Fishing Spider

Pisauridae—Nursery Web Spiders

Dolomedes tenebrosus

Fishing spiders are similar to the larger wolf spiders in size, shape, and coloration. Species in the genus Dolomedes are called fishing spiders because most live near water and have been reported to catch small fish and aquatic insects from the water as they walk on the surface. The species Dolomedes tenebrosus is more frequently associated with wooded areas (it would be more accurately classified as a tree-dwelling spider) and is a common household invader in these locations. It occurs from New England and Canada south to Florida and Texas.

Description

D. tenebrosus is a fairly large spider. The females are 15 to 26 millimeters in length; males are 7 to 13 millimeters. Both sexes are brownish gray in color with black and lighter brown markings. The legs of both male and female are banded with alternating brown/black, scalloped annulations on the femora and reddish-brown/black annulations on the tibia. A closely related species, D. scriptus, is similar but has white "W" markings on the posterior portion of the abdomen.

Life History

Dolomedes tenebrosus is frequently found far away from water, usually in wooded settings. They hibernate as immature adults (penultimate instar) under stones or loose bark, in tree cavities, and in human-made structures and mature in the spring. Mature individuals may be found from early May through September. The egg sacs are deposited in June and are carried around by the females until the spiderlings are ready to hatch. Young spiderlings may be found from July through September. The young are guarded by the female in a nursery web and may number 1,000 or more.

Medical Importance

Fishing spiders are quite shy and generally run from humans at the slightest movement. Bites are typically no more severe than a bee or wasp sting. Exceptions do occur in individuals who are sensitive to spider venoms.

Reference

Baerg, W. J. 1936. The Black Widow. Ark. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 325. 34 pp.

Baerg, W. J. 1959. The Black Widow and Five Other Venomous Spiders in the United States. Ark. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 608. 43 pp.

Bradley, R. A. 2013. Common Spiders of North America. University of California Press. 271 pp.

Breene, R. G., et al. 2003. Common Names of Arachnids. 5th ed. The American Arachnological Society Committee on Common Names of Arachnids. 42 pp.

Gertsch, W. J., and F. Ennik. 1983. "The spider genus Loxosceles in North America, Central America, and the West Indies (Araneae, Loxoscelidae)." Bul Amer Mus. Nat. Hist. 175: 24–360.

Herms, W. B., and M. T. James. 1961. Medical Entomology. 5th ed. The Mac-Millan Company, New York. 616 pp.

Howell, W. M., and R. L. Jenkins. 2004. Spiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide. Pearson Education. 363 pp.

Isbister, G. K., and M. R. Gray. 2003. "Effects of envenoming by comb-footed spiders of the genera Steatoda and Achaearanea (Family Theridiidae: Araneae) in Australia." J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. 41: 809–819.

Kaston, B. J. 1948. "Spiders of Connecticut." Conn. State Geol. Nat. Hist. Survey. Bull. 70. 874 pp.

Kaston, B. J. 1972. How to Know the Spiders. 3rd ed. Wm. C. Brown Company, Dubuque, Iowa. 272 pp.

Levi, H. W. 1959. "The Spider Genus Latrodectus (Araneae, Theridiidae)." Trans. Amer. Microscopical Soc. 78(1): 7–43.

Long, D., R. Snetsinger, and K. F. Helm. 1995. "Localized Pruritic Rash Due to Recurrent Spider Bites." J. Geriatr. Dermatol. 3(6): 186–190.

McKeown, N., R. S. Vetter, and R. G. Hendrickson. 2014. "Verified spider bites in Oregon (USA) with the intent to assess hobo spider venom toxicity." Toxicon 84: 51–55.