Spider Identification for the Terrified
May 7, 2012 8:30 PM Subscribe
What spider is this? Also, we sucked him up in our Dyson vacuum which is currently out on the deck... what do we dooooo?
Best answer: Tip Charlotte out of the vacuum, let her wander off, and hope she isn't too damaged to live.
Disclaimer: I'm Australian, and a fan of spiders. And I think that one is too cute to kill.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 8:44 PM on May 7, 2012 [13 favorites]
Disclaimer: I'm Australian, and a fan of spiders. And I think that one is too cute to kill.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 8:44 PM on May 7, 2012 [13 favorites]
Where do you live?
That looks exactly like a huntsman (or cane) spider. Completely harmless, only eats bugs, and you would have to really provoke it to get it to bite you. People sometimes like having them around because they keep the cockroaches away. They're just so fast that it freaks people (including me) out.
posted by librarianshenanigan at 8:45 PM on May 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
That looks exactly like a huntsman (or cane) spider. Completely harmless, only eats bugs, and you would have to really provoke it to get it to bite you. People sometimes like having them around because they keep the cockroaches away. They're just so fast that it freaks people (including me) out.
posted by librarianshenanigan at 8:45 PM on May 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It's a goddamn spider, named after an animal that would you for breakfast. Kill it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:46 PM on May 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:46 PM on May 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
We'll need an approximate size and geographical location to accurate identify it...
posted by imagineerit at 8:47 PM on May 7, 2012
posted by imagineerit at 8:47 PM on May 7, 2012
Response by poster: Size: huge! about 2.5 inches.
We're in SE Michigan. In a traditionally built house in the middle of the woods.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 8:51 PM on May 7, 2012
We're in SE Michigan. In a traditionally built house in the middle of the woods.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 8:51 PM on May 7, 2012
Best answer: As the OP is from Michigan, I doubt it's a Huntsman spider. The color and the legs aren't quite right either; no vertical "crab legs".
Looks to me like a wolf spider. That are fun, aren't they?
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:54 PM on May 7, 2012
Looks to me like a wolf spider. That are fun, aren't they?
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:54 PM on May 7, 2012
Er, *They are fun. Derp derp.
My parents also live in the middle of the woods and were recently INFESTED with wolf spiders. If this picture doesn't give you nightmares, well... maybe you should study spiders for a living.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:00 PM on May 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
My parents also live in the middle of the woods and were recently INFESTED with wolf spiders. If this picture doesn't give you nightmares, well... maybe you should study spiders for a living.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:00 PM on May 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Consensus seems to be wolf spider. I must say I was hopeful that you might tell me it was just a pretty butterfly and I was confused. We (and by we I mean my husband dressed with every square inch of his body covered) opened up the vacuum and let the spider go.
Going to have a stiff drink now. Thanks, Metafilter.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 9:31 PM on May 7, 2012 [10 favorites]
Going to have a stiff drink now. Thanks, Metafilter.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 9:31 PM on May 7, 2012 [10 favorites]
I'll tell you what it's not: It's NOT a brown recluse, and it's NOT a black widow. Which are the only two kinds of poisonous spiders found in Michigan (and therefore ones you should probably learn to identify if you can't already).
Spiders really are mostly harmless. In fact they're mostly helpful. You probably killed it anyway (I've rarely seen a spider survive vacuuming) but if you haven't it's not capable of causing you much damage.
posted by BlueJae at 9:34 PM on May 7, 2012 [4 favorites]
Spiders really are mostly harmless. In fact they're mostly helpful. You probably killed it anyway (I've rarely seen a spider survive vacuuming) but if you haven't it's not capable of causing you much damage.
posted by BlueJae at 9:34 PM on May 7, 2012 [4 favorites]
I would have vacuumed up half the contents of a can of bug spray. But I suppose releasing it also works.
posted by -harlequin- at 9:43 PM on May 7, 2012
posted by -harlequin- at 9:43 PM on May 7, 2012
I agree that it's definitely a wolf spider. I don't know of any other spiders in your area that look remotely like that. Glad to hear that you managed to release it. I hope it's OK, spiders are actually super cool once you get to know them. I mean, really, they're neat!
Here, start with this cute little jumping spider, complete with slightly whimsical Wikipedia description.
posted by Scientist at 10:18 PM on May 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
Here, start with this cute little jumping spider, complete with slightly whimsical Wikipedia description.
posted by Scientist at 10:18 PM on May 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
To be clear, Wolf spiders aren't COMPLETELY harmless - they are non-poisonous, but they can bite a bit.. they are hunting spiders after all. But yeah, they prefer to hang around biting all the really irritating bugs, so it's always nice to have a few around.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:14 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by FatherDagon at 11:14 AM on May 8, 2012
If you're in the middle of the woods, you'd probably better come to terms with your harmless, beneficial, arachnid friends.
posted by cmoj at 12:46 PM on May 8, 2012
posted by cmoj at 12:46 PM on May 8, 2012
-harlequin-: I would have vacuumed up half the contents of a can of bug spray.
Um, many aerosol sprays are flammable, so you don't want to go around spraying them near flames or sparks. And a vacuum cleaner contains an electric motor. Think, sparks. Sooo... vacuuming up bug spray could result in an experience of the *kaboom* kind, probably not what you were planning.
posted by exphysicist345 at 11:04 PM on May 8, 2012
Um, many aerosol sprays are flammable, so you don't want to go around spraying them near flames or sparks. And a vacuum cleaner contains an electric motor. Think, sparks. Sooo... vacuuming up bug spray could result in an experience of the *kaboom* kind, probably not what you were planning.
posted by exphysicist345 at 11:04 PM on May 8, 2012
It's a goddamn spider, named after an animal that would you for breakfast. Kill it.
Spiders eat hundreds, if not thousands of other pesky bugs and insects in heir lifetimes. Killing them just means more flies and earwigs in your life.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:13 PM on May 9, 2012
Spiders eat hundreds, if not thousands of other pesky bugs and insects in heir lifetimes. Killing them just means more flies and earwigs in your life.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:13 PM on May 9, 2012
Response by poster: I would have been FAR less likely to vacuum it up if it was a "Fuzzy Bunny Spider" and not a *wolf spider*. That said, I do feel bad. Now that we know it isn't poisonous, we'll trap them with a paper and a cup. But seriously, it was huge. And furry.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 8:00 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by Nickel Pickle at 8:00 PM on May 9, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:38 PM on May 7, 2012 [1 favorite]