What is This Lovely Lady Greater Found in the Pittsburgh Area?
Posted Oct 22, 2012, 3:50 AM UTC
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You know, I looked at fishing spiders in a spiders of Pennsylvania publication and the one in the book looked a lot like this one. It also suggested that certain species of this genus might be more aptly named "tree dwelling spider." I was leaning toward the wolf based on body size alone. Either way, you're right, it's a beautiful monster of a spider. I also just realized how out of whack my title is. It's late...
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Beautiful spider.
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I estimated the body to be about 30mm. It was huge!
Maybe this one is Dolmedes Tenebrosus. I find it much harder to ID these kinds of spiders. Because they look a lot like wolf spiders. In fact when I went to look for this one I actually looked at wolf spiders first.
If this one in the picture is a Dark Fishing Spider then its a member of the Pisauridae, one of the prime differences between wolf spiders and nursery spider is the way they carry their young.
But this one is very beautiful. Very hard to see when it is on a tree.
Another very big difference between wolf spiders and nursery spiders:
Wolf spiders don't build webs. EDIT: To raise their young.
Hmm, thanks for the lesson, joot.
A bit misleading, as nursery web spiders are ranging hunters. You won't find most nursery/fishing spiders in a web. They don't build webs to catch prey like an orbweaver, but if they do, it's to tend their young (I'm not sure fishing spiders even do that - I've never seen it). They carry their egg sacs around, like a wolf spider, too. I don't think male nursery/fishing spiders build webs.