ID? Odd looking spider in southern CA

[aphono]

Has crazy pedipalps and an odd high walk. In Riverside County, California.

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@chanda

 

[aphono]

Mystery solved- mature male Kukulcania hibernalis thanks to responses in the Gallery section.

Just love how odd it looks! He's going back outside to do his duty.

 

[HamZ]

That spider is my worst nightmare, way worst than house spiders.

 

[Crone Returns]

That spider is my worst nightmare, way worst than house spiders.

Just a long legged male spid. Won't hurt you; they help around by noshing on bugs.

 

[HamZ]

Just a long legged male spid. Won't hurt you; they help around by noshing on bugs.

I know man but i just can't handle supe longed spiders especially when there legs are sprawled upwards.

 

[The Snark]

That spider is my worst nightmare,

Being honest, a worse nightmare is the person and circumstance that injected that thinking into your brain during your formative years. Always keep in mind, a newborn baby has no such fears.
For every death by a spider bite, several million people are killed by motor vehicles. Thus, most fears are completely irrational.

 

[Crone Returns]

I know man but i just can't handle supe longed spiders especially when there legs are sprawled upwards.

I agree with @The Snark. I know I learned it from maternal parent. It's taken me years to overcome it; good luck. Get so help for that.

 

[The Snark]

It is funny and interesting how we harbor irrational fears. Around here, spiders are ignored. At worst an annoyance. The big freak out especially in the hills, are caterpillars, but with a darned good reason. Many pack a cocktail of ultra nasty toxins in those cute fuzzy spines that have laid people to whale poop. Brush up against the wrong one and your arm swells to twice it's size and turns bright red in a minute or two, and you are wishing someone would cut it off.

 

[Crone Returns]

It is funny and interesting how we harbor irrational fears. Around here, spiders are ignored. At worst an annoyance. The big freak out especially in the hills, are caterpillars, but with a darned good reason. Many pack a cocktail of ultra nasty toxins in those cute fuzzy spines that have laid people to whale poop. Brush up against the wrong one and your arm swells to twice it's size and turns bright red in a minute or two, and you are wishing someone would cut it off.

(Sotto voce) Yet another reason not to move to Thailand.

 

[The Snark]

I've seen this happen so often. Usually American tourists see a fuzzy caterpillar and pick it up. If a Thai sees that it's total freak out. I've gotten a good load of tourists pissed at me now. I see someone holding a caterpillar I swat it out of their hand without a second thought. Meanwhile, if Thais see a big old spider it's a fun game to see if you can grab it.

 

[HamZ]

Being honest, a worse nightmare is the person and circumstance that injected that thinking into your brain during your formative years. Always keep in mind, a newborn baby has no such fears.
For every death by a spider bite, several million people are killed by motor vehicles. Thus, most fears are completely irrational.

My fear of spiders is mostly limited to extremely longed species also my parents aren't scared of spiders and bugs in general so mine and my siblings fear probably came from the media.

 

[The Snark]

@HamZ What you need to do is chum it up with some long legs like sparassids. They want absolutely nothing to do with people and you would have better luck starting a cactus farm in Greenland than getting one to bite you.

 

[Ungoliant]

That spider is my worst nightmare, way worst than house spiders.

I understand that they look a little unnerving with their long, spindly legs and skittering gait, but male Kukulcania are totally harmless. They just blindly wander in search of females. (I have caught a couple in my house this week.)

 

[aphono]

I know man but i just can't handle supe longed spiders especially when there legs are sprawled upwards.

It was stressed in pics- felt bad about that but really wanted to get an ID so bad as I'd never seen one before. Before capture it was walking around with body pretty high as if it was walking on stilts- rather cute in an odd way. The picture doesn't show it- there's a nice metallic-sh shine so it was also rather pretty.

It was the pedipalps that perplexed me the most.. it was those that made me determined to capture it. Thought it was some sort of solifugid or opilione before capturing it.. was pretty surprised to discover it was a spider.

I've seen this happen so often. Usually American tourists see a fuzzy caterpillar and pick it up. If a Thai sees that it's total freak out. I've gotten a good load of tourists pissed at me now. I see someone holding a caterpillar I swat it out of their hand without a second thought. Meanwhile, if Thais see a big old spider it's a fun game to see if you can grab it.

Haha! I'm not afraid of much(even caught the spider above with bare hands- definitely a foolhardy thing to do but was determined to get an ID).. but there is no way, no how anyone can convince me to even get close to ANY caterpillar. Especially fuzzy or colorful ones.

Read stories of biologists on field trips accidentally grabbing or brushing against caterpillars in the jungle and the pain/symptoms.... shiver.

 

[AngelDeVille]

I remember those! I used to live off college blvd.

 

[WildSpider]

I've seen this happen so often. Usually American tourists see a fuzzy caterpillar and pick it up. If a Thai sees that it's total freak out. I've gotten a good load of tourists pissed at me now. I see someone holding a caterpillar I swat it out of their hand without a second thought. Meanwhile, if Thais see a big old spider it's a fun game to see if you can grab it.

For all the grumpy tourists I say "Thank you for saving my arm!"