Please help ID this BIG spider I found in my basement!

[invadermike]

Hey everyone, So the other day I was in my basement looking for a small step ladder and found this HUGE spider lurking 6 inches from my face... I love spiders but it totally caught me by surprise and freaked me out!!! Anyway, I live in Southern New Jersey by Philadelphia and I typically don't see spiders this big anywhere around here, although I'm sure they are all over. So this spider I believe to be a wolf spider of some sort but I can't find any pictures online that match his markings closely enough to be sure, and I am hoping someone here will know what type a spider it is, and if it is a wolf spider, what kind? He's is about 2.5" in leg span and his 3rd leg on the left looks like it had trouble in his last molt or so. The bright orange markings on the segments of his legs in the one picture threw me off from thinking it is a wolf spider, but what do I know? The other picture the orange is less visible I guess because I didn't use the flash? Haha. Any help would be greatly appreciated! --- Just did a quick search on google to try and figure this ID out before I post this and think it may actually be a fishing spider? Maybe Dolomedes tenebrosus? I'm thinkinyes, but since I typed all this and would be happy to chat with some of you about this spider I'm going to post it anyway. Also if anyone has experience with these spiders any information would be great! Thanks again and sorry for the long post!!!

 

[beetleman]

looks like dolomedes sp.(fishing spider) but not 100% ,either way very cool spider.

 

[gromgrom]

looks like dolomedes sp.(fishing spider) but not 100% ,either way very cool spider.

+1. its abdomen looks like dolomedes i've seen.

 

[invadermike]

Thanks for the quick replies beetleman and gromgrom!! Much appreciated. I too believe it is Dolomedes, which I read are very similar looking to wolf spiders, hence my uncertainty. I am going to create a habitat for it and was curious if anyone had advice on what type of set up would suit it best, I read that they are pretty arboreal so I should provide some things for her to climb on? Does that sound right? and for substrate maybe just peat moss? or something? I tried to find a care sheet online and had no luck

 

[Silberrücken]

That would be a Dolomedes tenebrosus, to be exact. Very nice find!

 

[catfishrod69]

yep D. tenebrosus..i have a female, a juvie and 2 slings...i had a larger female that recently passed, she laid 3 fertile sacs in a row...i keep my larger girl in a plastic tub with some ventilation, large water bowl, some plastic vines, couple inches of coco fiber, a rock, and alot of misting....they eat good, and are very fiesty, so watch your fingers.

 

[invadermike]

Thanks guys! and thanks for the details catfishrod!!! I just gave mine a new home today! She freaks me out because she springs right into the air! crazy little jumper!!! after putting her into her new home I threw in a few small crickets and we went to town!! such a happy girl now!! Can you tell me more about them? Do they web much? or just hang out on the walls most of the time? she has been in her new cage for about 5 hoours and has been hanging out on the side of a log just chillin. Haha, I will update with some new pics later if you'd like to see!

 

[synyster]

Positive D. tenebrosus. The "W" markings on the opisthosoma give it way Also, it's a female. I've noticed that they like a closed dark space, like a hollow log where they will wait for prey..

 

[catfishrod69]

well as far as hanging out, thats pretty much what they do....i pretty much only see mine sitting in the same few spots everyday....either under leaf, on top of leaf, or in a certain spot in the open....she might very well be gravid too...if thats the case, make sure when she lays a sac to get her into something that has a pantyhose mesh lid....those babies can not only climb plastic/glass, but can baloon too....and shoot web to the top then skydive upwards....really really awesome spiders though...i recently found the adult female i had, a MM, the juvie female i have, and a younger one all in my garages...then i placed the adult female and mm in together and the next day he had been eaten, and then she popped out 3 sacs, one right after another....i had a thread on here, called "found this molt" to the first one i found, and the sacs/slings and all...but it must be gone now..i just replied to it not long ago..but cant find it anywhere now though....good luck with her..and keep an eye out for more...i think they might be wintering over in garages, barns, etc..

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

well as far as hanging out, thats pretty much what they do....i pretty much only see mine sitting in the same few spots everyday....either under leaf, on top of leaf, or in a certain spot in the open....she might very well be gravid too...if thats the case, make sure when she lays a sac to get her into something that has a pantyhose mesh lid....those babies can not only climb plastic/glass, but can baloon too....and shoot web to the top then skydive upwards....really really awesome spiders though...i recently found the adult female i had, a MM, the juvie female i have, and a younger one all in my garages...then i placed the adult female and mm in together and the next day he had been eaten, and then she popped out 3 sacs, one right after another....i had a thread on here, called "found this molt" to the first one i found, and the sacs/slings and all...but it must be gone now..i just replied to it not long ago..but cant find it anywhere now though....good luck with her..and keep an eye out for more...i think they might be wintering over in garages, barns, etc..

