f the NATURE of our Travels: SPIDERS... by family

SPIDERS... by family

Spiders are air-breathing invertebrates with eight legs and fangs that inject venom. They can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. Some are difficult to identify and classify at present there seems to be around 45,700 species and 113 families. Spiders contribute to a healthy ecosystem by eating insects and pollinating plants. They are also a food source for a variety of animals. Although all can spin silk, not all spiders spin webs. Some prefer to burrow into the ground or just live within the foliage.



ARANEIDAE FAMILY - ORBWEAVER SPIDERS - The most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields and forests and is the third largest family of spiders.

MARBLED ORBWEAVER
BANDED ORBWEAVER
TROPICAL ORBWEAVER
SPINY-BACKED ORBWEAVER
FURROW ORBWEAVER
BRIDGE / GRAY CROSS ORBWEAVER
SPINED MICRATHENA ORBWEAVER
SPOTTED ORBWEAVER
GOLDEN SILK ORBWEAVER
TRASHLINE ORBWEAVER


LINYPHIIDAE FAMILY - SHEETWEB AND DWARF SPIDERS - The second largest family of spiders whose members are very small. Nicknamed the money spider as folklore says if found on you it has come to spin you new clothes.

BLACK-TAILED RED SHEATWEAVER
HAMMOCK SPIDER


LYCOSIDAE FAMILY - WOLF SPIDERS - Robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone and do not spin webs. Some make long tubular burrows in the ground.

BEACH WOLF SPIDER
CAROLINA WOLF SPIDER
WOLF SPIDER unspecified
WOLF SPIDER unspecified


OXYOPIDAE FAMILY - LYNX SPIDERS - Are ambush predators who spend their lives as hunting spiders on plants. They are very speedy runners and leapers, alert and with good vision.

GREEN LYNX SPIDER


PHILODROMIDAE FAMILY - Running Crab Spiders - Named for their speed and the fact they run sideways. They do not build webs but instead hunt their prey, chase them down, bite them and inject venom.

RED RUNNING CRAB SPIDER
RUNNING CRAB SPIDER no common name
RUNNING CRAB SPIDER no common name
SLENDER RUNNING CRAB SPIDER


SALTICIDAE FAMILY - JUMPING SPIDERS - The largest family of spiders. Their eye pattern is particular only to them. They are active day-time hunters with great vision and a body design that allows them to jump when needed.

GRAY WALL JUMPING SPIDER
PINK JUMPING SPIDER
DARING JUMPING SPIDER
CARDINAL JUMPING SPIDER
RED-BACKED JUMPING SPIDER
PUTNAM JUMPING SPIDER
TAN JUMPING SPIDER
JUMPING SPIDER


TETRAGNATHIDAE FAMILY - LONG-JAWED ORBWEAVERS - Long thin spiders with long thin legs. Their jaws are of great size and often project forward.

ORCHARD ORBWEAVER SPIDER
ORCHARD ORBWEAVER SPIDER
LONG-JAWED ORBWEAVER SPIDER


THERAPHOSIDAE FAMILY - TARANTULAS - Hairy, terrestrial spiders that burrow in the ground. There are approximately 900 species worldwide.

TARANTULA SPIDER


THERIDIIDAE FAMILY - COBWEB OR COMB-FOOT - A row of bristles on their fourth pair of legs help wrap silk around prey. This family of spiders is most commonly found inside a home. They exhibit the widest variety of web constructs of any spider family and their webs are typically irregular with sticky substrate.

SOUTHERN BLACK WIDOW - FEMALE
SOUTHERN BLACK WIDOW - MALE


THOMISIDAE FAMILY - CRAB SPIDERS - Said to have a resemblance to crabs due to the way they hold their front two pairs of legs and the fact that they can move sideways or backwards. These spiders are ambush predators as opposed to web builders. Some of the species can change color to mimic the color or pattern of the item they are sitting on. Crab spiders are very difficult to ID so most identifications on this page should be looked at skeptically.

BLACK CRAB SPIDER
GOLDENROD CRAB SPIDER
NORTHERN CRAB SPIDER
GROUND CRAB SPIDER UNSPECIFIED
UNKNOWN IMMATURE CRAB SPIDER
MECAPHESA UNSPECIFIED CRAB SPIDER
MECAPHESA UNSPECIFIED CRAB SPIDER



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