my screen....did not have 8 legs...it had 2 very long furry brown ones in the front and back.

Donna		18-Jul-2008 17:36
I killed a spider on my 4yr old daughter today(she walked through the web..i guess, because it was stuck to her...on her dress not her skin thank god) It was sooo weird...it was bright orange with a bright green back....it was about the size of a quarter. I'm freaking out. I cannot find it on any of the spider websites. I live in northeast Florida(Daytona area) They are all overthe place here. I also found a big furry brown one on my pool screen....What was that?? Should I be afraid to let my kids go outside. I just moved here from New England where you very rarely see any spiders...soo as you can tell I'm a bit nervous. Any help would be great... Thanks

Guest		18-Jul-2008 13:19
I killed a spider in my house last night. It was very large, black spider with grey on its legs. The legs were very long compared to its body. when I sprayed it with poison it went crazy trying to fight the spray. I live in East Texas. Does anyone know what it might be? I can't find pictures anywhere.

Kevin		03-Jul-2008 21:06
I think I may have spottedmy previous spider description on another answer as Neoscona crucifera. Thanks, happy fourth.

Kevin		03-Jul-2008 20:34
I found a spider in my house in Grapevine Tx. I cannot get a good picture but I will describe it as best I can. It is about 3/4 inch in length. Coloring is tannish/ yellow. The abdomen is wide, kind of triangular shaped. On the top side of the abdomen the coloring is more dull orange with a yellow stripe. The bottom of the abdomen is a patch of yellow with a black hour glass. I could not find a pic on line so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Cathy		03-Jul-2008 12:47
I searched Bug Guide and could not find a brown spider with a yellow stripe anywhere. His head was extremely small and a darker brown than the rest of his body. If he is dangerous please let me know.

Tom Murray		03-Jul-2008 10:38
Kristin, you could have Brown Widows http://bugguide.net/node/view/23403/bgimage or immature/male black widows http://bugguide.net/node/view/135810/bgimage

kristin		03-Jul-2008 10:22
by the way I live in katy texas near houston

Kristin		03-Jul-2008 10:21
There are several brown spiders that look similar to a black widow..they have a faint red hour glass on their body....do you have any idea what they could be and if so are they dangerous???

Cathy		03-Jul-2008 04:03
I just killed a small brown spider. He was sort of hairy. Head was small, and the body was brown with a yellow stripe down it. What kind of spider is this? He was in the hall near the baseboard. Live in Houston, in a condo. Thanks

Tom Murray		02-Jul-2008 20:45
Amy, Your spider with a fat abdomen could be either an orb weaver http://bugguide.net/node/view/1972/bgimage or a cobweb weaver http://bugguide.net/node/view/1960/bgimage There's a lot of different ones to choose from, and without seeing it, it's hard to tell.

Tom Murray		02-Jul-2008 20:40
Lori, if your bug does have 8 legs, is green and flat, it might be one of the crab spiders. Some of them can be very flat. Otherwise it could be a green stinkbug, but without seeing it, it's hard to say.

Amy		25-Jun-2008 21:26
By the way, the big black spider's legs were not very long in relation to it's body - it was very fat and round - and it did not try to move away - it was in the entrance of a public building when I found it.

Amy		25-Jun-2008 21:22
I found a big spider, at least three fourths of an inch long or more, black, fat with huge abdomen, not a jumping spider, and it had a white triangle on the back of it's abdomen, black on its belly, when I prodded it with a pen, it made a strong line to my pen, which took some doing to disconnect. It kept rather still for a while, but did not act terribly scared. Unfortunately, someone smashed it. Could be a common garden spider?

Lori		23-Jun-2008 23:40
Tom, we just moved to Round Rock. We had a small (tip of your pinkie) light lime green bug, it almost looked like a very flat crab, with what looked like 3 curved legs out the front of him on each side and a smaller pair of legs in the back. Any clues as to what it was?

JEN		23-Jun-2008 06:52
I found a spider that looks like the spider on this link bugsinthenews (it is the first row and the 2nd two last spider. It's huge. Large abdomen with yellow bumps on the top and bottom of abdomen, with large fangs and brown in color. What the heck is it? I live in Canyon Lake Texas. Please let me know...it was headed to the puppies bed!! I have it in a glass jar and it's still alive! Thanks Jen RESCUEMEDICB@YAHOO>COM

Tom Murray		21-Jun-2008 02:52
Connor and guest, the spider you're describing sounds like the Bold Jumping Spider. http://bugguide.net/node/view/2006 They look nasty, but their venom is only strong enough to kill their insect prey. If one did bite a person, which usually doesn't happen unless the spider is grabbed, it might leave a small welt, about the same as a bee sting.