You can also find them overwintering under the bark on old trees

 

[invadermike]

synyster, thanks for the reply! also do you think she is female because of her size? coloration? or the pedipalps? I've been away from the hobby for sometime due to working so much and finishing up college that I kinda forget these things, lol.

catfishrod, thanks for all the info! She's been hanging out in the same spot still, but did take a little tour of the cage, and then went right back to the spot she's been chillin at. She's pretty great so far and her abdomen has plumped up a bit from the 4 small crickets I fed her. How often to you feed yours? Are they similar to the eating habits of tarantulas? I feed my tarantuals once a week or so. Also is there a reason you believe her to be gravid? or just a guess since she is wild caught and could have possibly mated? Just wondering if there were signs that point to it or not. I will be sure keep an eye out for any egg sacs!! That would be wild. I'll keep an eye out for more around the house/yard/garage... not sure I'll find any as this is the first time I've seen this type of spider around here even though they are native to the area! Thanks for your help!!

 

[synyster]

By the size. The MM's are much smaller than that, less than half the size of a mature female and are way darker. Catfish gave a good suggestion for the enclosure. You don't want a ton of slings balooning through your house lol

Catfish, congrats with the sacs! All my MM's got eaten and all the females who ate them molted not too long afterwards... Guess I'll have to go and collect more males... How many appx. did you get per sac?

EDIT: I also noticed she regenerated a leg, which probably means that she should be even bigger than that.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

synyster, thanks for the reply! also do you think she is female because of her size? coloration? or the pedipalps? I've been away from the hobby for sometime due to working so much and finishing up college that I kinda forget these things, lol.

catfishrod, thanks for all the info! She's been hanging out in the same spot still, but did take a little tour of the cage, and then went right back to the spot she's been chillin at. She's pretty great so far and her abdomen has plumped up a bit from the 4 small crickets I fed her. How often to you feed yours? Are they similar to the eating habits of tarantulas? I feed my tarantuals once a week or so. Also is there a reason you believe her to be gravid? or just a guess since she is wild caught and could have possibly mated? Just wondering if there were signs that point to it or not. I will be sure keep an eye out for any egg sacs!! That would be wild. I'll keep an eye out for more around the house/yard/garage... not sure I'll find any as this is the first time I've seen this type of spider around here even though they are native to the area! Thanks for your help!!

Once a week feedings can be ok. With my Dolomedes I would just fed them when the abdomen started to get small. My first one almost lived 3 years.

 

[invadermike]

gotcha! thanks for the help guys! I'll keep you updated on how things go with her!!

 

[catfishrod69]

your very welcome...true spiders are suposed to be fed roughly every 3 days, but 1 time a week is good, and also as said you can go by the abdomen size...since your girl is full grown, i would say one adult cricket once a week is ok..i just figure there is a good possibility of being gravid since she is wild caught, 50/50....i never seen that type of spider around here either, but then found her, MM, younger girl, and juvie all within a few months or so...just keep an eye out on the inside of garages, barns, i found mine all hanging on the inside of the doors/walls...

synyster, thanks for the reply! also do you think she is female because of her size? coloration? or the pedipalps? I've been away from the hobby for sometime due to working so much and finishing up college that I kinda forget these things, lol.

catfishrod, thanks for all the info! She's been hanging out in the same spot still, but did take a little tour of the cage, and then went right back to the spot she's been chillin at. She's pretty great so far and her abdomen has plumped up a bit from the 4 small crickets I fed her. How often to you feed yours? Are they similar to the eating habits of tarantulas? I feed my tarantuals once a week or so. Also is there a reason you believe her to be gravid? or just a guess since she is wild caught and could have possibly mated? Just wondering if there were signs that point to it or not. I will be sure keep an eye out for any egg sacs!! That would be wild. I'll keep an eye out for more around the house/yard/garage... not sure I'll find any as this is the first time I've seen this type of spider around here even though they are native to the area! Thanks for your help!!

---------- Post added 10-16-2011 at 10:26 AM ----------

yeah mature males are tiny compared to the female...thanks...im sorry to hear about your girls molting out too...and im not very good at estimating something like that, but i would say atleast 200 per sac....

By the size. The MM's are much smaller than that, less than half the size of a mature female and are way darker. Catfish gave a good suggestion for the enclosure. You don't want a ton of slings balooning through your house lol

Catfish, congrats with the sacs! All my MM's got eaten and all the females who ate them molted not too long afterwards... Guess I'll have to go and collect more males... How many appx. did you get per sac?

EDIT: I also noticed she regenerated a leg, which probably means that she should be even bigger than that.

 

[PitViper]

I caught a female dolomedes tenebrosus also, I have her in a kritter keeper, I hot glued a piece of plexiglass divider to the bottom so the cage is part water, its cool to see her hang out on the water.

 

[catfishrod69]

thats cool...i hope now that ive caught enough that i can keep them for a long time....they are really neat spiders....i thought about doing a water setup for my larger girl, but decided not to...

I caught a female dolomedes tenebrosus also, I have her in a kritter keeper, I hot glued a piece of plexiglass divider to the bottom so the cage is part water, its cool to see her hang out on the water.

 

[Crysta]

For size reference heres a video of D. tenebrosus male and female mating that I took.
[YOUTUBE]PUtWvbi2kTI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[catfishrod69]

awesome video crysta...yep tiny little guys arent they...