# Massive Spider in southwest Florida ID!



## Herpetologydude (Jul 7, 2010)

Posted this in the gallery but got no hits,

Went to Corkscrew Swamp sanctuary in Naples Florida yesterday and got the surprise of my life in seeing this massive specimen!  I estimate its leg span at being at least 5inches!



















My best guess is something out of the Heteropoda genus but I'm really not sure.


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## Malhavoc's (Jul 7, 2010)

Rough guess is honestly it looks like A dolomedes...
Pattern, shape, and near water, yeah, Deffiantly thinking A Dolomedes sp. (fishing spider)

quick comparison to bug guide..looks to be Dolomedes Tenebrosus.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/78500

my two cents


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 7, 2010)

I actually saw a few Dolomedes out there, none where even half the size this guy was. 

Maybe its just a species I'm not familiar with though.

Here is a BAD picture of one of the Dolomedes sp. I observed out there maybe 5 minutes before seeing the big guy.


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## Malhavoc's (Jul 7, 2010)

Its funny actualy the white banded fishing spider ( D. Triton I believe) is actualy more often found atop of the water and moisture, where as the larger species, such as Ten.. Seem to be found away from the water and more on the trees structures and things around the water area. 

 there are several different species native to florida, good possibility that it is a different sp, or perhaps a juvienale of the one you found.


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 7, 2010)

Yea I can definitely see the resemblance in that dolomedes sp. but THe Leg span on this critter was HUGE. I didn't think there where any dolomedes in America that got over 2 or 3 inches in terms of leg span.


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## John Apple (Jul 7, 2010)

Ummm tenebrosus get to and in rare cases beyond a 4" l;eg span....that is for sure a dolomedes...looks kinda like scriptus but not sure


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## jbm150 (Jul 7, 2010)

Awesome shots of an awesome spider! I keep looking for big fishing spiders but have never seen one even close to that size.

I really need to get over to that Sanctuary, looks like a pretty cool place.


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## Malhavoc's (Jul 7, 2010)

I dont know about america but some of our canadian varients can push 3-5 legspans depending on feeding and warmth that year.


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## loxoscelesfear (Jul 7, 2010)

*wow*

Definitely Dolomedes.  Not unusual to find females w/ 4 + inch legspans.  Bet that was an awesome trek through a FL swamp.


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 7, 2010)

Dolomedes it is then! haha. Thanks for all the help guys! My adrenaline was going a mile a minute I was so excited to find this critter! 

My buddy who came with me is deathly afraid of spiders and proceeded to stand there with his hand over his mouth as I got closer and closer! lol

Needless to say he got this link sent over to his facebook later on 

	
	
		
		
	


	





It's definitely a great place for Invertebrate observing though, saw at least 2 other Dolomedes species, Nephila species, Argiope species, and some others I wasn't able to positively identify.

I myself being a Herpetologist at heart enjoyed the various Turtle, Snakes, Lizards, and Gators also present.

And for anyone who might be an Orchid enthusiast the Ghost Orchids are blooming at this park right now which is what stimulated the whole trip! 

Thanks again for the ID folks!


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## John Apple (Jul 7, 2010)

Did you say orchid enthusiast....I lived in naples for a decade and have lifelisted 28 different sp. of orchids...at one time I had the most extensive collection of sp plants.......man I wish I was looking at a polyrhizza right now....I had three back in the 80's and when I left Florida for cooler climes...I transplanted them on a large cypress off old loop road


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## zonbonzovi (Jul 7, 2010)

Oh buddy, very nice!  I'll be down that way in a couple of weeks and was hoping find a spot to see some of the locals...the orchids are a bonus!


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## ErikWestblom (Jul 7, 2010)

Awesome Dolomedes! I'm thinking Dolomedes okeefinokensis, and that should be in range... Looks just like my late D. okeefinokensis female...


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## Travis K (Jul 7, 2010)

Good grief... Now I need to go looking for this sp of spider in the for sale section.


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## Malhavoc's (Jul 7, 2010)

Dolomedes, fishing spiders/nursy web spiders are very common through out NA and even europe with many species to be had, if you cant find any in the F/s area, try your backyard/local streams.


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## Protectyaaaneck (Jul 7, 2010)

Thats one neat looking spider.  Thanks for sharing.


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## TheTyro (Jul 7, 2010)

I've got a Dolomedes okefinokensis who's at 4 and a half inches in legspan right now, so yeah thats probably what your spider is! Todd Gearheart had mentioned that he had seen some pretty ginormous ones over in Florida too. If I were you I'd catch her!


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 7, 2010)

TheTyro said:


> I've got a Dolomedes okefinokensis who's at 4 and a half inches in legspan right now, so yeah thats probably what your spider is! Todd Gearheart had mentioned that he had seen some pretty ginormous ones over in Florida too. If I were you I'd catch her!


Well she is living in a wildlife sanctuary so that's a big big no no haha. But I'm not one to catch specimens from the wild really unless its to get a closer look then I immediately release them. Apparently she's gotten a reputation at Corkscrew, many people have reported her as a tarantula according to the front desk lady haha.


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## syndicate (Jul 7, 2010)

ErikWestblom said:


> Awesome Dolomedes! I'm thinking Dolomedes okeefinokensis, and that should be in range... Looks just like my late D. okeefinokensis female...