Guest		20-Jun-2008 19:10
I Live in ny state and found a spider in the mailbox. It was black, furry, with teal fangs, one big orange spot on back and two smaller on the butt. Do you know what it may be?

conner		20-Jun-2008 18:19
I cought a spider, it is black with a large white dot on its abdomen, and two smaller white dots bellow the large one. it also has teal fangs. i live in colorado, do you know what it is ?

Tom Murray		19-Jun-2008 22:22
Vicky, it sounds like your spider is an orb weaver, perhaps something close to this one http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/85232336

Vicky Harris		19-Jun-2008 21:20
HELP! We had a small spider on our porch that kept it clear of bugs--so we left it alone. Now its gotten BIG. We call it "Wild Thing," because it's the wildest looking spider we've ever seen. White on top with black/white legs and some light blue. Any ideas? We're in Houston, TExas

heathj		10-Jun-2008 02:46
hey all we came home tonight and found what appears to be a small tarantula. He has a white back the thorax area I believe with a dark sword like shape pointing towards his fangs, he has hairy body and legs with bands of grey and white on his legs. he is much slimmer than other tarantulas I have seen before and his fangs are not close together but spread apart. been looking for any info on what he could be but nothing I have found looks like him. Any ideas please email me heathj@flash.net. this is my first time to this site.

donna sides		07-Jun-2008 18:43
Please if you know. Tyler, Tx....spider body size of a dime, small hairs on all legs, ebony black with turquois probicus.

Tom Murray		06-Jun-2008 23:18
Susan, you probably had one of the fishing spiders on you. They can get huge. Here's a few to compare it with. http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/nursery_web_and_fishing_spiders_pisauridae

Guest		06-Jun-2008 15:24
I was swimming in our pool and I felt something crawling down my back. I screamed and jumped out. The spiders body was a blackish/grey and it had black legs with white stripes. It's body was about the size of a small muffin. What do you think it was? Susan

ryan		05-Jun-2008 22:05
I live down in houston and i saw a small very light greenish yellow color, almost white with bright orange on its abdomen. Looking thru the gallery it seems to resemble the orchard spider the closest. Does this sound like a young one or is it something else?

Kai		02-Jun-2008 17:10
Today I was washing my car and a spider landed on me that had brown/blackish legs and a white body that looked like a big sac. The spider bit me and it only left a small red mark but I can't figure out what kind it was...can you help?

janie		01-Jun-2008 16:59
My 2yr. old granddaughter who loves bugs, picked up a small black spider and it bit her. It's black with tiny hairs, yellow spot on its (lower half of) it's oval shaped body. It has Two hind legs, four middle legs, and two protruding legs with fangs. It also has several yellow spots through out it's skin. We live in northern part of Ohio, do you know what kind of spider this is?

Tom Murray		30-May-2008 01:08
Annmaree and Steven, it sounds like you are describing jumping spiders, maybe like these Bold Jumping Spiders http://bugguide.net/node/view/2006/bgimage Donnine, you might be describing some sort of Orb Weaver spider, and Helen, that description could fit a number of spiders, like wolf spiders, sac spiders, or something else. There's only a few kinds of spiders to worry about with the vast majority that aren't dangerous to people. Most spiders are beneficial to have around, because they eat lots of nuisance insects, and sometimes each other.

Steven Fennell		28-May-2008 20:59
We are attempting to identify a spider that a friend said bit him when he was doing work in an empty house. He said it jumped out of the window sill when he was working. He described it as having a diamond shape on the back. He also said it had three stripes coming down the back also. Any idea what kind of spider it could be? He said the bite made a water blister. Thanks for your help.

Donnine		26-May-2008 03:50
We live in Keller, Texas (NW DFW area) and I keep finding small stocky black and yellow spiders. The black is very very shiny. The legs are pretty short. I find them on my patio sitting on a chair also inside a cupboard outside. Any clue what this is?

