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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Help Needed With Oregon Spider Identification

Look at the beauty I found in the garden today! Well, actually I first became aware of it when my two little boys started screaming to save the beetle from the Big Spider. I sprinted right over and sure enough, a hapless beetle was being pursued by this large, fat, but absolutely beautiful spider. We dutifully saved the beetle from becoming spider lunch (spider now very hungry, I'm sure). But I'm wondering what kind of spider this is? Usually the power of the internet comes to my rescue when identifying bugs, but this one must not be dangerous because I can't find a picture of a similar one anywhere. Anybody know what it is??? I'm in Oregon and this was about the size of a half dollar.
Spider Update: I forgot to mention that I did get a quick look at the underside and I didn't see a bright hourglass shape. The closet thing online I could find was this spider or this spider, but mine has no white cross.

13 comments:

Becky said...

My husband says it a brown widow. And is just as poisonous as a black widow.

Lori said...

no, i don't know what that is...but you can keep it Heather...i am having a spider home invasion of my own since the weather has been colder...

Heather said...

Yikes - don't know and don't care...am running away very fast...

Alison Gibbs said...

Oh yuck - I hate spiders.
Alison

Anonymous said...

I think this is one of the most fun blogs to follow - even with spiders!

Waterrose said...

What a great shot. Are you using twitter? I have posted creepies and someone comes back with the answer. I upload the pic to flickr and paste in the address in twitter and just ask for help.

Unknown said...

You likely have one of the garden spiders, probably Oregon or Washington's. Oregon has an insect identifiers quide in color. They are fierce eaters of every kind of garden bug, mosquitoes, flies, and most bug pests.

Unknown said...

Located some photos here that might lead in the right direction.....http://bugguide.net/node/view/3376

Artifax said...

Northwest: Oh wow! That link with the photos is great! I think it's a garden spider too. Haven't been able to find one in the field guides that exactly matches it, but from its size and other features .. I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Thank you SO MUCH for your input! I really appreciate it!

Jodaeodesign said...

This looks like a pumpkin spider. They are qite large and will kill other spiders. They are found all over the Pacific Northwest.

Carole said...

I've seen that guy before. lol

Actually he looks like one of the many common garden spiders to me.

Anonymous said...

I just killed a spider that looked just like that outside my front door. My 2 yr old daughter was trying to pick it up. We live in WA. I am almost positive it is a garden orb (good spider) but it had to go anyway.

NghtyBRbr said...

Marbled orb weaver