# What to look for in GA/VA?



## Exuviae (Mar 17, 2016)

Hey guys, 
A bunch of people from the entomology club at my uni are heading down to Georgia for spring break in about a week and a half. We're going to be camping overnight in GA, as well as VA. I've never been to Georgia or the areas we're staying at in Virginia, so I was wondering if anyone had ever been to any of the following places, and if so, what should I look for in each of the locations? Although I'm willing to look for anything, I'm mostly interested in finding large _Dolomedes _(_Tenebrosus _and _Okefinokensis_), trapdoor spiders, and scorpions. Also, if there are any interesting vertebrates in the parks, that would be cool to know, too (I'm especially hoping to see an armadillo, but I'm not sure we'll be south enough).
Here are some of the campgrounds/parks we will be visiting:
Goose Point Recreation Area in Bassett, VA (overnight)
Oconcee River Campground in Greensboro, GA (overnight)
Ben Burton State Park in Athens, GA 
Holiday Campground in LaGrange, GA (overnight)
Lake Sinclair Recreation Area in Eatonton, GA(overnight)
North Bend Park and Campground in Boydton, VA (overnight)
Thanks!


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## Biollantefan54 (Mar 17, 2016)

LaGrange, GA should be south enough, I was 70 miles below Atlanta and saw my first armadillo lol. Trap door spiders were VERY common where I was. Myrmekiaphila were everywhere. If you know where a creek is or even just sloping areas, if you check them at night you may find TONS of trap door spiders waiting for prey. Didn't see any large Dolomedes apart from Dolomedes albineus, scorpions should be easy to find as well. Lift up debris, roll over logs, or pull up bark on dead pine trees (Almost guaranteed to find them that way). You can also find a few centipedes by pulling up bark. Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, Hemiscolopendra marginata, and Theatops can be found that way. You can find young Dolomedes sp. and some large Gladicosa pulchra by looking at the bases of trees if you look for their eyes by shining a light. Hmm...tiger beetles may be out and about? I found a lot of those, just go to a light and they may be running on the ground. That's about all I can think of at the moment. Never been to VA, take lots of pictures!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Exuviae (Mar 18, 2016)

Thanks! I will definitely keep an eye out for all of those! I have a pretty good headlamp and a UV flashlight, so I plan to go out at night at least a few times, and I'll be sure to take pictures of anything cool I find and share them here! I'm pretty excited since this is the farthest south I'll have been since I was like 5 years old.

Reactions: Lollipop 1


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## Toxoderidae (Mar 19, 2016)

So I'm like UBER scared of the dark, but I want to write a book on all the native arthropods I can find in GA, any idea on how I can locate them without having to go out into the woods at night?


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