Annmaree		25-May-2008 16:23
Hello Tom, Last night my husband killed a spider in our kitchen.AFter seeing the remains in the kleenex I thought it was a black widow as it had the distinct hourglass shape. The hourglass was on its back not the abdomen and it was not shiny black as I remember black widows being. Any idea what it was?

helen		23-May-2008 04:09
HEY TOM. MY DAUGHTER WAS TAKING A SHOWER WHEN I HEARD HER SCREAM, "SPIDER". ANYWAY, I AM VERY PARANOID ABOUT BROWN RECLUSE AND BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS. I LIVE RIGHT ON A LARGE LAKE IN TEXAS. THERE ARE SOME STRANGE BUGS OUT HERE. BUT THE ONE IN THE SHOWER HAS ME WORRIED. I HAD RECENTLY KILLED ONE JUST LIKE IT A WEEK BEFORE AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. BUT WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM? I CAUGHT THE LAST ONE AND PUT IN A JAR WITH AN ALCOHOL SOAKED COTTON BALL. IT SOON FADED. THE MARKINGS ARE NOT FAMILIAR TO ME. IT IS SMALL WITH SPOTS ON ITS LEGS AND BACK, ALMOST A TRANSLUCENT BROWN. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?

Tom Murray		09-May-2008 01:23
Connie's spider was probably a female wolf spider. They will carry their young around on their back until the spiderlings grow a little.

Jimmie		08-May-2008 15:35
I have killed 2 spiders in my home that Connie from Humble described. What are they?

Guest		08-Apr-2008 01:04
Hi Tom! I live in Marble Falls Texas in a pecan orchard. I was out trimming the lower branches off the trees and I kept seeing a very wierd red and black spider/insect. I have been searching for hours and have not found a thing. It was small and very skinny. It was not a black widow because we have those in our shed. They are not baby black widows because I have seen plenty of pictures of those. Can you please help me research pecan tree spiders. I am going to try to fix my camera so I can get a picture. It looked really neat. Thanks

Tom Murray		19-Mar-2008 04:03
Stephanie and Sam, It sounds like the spider you described is probably is a bold jumping spider. http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/32568839 They're harmless to people, and are great hunters that catch lots of bugs, and even some other spiders like black widows. In the remote chance that one did bite you, it would only leave a small bump, like most other insect bites.

Guest		14-Mar-2008 19:23
If you can help, here's my address: samanthatemplin@yahoo.com ~Sam

Guest		14-Mar-2008 19:21
I just found a furry black spider with some white markings, and as Christi Young posted below, it has shiny, turquoise fangs. It's about the size of a quarter, maybe just larger with legs spread and the eyes are large enough to see them all....freaky, and it started fighting with the fly swatter when I was about to kill it, but caught it instead. Any idea what it is, if it's poisonous?? ~Sam

Naomi Smith		18-Nov-2007 18:14
Outside of my mothers house in McKinney Texas she has a very unique silver spider that we can not find on any spider website. We have a picture we can send you via email. Please let us know of any information on this spider. Is he dangerous, how long will he live, is he a she, stuff like that. He has become a good luck charm and would like to do anything to keep him around and happy. My email is kcledu66442@yahoo.com, and my mothers email is sathompson2006@yahoo.com. Thank you Naomi Smith & Sheri Thompson of McKinney, Texas.

Guest		12-Nov-2007 00:00
My kids were outside playing and found a spider, I tried to kill it and it had a hard shell body. The head was furry red and the body was furry yellow with five black legs on each side and maybe some black markings. Any idea what we found? Thanks, Elizabeth

Cal		11-Nov-2007 15:39
Ha! Just found it. Banded garden spider. She's lovely. Thanks for the space.

Cal		11-Nov-2007 15:36
Hello Mr. Murray. Thanks for your website. I was harvesting my tomatoes just now after having been away for a week, and found an extremely tightly spun, very large web and opened my eyes to the spider who would make such a lovely home. She is actually in my tomato plants. She's the size of a fifty cent piece (remember those?) and is yellow and black or dk brown tiger striped! In all my years of respecting Texas spiders, I don't recall a tiger spider. So, I'm leaving her to all the ants and aphids she can gobble. Any ideas as to what kind of spider she may be? Many thanks.

sandra		02-Nov-2007 18:41
I have a large spider outside on the stucco of my house. It's body is black and itr has yellow markings. The front legs split into two legs at the end. Can you please tell me what it is and if it is harmful.

