Questions tagged [arachnology]

Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related animals such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. It can include the study of ticks and mites which is sometimes also called acarology.

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Dark, long-legged spider with long mouthparts in front, long "pincers" in the back and very short 3rd pair of legs (northern Taiwan)

Just inside a doorway in northern Taiwan I found an interesting looking spider flat against the wall, pointed downward about 30 cm above the floor, sitting motionless. Mostly dark but some patterns ...
uhoh's user avatar
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Is it possible to identify a kind of scorpion based on a photo of its dried body

Somebody at my university have came back from a vacation trip and brought back a dried body of this small scorpion. Can you identify it for me? This is a very tiny (?) scorpion, if I may say so. I can'...
trejder's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
124 views

Why do spiders hang up dead bugs?

I used to think the reason we see a lot of dead bugs wrapped and hanging on spider webs was that they get caught by spiders and after the spiders are done with the bugs they leave them there. But I ...
desmo's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
90 views

Is this a spiders net or a wasp net?

I have found something scary on my attic (Bavaria, Germany - found in June): Size: The small one is a bit bigger than a ping-pong ball. The big one is smaller than a soccer-ball... maybe the size of ...
Martin Thoma's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
314 views

What kind of insect is this? It looks like a huge spider with one long antenna and six legs

It looks like a huge spider but with six legs and has one very long antenna. It also looks like it has claws. Please I would like to know what sort of insect it is. So I would know measures to take if ...
ALATIBA TEMIDAYO's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
91 views

ID Large brown/grey spider with light stripe along back

Giant spider on my door. Walked up to the door this morning and saw this beautiful lady waiting for me. I moved her to a tree so she can rest.
Devante Franklin's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
24 views

Why are scabies mites not found everywhere on the host?

The distribution of scabies lesions is not uniform. Sarcoptes Scabiei mites have an apparent preference for some places on human bodies. They obviously prefer soft places, where they can burrow easily,...
Martin Grey's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
77 views

Anyone able to identify this mite?

Located in a chicken coop crawling on windows. I’m guessing this is a bird mite as I’m only seeing them at night on the coop itself, but want to confirm so that I’m able to treat them effectively. I ...
Abby M's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
121 views

What kind of spider is this (East Texas)?

My wife has seen this spider in a shower in Texas: What kind of spider is it? I could not identify it by comparing it to pictures of common spiders in Texas. Size: It is sitting on corrugated sheet ...
DrP3pp3r's user avatar
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0 answers
73 views

Common House Spider got shrunked and appeared lifeless when touched by water

I was trying to save a house spider which was on my water tub, it was desperately trying to move out of the tub but due to the smooth surface couldnt manage, the tub was wet but not filled with water ...
user0193's user avatar
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1 vote
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What kind of scorpion is this?

This is in Nevada; it's about the size of a tooth pick in length. (click to enlarge) What kind of scorpion is this?
Samantha's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
61 views

Arachnid identification request

Every so often I come across one of these (presumably) spiders, but haven't been able to find out what species it is. It is black, ~7mm in length, has a long and narrow body and relatively short legs, ...
vvye's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Which spider(?) is this hanging out on my seaside daisy?

The title says it all... location: Switzerland
revocicek's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
103 views

Photo attached of flies ‘injecting’ into spider egg sacs. Why? What’s going on here?

Brisbane, Australia. While no image is available, direct observations were made of flies doing something to the egg sac.
Rose's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
135 views

Help Identifying this small spider (Tennessee)

This small spider, about .75" when legs spread, has a distinct "teddy bear" image on its cephalothorax. Help with identity please.
Michael Coleman's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
49 views

Difference in time tick spends on host based on feeding location

Does the time a tick remains on a host, and the 'health' of a tick vary depending on the location where it feeds on the host? Do they change locations on the host to find a better environment? I ...
Shannon's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
118 views

Identity of a spider found on Cyprus

I'm trying to identify a little friendly spider seen in Cyprus. She is brown, around 0.7 inches (2cm) long with white-striped legs, and a small dotted back. This seems like a pumpkin spider, but the ...
Gonsalo Sousa's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
139 views

What kind of spider is this from New Zealand?

This is biggest one I have caught so far: They would occasionally walk into my house and wait for the night to go out and about.
Greendrake's user avatar
27 votes
2 answers
4k views

What is this spider with blue striped head?

I found this spider on the balcony of a Brisbane, Australia quarantine hotel. About 1.5cm. Anyone know what it is?
Kels's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
174 views

Can you name this spider?

Found this spider in my bathroom in central London,UK. I’m convinced it’s tropical. I’m probably wrong. My kids are very curious. Many thanks!
Lauren Davies's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
5k views

Do spiders learn how to build webs?

Concerning spiders, is there any research on whether web-building is an inherited behavior, or if it must be observed and learned? e.g. Has anyone hatched spider eggs in isolation and observed whether ...
Martin Fürholz's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
174 views

Kansas Spider Identification, found in Pasta Package

I live in Kansas. I found a spider inside my macaroni pasta package after dinner (6pm), and I really want to figure out its species. Since I have consumed food from that package, I'm especially ...
T. G.'s user avatar
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7 votes
0 answers
101 views

Grasshopper vs Tarantula?