Agreed!
-Chris


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## TheTyro (Jul 7, 2010)

Herpetologydude said:


> Well she is living in a wildlife sanctuary so that's a big big no no haha. But I'm not one to catch specimens from the wild really unless its to get a closer look then I immediately release them. Apparently she's gotten a reputation at Corkscrew, many people have reported her as a tarantula according to the front desk lady haha.


Ahh, gotcha. Better to observe then! Thats pretty funny....it'd blow peoples minds to find out it isn't a tarantula, even though she really doesn't look like one at all.


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## Travis K (Jul 8, 2010)

Malhavoc's said:


> Dolomedes, fishing spiders/nursy web spiders are very common through out NA and even europe with many species to be had, if you cant find any in the F/s area, try your backyard/local streams.


Yeah, I live in a rather boring part of the world when it comes to Flora/Fauna


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## Tapahtyn (Jul 8, 2010)

My buddy who came with me is deathly afraid of spiders and proceeded to stand there with his hand over his mouth as I got closer and closer! lol

Needless to say he got this link sent over to his facebook later on 

	
	
		
		
	


	





LOVE the picture!   

Herp, the picture is a beautiful one!  Great job beautiful again!


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## mitchnast (Jul 9, 2010)

Looks just like the ones I used to find in Nova Scotia

I only found the giants at a particular lake though.  But they were that big.
I was about 8,  I Couldn't believe it!


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 9, 2010)

Tapahtyn said:


> My buddy who came with me is deathly afraid of spiders and proceeded to stand there with his hand over his mouth as I got closer and closer! lol
> 
> Needless to say he got this link sent over to his facebook later on
> 
> ...



Thanks haha!

Thanks again for looking everyone! I'll be sure to post up more cool Arachnid wildlife shots from down here in sunny southwest florida!

and for anyone thats interested here is my THROUGH a telescope picture of the ghost orchid.


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## Kris-wIth-a-K (Jul 9, 2010)

mhmm.. looks like an oky' to me.. Just a normal fishing spider around these parts... I've seen much bigger if you'd believe that when I go kayaking.


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## Travis K (Jul 9, 2010)

Kris-wIth-a-K said:


> mhmm.. looks like an oky' to me.. Just a normal fishing spider around these parts... I've seen much bigger if you'd believe that when I go kayaking.


Pics would be nice, cause they are so much fun to look at:drool:


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## Kris-wIth-a-K (Jul 9, 2010)

Travis K said:


> Pics would be nice, cause they are so much fun to look at:drool:


I'll get out of one these nights and go but there is absolutely no way I'm bringing my $300 camera on a kayak to get wet and dropped in the water... It's nothing but swamp and snake infested waters out here.


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 10, 2010)

Kris-wIth-a-K said:


> It's nothing but swamp and snake infested waters out here.



Sounds like my idea of an awesome time! haha.


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## wolfman31 (Jul 11, 2010)

*dolomedes tenebrosus*

Just thought I would let you know I just found a huge dolomedes tenebrosus
female where I live in minnesota she is at least 4 inches maybe five I know
where the big girls are you wont see them just out in the open I live by a large river with with large rock dens thats where the huge ones are there are six inch ones out there waiting to be found I found her near dark under huge flat rock they love to hide during the day  on top of that she is more than likely gravid there are no other true spiders in the usa that get this huge except the okeefinokee fishing spider not sure on the spelling even the carolina wolf spiders are dwarfed by these I will try to upload some pics of her to share with you guys happy searching.


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## xenesthis (Jul 11, 2010)

*"Queen of the Damned"*

The pic link below is of a HUGE female near 5.5". I named her "Queen of the Damned". 

She was sitting on the trunk of the biggest Cypress tree in a swamp of NW Florida two years ago. Largest true spider I've never seen in America.

www.flickr.com/photos/14734284@N02/4680797615/in/set-72157624227487286/


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## John Apple (Jul 12, 2010)

Love the Ghost orchid and for you there is one off of rattle snake hammock road...A friend  [Dale marantz] can show you it....there are also a few by the dump near the I-75 toll.....very cool...golden gate is full of harrisellia [spelling is wrong here]...another leafless orchid with tiny yellow flowers
again thanx for sharing that pic


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## PsychoSpider (Jul 12, 2010)

Kris-wIth-a-K said:


> mhmm.. looks like an oky' to me.. Just a normal fishing spider around these parts... I've seen much bigger if you'd believe that when I go kayaking.


I love kayaking.  Up here in NH we were kayaking on Lake Winniepesaukkee(I can never spell it) my brother saw one just as around 5 inches and he flipped the kayak taking himself with it.  We still remind him of it.


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## Herpetologydude (Jul 21, 2010)

John Apple said:


> Love the Ghost orchid and for you there is one off of rattle snake hammock road...A friend  [Dale marantz] can show you it....there are also a few by the dump near the I-75 toll.....very cool...golden gate is full of harrisellia [spelling is wrong here]...another leafless orchid with tiny yellow flowers
> again thanx for sharing that pic


Awesome thanks for the info! If I get another chance to go out soon I'll get into touch with you!


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## John Apple (Jul 22, 2010)

heh I also know where an alba form of tempanse is...and a few cigar orchids....a large maple in lely estates has a lot of E. diforme on it about 10 feet up


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