Ben		02-Nov-2007 12:08
Hi! We have a burnt orange spider with a big body and giant orb web. We live in Dallas. He seems to like to come out at night, but also is found on his web during day. He have seen him or probably one like him the same season the last four years. He likes to weave webs up high by the roof. Any ideas what he might be? Thank you. Longhorn Spider Fans

Max		11-Oct-2007 03:37
What happens to spiders in the winter time during freezing weather? Where do they go. If the answer is in my house, just forget it. I don't want to hear that!

Max		11-Oct-2007 03:30
Mr Murray, I love your pictures! Now to my question. I have a very large spider on my front porch building a web about 14 inches in diameter. He is a brown color but underneath his stomach (or whatever) he has a black spot with a connected yellow spot on each side of the black spot. He is about 1.5 to 2 inches from leg tip to leg tip. Everytime he sees me he runs to the other side of his web and tucks his legs under himself. I can in tonight and he has built a very elaborate web. I leave the porch light on each evening for awhile and it helps him catch bugs. Do you have any idea what kind of spider he is? Couldn't get a picture tonight but will try tomorrow and will send you one on email. thanks..... I live in Austin.

Jason		04-Oct-2007 02:13
Hello, Mr. Murray. I found a rather large spider below the eave of my house. Based on my preliminary research, I believe it to be a Labyrinth Orb Weaver. It has a gray cephalothorax, a rather beautiful abdomen with brown, black, and tan stripe patterns, and long spindly brown and tan striped legs. However, my research reveals these spider's habitats are generally restricted to West Texas, Southern Arizona, and Southern California. I live in San Antonio. Also, several websites describe a small, almost inconspicuous spider while my eight-legged friend outside is quite large...about 1 inch in length from abdomen to chelicerae. Including leg-span it appears to be over 2 inches in total length. My question is what is this spider doing in South Texas and why is it so large compared to catalogue descriptions?

Tom Murray		02-Oct-2007 13:48
Hi North Texas, I'm not sure which spider you have, but it doesn't sound like a recluse. Here's some pictures and info about the brown recluse. http://bugguide.net/node/view/33493 The only dangerous spiders in North America are the Recluse, Hobo (northwest), and the Widows. So it's probably one of the thousands of harmless, but scary looking spiders.

Guest		02-Oct-2007 04:30
I live in North texas and I picked up an afaghan that usually sits on the couch and a spider came out of it. It is light brown/tan with dark stripes running from its head to its tail. Almost looks like a violin on its head like a recluse but it also is striped on its bottom part and thought recluses had solid color bottoms. Thought it might be a wolf spider but it's legs are skinny and not hairy? Help!

Guest		30-Sep-2007 22:30
bigger than a quarter. Black and furry spider, w/ white strips and bluish/greenish face (mouth/eyes) what kind of spider is this?

Connie		28-Sep-2007 00:43
Hi, I was in my kitchen and a spider with a very large(fat bottomed), brown in color, was about the size of a quarter, I tried to kill it and many small spiders came flowing out of the spider. Needless to say I am not sleeping as well in Humble as I used to! Please What is it?

Connie		28-Sep-2007 00:43
Hi, I was in my kitchen and a spider with a very large(fat bottomed), brown in color, was about the size of a quarter, I tried to kill it and many small spiders came flowing out of the spider. Needless to say I am not sleeping as well in Humble as I used to! Please What is it?

Meghann		23-Sep-2007 07:54
I live in Commerce about an hour and a half NE of Dallas. Above my front door are two spiders about 2in. body that are metallic shiny silver with black and yellow striped legs. The legs are sectioned in 4 sets of two and feeding off the insects around my porch light. Their webs can extend great distances like 20feet or so. If you can help that would be awesome. Thanks!

Les		21-Sep-2007 20:33
I live in north Dallas near preston and LBJ in a community of townhomes. I noticed out the window a hugh spider web extending from one tree to another, which would be about 10 feet apart. The spider in the center of the web was about 1 1/2" in lenght and about 1/2" wide. It's body was large almost shaped like an acorn. It was peach/orange in color all over, including it's legs. I saw it through my binoc when it climbed up its web to the tree and disappeared. It seemed to have tiny black specs on its back and a large single black dot on it's underside. I cant find it anywhere online. Can you help? Thx, Les

Judy		20-Sep-2007 01:15
I do not have a picture of the spider I'm trying to identify. I'll try my best to describe it. I live in Lubbock, Texas, (West Texas). The spider was in my flower bed. It was large, a large abdomen, brown on the back of the abdomen, bright orange on the front of the abdomen. The legs wer very long and bright orange. If anyone can help me or tell me where I can look at pictures to identify, Thanks, Judy