This past weekend (October 2021) while hiking west of the VLA in New Mexico (near Datil, NM, ~2200m elevation) my wife and I came across a strange sight. A small (5cm long), likely immature, ...
Jon Custer's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
126 views

Identification of a spider — South India

I found this spider jumping around in my garden , to describe it is blue and black . I noticed that it has strong front legs and a pointed posterior , it has blue designs on a black body . I live in ...
Rayeez621's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
159 views

Middle European Spider Identification

Yesterday I've encountered the pictured spider in my home in Austria, Europe. The colors are pretty accurate in the picture, the head was striped brown/beige and black, the legs were multicolored with ...
pat3d3r's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
2 answers
562 views

Kansas Spider Identification

I live in Kansas (Pottawatomie County), and I found a spider crawling on a wall inside my bedroom: I'm inclined to keep the spider in my house, but I just want to double check to see if it is ...
Greenhill's user avatar
  • 143
1 vote
0 answers
56 views

Spider identification North-West Italy

I would like to know what kind of spider is the one I killed and if it is somehow dangerous. Location: city in North-West Italy. Dimensions: ~1.5 cm, with legs opened. Time of day: around midday, but ...
m3ssap0's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
1 answer
162 views

Need help identifying spider

I have been trying to identity this spider and have found nothing similar. This is the second I have found, this being the smaller at about 2cm. I want to know what kind of spider this is and if it is ...
Katie's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
128 views

What kind of spider is this? From New Zealand

Found this spider in my bin, sorry for poor quality photo, has a massive red bum, haven't seen one like it, can anyone identify it?, around the size of my finger or thumbnail. I am from New Zealand
Doom Cow's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
47 views

What type of spider is this please?

Can anyone identify this spider please. Found in Herefordshire UK
Gwynneth 's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
216 views

Did or do these gigantic spiders really exist in Finland and/or Northern Europe?

In the year 2000, the newspapers in a small coastal town of Finland ("Hanko"; current population: ~8k) had some very disturbing reports of a couple who had just moved into a new rental ...
Dimitar's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
160 views

Trying to identify a Spider found in rural Missouri, USA

I am trying to identify this spider found indoors in a rural area near Kansas City, Missouri. I cannot recall seeing one like it in my 14 years of living here but I have now found 3 inside in the past ...
Syd's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
214 views

Can anyone identify this spider? (greater Poland region)

This is in Poland, in the Greater Poland area, found a few days ago by a garage in the city. I didn't have any coins on me to give a sense of scale, but the body is roughly 1.5cm long. It was dead ...
Thomas's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
386 views

Arthropod identification request (a spider with no legs?)

My mother sent me a picture of a creature she encountered and couldn't identify. It looks kind of a like a spider - a mostly black body, about 1cm in size, with white specks - except without any ...
vvye's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
112 views

What is this spider found in Brittany?

I found it in Brittany, in my kitchen. It was about 3cm in width and 5 in length. Is it dangerous ?
Noé's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
1k views

Do you know what this black spider-like insect is?

I have encountered these insects before, but I always assumed them to be spiders even though I always noticed they have 6 legs, as an exception. But slowly with time I ended up observing them more. ...
Zay's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
78 views

Indian Spider Identification

Today I saw this curious colorful spider on its web near a sapota tree in my garden. I have never seen any spider like this,its around 2cm or a little less. The most curious part is this part of its ...
Amarylis Vaselaar's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
82 views

What spider is this? Is this invasive or dangerous?

Hi the picture below has been taken here, I've never seen such a spider, is it an invasive specie or a dangerous one? thank you
Francesco Iapicca's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
38 views

Characteristics of Araneus hui (an orb-weaving spider)

What are the characteristics of Araneus hui? Neither thematic literature nor photos was found. Mentioned in RU Wikipedia, reference wasn't found. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%...
Noah's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
103 views

Is this a deathstalker?

I caught a scorpion in my house and wondering if it is a deathstalker? This was caught in Central Asia Northern Tajikistan.
Dilshod's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
106 views

Identification of a red arachnida (?) (picture and video)

I found this in a greenhouse in Norway. It is a few millimeters in size, I could fit 5-6 of them on my thumbnail. It looks a lot like this one from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
user985366's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
592 views

Variation in deathstalker scorpion

I recently encountered a (probable) deathstalker scorpion in the Negev desert in Israel: However, when trying to identify this species I found that in many/most photos of the yellow scorpion the ...
bondonk's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
302 views

Identify a small spider from southern Poland / eastern Europe

Can anyone identify this spider that I have just found in my home? Details: location: Katowice, Upper Silesia, southern Poland, eastern Europe (46.42 N, 17.78 E), size: ~3-3.5 cm (from tip of one ...
trejder's user avatar
  • 313
-1 votes
1 answer
62 views

What do spider digestive fluids look like?

What is the general appearance of the fluids that spiders use to digest their prey before they ingest it into the body?
Ichthys King's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
99 views

What is this lightning-fast tiny spider?

Saw this spider as I was taking a shower. It moves really fast. This I noticed when it moved away (from the center of this splendid pattern) to repair its web. Location: West Bengal, India. It appears ...
William R. Ebenezer's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
107 views

Spider Identification in Miami, FL

These two spiders were found at the Fairchild Gardens in Miami, FL. What spiders are these?
Jossie Calderon's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
117 views

What's the name of this colorful tiny spider?

Found this colorful spider yesterday in my study. Couldn't find exact match over internet. Does anyone know what spider is this? Is it harmful?
Sibsankar's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
258 views

Can anyone identify this spider for me, please?

I live in Northern Indiana and I’ve seen 3 of these spiders in my house before, all different ones. When I first saw it, it scared me since it’s a pretty big spider in my opinion from what I usually ...
Britneyyy's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
114 views

What large "package" is carried by this large spider underneath itself?

One night in early May in northern Taiwan a strange looking spider carrying a large white "package" underneath itself ran in front of me and stopped, so I photographed it. The package is roughly the ...
uhoh's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
113 views

What species of spider is this? Could anyone help

This image was taken in assam, India. The size was around 1cm. Could anyone help identify?
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