Guest		19-Sep-2007 06:48
I know it's a bad picture but I remember that the abdomen had a rough texture.. kind of reminded me of tree bark or warts or something of that sort

Guest		19-Sep-2007 06:45
I know it's a bad picture but I remember that the abdomen had a rough texture.. kind of reminded me of tree bark or warts or something of that sort

Guest		19-Sep-2007 06:34
Found a spider. Wonder if you could help identify. www.xanga.com/spider281

Guest		19-Sep-2007 06:33
Found a spider. Wonder if you could help identify. www.xanga.com/spider281

Kelsi Groomer		19-Sep-2007 04:11
I go to Texas A&M and I was sitting under a tree and I got bit by what I thought was an ant but when I went to touch the spot it was a spider, the bite hurts and stings but I'm not sure what kind of a spider it was, it was really small and was all black with a shiny blue/turquoise back. Help! I don't know itf its dangerous or not.

Kelsi Groomer		18-Sep-2007 04:43
I go to Texas A&M and I was sitting under a tree and I got bit by what I thought was an ant but when I went to touch the spot it was a spider, the bite hurts and stings but I'm not sure what kind of a spider it was, it was really small and was all black with a shiny blue/turquoise back. Help! I don't know itf its dangerous or not.

Tom Murray		18-Sep-2007 01:22
Kelsi, out of the thousands of spider species in the U.S., there's only a few that are dangerous to people. Most bites aren't any worse than a bee sting, but if you have more pain than usual, or other symptoms appear, then see a doctor.

Kelsi Groomer		17-Sep-2007 22:38
I go to Texas A&M and I was sitting under a tree and I got bit by what I thought was an ant but when I went to touch the spot it was a spider, the bite hurts and stings but I'm not sure what kind of a spider it was, it was really small and was all black with a shiny blue/turquoise back. Help! I don't know itf its dangerous or not.

Brandon		16-Sep-2007 18:45
Response to Christi Young, Becky Hawley and Ashley Wise: Your descriptions match that of a harmless Jumping Spider of the family Salticidae.

Theresa		12-Sep-2007 19:41
found a spider in my home. The spider witha tan to light brown with a dark strip going length wise. Is this dangerous? It was about the size of a dime.

Tonja		12-Sep-2007 14:17
I have a spider that me & my 2 y.o. found in the garden. It is about the size of a dime and top of it's body is shiny silver but the bottom is yellow & black with a orange spot on his but. The legs are long & black & white striped.

Guest		09-Sep-2007 15:48
Ashley that sounds like a Tranchula or how ever they spell it

ashley wise		05-Sep-2007 17:28
this is in response to becky. i have no idea what kind of spider that is but i just found one in my car and it got away and is now hiding somewhere in my car so if u found out what it was let me know! it was black, fat, white stripes and bright blue fangs. Lake jackson texas

Becky Hawley		30-Aug-2007 02:55
Found a black spider with white stripe in the center and had teal circle around body back... does any one know what type of spider this is and if it is venemous?

A. Hernandez		29-Aug-2007 11:06
Just like every one else I have a couple of spiders in the tree in my front yard that I can't seem to identify. I live in San Antonio if it helps. It's body is an oval shape, simmilar to the shape of the Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver pictured on this web site, but it is a bright red- orange with black spots. Its legs and head are black. The webs are about a foot and a half across. Please, any body with and ideas, I would love to know what it is before my kids get near it...A. Hernandez

christi young		08-Aug-2007 04:44
My 6 yr old and I found a spider on the outside of our home and I was just wondering if you could tell me what kind you thought it was. Anyhow, its body was the size of a quarter, and was black and furry. The only thing odd was brite blue/turquoise fangs. Never seen one all black with blue fangs. Kinda odd around here I guess. We just built a new home and they are still building around us - so I am guessing that the construction is bringing out the worst around here. Please let me know if you have any information on this one. I have 2 young daughters and they are always playing in the yard - scary!!! Thanks a bunch........Christi Young (Woodlands, TX)

christi young		08-Aug-2007 04:43
My 6 yr old and I found a spider on the outside of our home and I was just wondering if you could tell me what kind you thought it was. Anyhow, its body was the size of a quarter, and was black and furry. The only thing odd was brite blue/turquoise fangs. Never seen one all black with blue fangs. Kinda odd around here I guess. We just built a new home and they are still building around us - so I am guessing that the construction is bringing out the worst around here. Please let me know if you have any information on this one. I have 2 young daughters and they are always playing in the yard - scary!!! Thanks a bunch........Christi Young (Woodlands, TX)

Cody		06-Aug-2007 06:20
I found a spider, its huge, it has a cross design on its back, its web was very weird. It was in the shape of a triangle, the web was at least 2 1/2 ft in diameter, and there were 3 support strings one going straight down, one to the left to a light pole and one to the right to my tree. From the pole to the tree is easily 10 ft so its a huge web. Im no expert at spiders, im deathly scared of them as a matter of fact, i cant find it on the net, id appreciate it if you could help, thanks. I took pictures of it id i can figure out how to get them on here ill send them.

Cody		06-Aug-2007 06:20
I found a spider, its huge, it has a cross design on its back, its web was very weird. It was in the shape of a triangle, the web was at least 2 1/2 ft in diameter, and there were 3 support strings one going straight down, one to the left to a light pole and one to the right to my tree. From the pole to the tree is easily 10 ft so its a huge web. Im no expert at spiders, im deathly scared of them as a matter of fact, i cant find it on the net, id appreciate it if you could help, thanks. I took pictures of it id i can figure out how to get them on here ill send them.

Cody		06-Aug-2007 06:16
I found a spider, its huge, it has a cross design on its back, its web was very weird. It was in the shape of a triangle, the web was at least 2 1/2 ft in diameter, and there were 3 support strings one going straight down, one to the left to a light pole and one to the right to my tree. From the pole to the tree is easily 10 ft so its a huge web. Im no expert at spiders, im deathly scared of them as a matter of fact, i cant find it on the net, id appreciate it if you could help, thanks. I took pictures of it id i can figure out how to get them on here ill send them.

Mary		05-Aug-2007 22:33
I took a picture yesterday of a spider at a lake near Cleveland, TX, and I can't identify it with any of your photos. It has a black body, with long yellow/black striped legs. It had built a huge, 3-dimensional web between 2 trees. I would send you the photo, but I can't figure out how to do it. I would appreciate your telling me what it is. Thanks, Mary

Angelfire		03-Aug-2007 03:44
Those of you describing a spider with white and black legs and white markings on the abdomen are likely talking about a yellow garden spider or some sub species ..they are very common in Texas, and weave very elaborate and strong webs, but nothing to be afraid of as they are completely and utterly harmless. There bite is less painful then a bee sting and leaves a red patch that dissipates in minutes. Lara are you sure its a spider? Theres a insect called a kissing bug that specializes in biting people and other animals while they sleep to drain blood and will leave welps very similar to mosquito bite. They can also lead to very serious health problems and should be taken care of professionally (extermination) if thats the case. There almost impossible to find cause they can hide in tiny tiny cracks. I've never heard of any species of spiders repeatedly biting someone in there sleep. Scorpions will frequently enter beds with people, and bark scorpions are common throughout texas, but if one of those got her you would know it. They are harmless also but hurt like you wouldn't believe.

Kara		02-Aug-2007 16:03
There was a spider in my car the other day and I can't find a picture of it. It looked like a normal spider in the Houston, TX area, but was bright greeen. There were no other colors on it either. The body of it wasn't big, about the same thickness throughout. When I got if out of the car, it kind of jumped/ ran away. Didn't crawl slowly.

mark lewis		26-Jul-2007 22:28
btw my email is matt76248@yahoo.com for whoever else might know what it is

mark lewis		26-Jul-2007 22:27
i found a spider today and it has an arrow on its back (like a bow and arrow) and i was wondering what it might be? it looks like a baby torantula or however you spell it but i dont know what it could be. post back plz most likely send me email cause i probly wont be back to this site cause ill be looking for answers as to what it might be. thanks bye

noratheexplorer		28-Jun-2007 19:32
I for one, do not like spiders, but do not believe in killing them if they are not in the home or harming me or anyone in my family, however, my sister seems to feel differently and insists on killing them no matter what. I read up on spiders all the time now because I have seen a few in my yard now that we've planted a few different trees, plants and rose bushes. I know plants attract bugs, which I know spiders like as well as the water and mulch used for the plants and I know spiders are important to the environment and don't want to spray our home because I read that would only motivate the spiders to move into the home. My sister and I argue constantly over this and I know making a fuss about it is not worth anything, however, I really feel killing them is even more worthless. Please let me know what I should do. I also remember growing up, seeing spider monkeys (spiders that look like monkeys when the move) in our yard and was trying to look them up to no avail since spider monkeys are actually monkeys. I probably have the wrong name and would like to know the correct name if you can provide me with this information as well.

Lora		16-May-2007 19:14
My daughter has been bitten a few times in her home but it happens when shes sleeping. I have gone to her house and gone over every inch to find the spider and have not seen one spider. Is there any way to trap a spider? Obviously, its not a venomous spider or she would be dead. Shes been bitten about 8 times and it scares me to death. I read that spiders sometimes nibble on people when they are sleeping. Is that true? Thats stuff nightmares are made of. Thanks for your time. Lora

Spider Guru		10-May-2007 07:08
Its worth noting that the majority of spiders native to Texas are not venomous, so most of you have little to worry about. The three to look out for are: the black widow and brown widow (which are usually found outdoors), and the brown recluse (which likes to roam and are often found in houses). All three are especially dangerous to children and the elderly, although the bite of the widows can cause extreme pain and muscle cramping in the average adult. The brown recluse can sometimes cause necrotic ulcers which take months to heal and leave deep scars. I highly urge everyone to look up these species and familiarize yourselves with their appearance and habitat preferences. Please note that although the spiders arent typically aggressive, they will bite defensively if disturbed (or in the case of the widows, if defending their egg sac). This can sometimes be difficult to avoid, as accidents can happen when most of us are unaware of any danger. For example - recluse bites often happen when the spider wanders into an article of clothing that is later worn, or roams across a bed spread during the night. The recluse bite may be initially painless, and isnt noticed until a large wound develops. Being respectfully aware of the spiders and their habits can save time and trouble (hospital bills mainly) for everyone.

Amanda		09-May-2007 19:26
I just moved to Texas and was outside when I found a spider web near the roof. I looked for the spider and found one crawling on the side of the house. It is not any of the ones that you have pictured here so I thought maybe you could tell me what it is. It looked like a type of jumping spider. It was black all over, but had white rings on its legs. It also had a white spot on its rear. I hope that you can tell me what it is because I am terrified of spiders all ready and want to prevent any more from coming around. Thanks

Stephanie Taylor		13-Jun-2006 06:33
We just moved in to a new subdivision in a rural area, however this used to be a farmers field. We have these little spders in particular that have me very upset. They are small with light brown legs, and their body is almost black. the thing that stands out the most is they have these fang looking things on their head (they probably are fangs)!! They are very, very quick. I have managed to catch one. I need to know what the heck this thing is because for some reason my son keeps waking up with spiderbites on his face!!! He got the 2nd one this week. They make a red bump like a mosquitoe bite and he says they itch. Thanks for your help!

Patti Johnson		06-May-2006 14:39
We just bought 10 acres in Canyon Lake - the property has a windmill and my son was looking at it and found tons of scary spiders - one he captured had a very large "tick like" body that looks like a snake or frog (camoflage?), and the legs are almost striped - white and black. The spider has fangs and its web is as strong as fishing line - we put a scorpion in with it and the spider spun it so tightly you cannot feel the scorpion. Help! This has us terrified.

Colt West		25-Jan-2006 08:32
Hello. While my father and I were moving things out of our storage shed we came across several spiders that I had never seen before. We live in Central Texas, near Waco, and I have seen virtualy every spider that lives in this area but nothing like these. I was unable to get a picture of one of them, but I will try to describe it. (Forgive my crude terminology, it's been a while since Biology.) It was fairly large, with a full leg span a bit larger than a silver dollar. The legs were solid black, and its head was black but it had a brown circle in the middle with a white band around the circle, and its rearend was spherical and a pale grey color. There were no discernable web patterns in the shed, but there were webs all over everything close to the ground. We found three different ones in the back of the truck, which was a little unsettling because I didn't know what kind they were and we were both barehanded carrying things. It not likely I will see another one with an oppurtunity to take a picture of it, but if you have any idea what species it might be I would be delighted if you would email me and let me know. I like spiders and the possibility that this might be an unknown species or even one not known to inhabit this area is intriguing. Thank you for your time.

Titia Geertman		02-Jan-2005 12:51
Just love your spider gallerie, they're beautiful.

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