KenTheOtherBugGuy
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2017
- Messages
- 66
I see, you're right. Thanks for the answer!I don't believe it's a wolf spider. I'd like a nice close look at the eyes, but it looks to me more like one of the Running Crab Spiders (Philodromidae).
Comparison pictures: http://bugguide.net/node/view/1269534 http://bugguide.net/node/view/1297127/bgimage
How about the Mouse Spider and Brazilian Wanderer...? haha Hobo Spider, Wolf Spider, etc.?Yep, that's a Philodromid, the only dangerous spider you probably have to worry about are Latrodectus and even then they are going to run out and chase you
The only reaction I've ever gotten when bothering a Latrodectus is they make a hasty retreat. I've never heard of one going after a person. It was always interesting to me the way they can differentiate between possible predators and prey.Yep, that's a Philodromid, the only dangerous spider you probably have to worry about are Latrodectus and even then they are going to run out and chase you
Absolutely not trying to hound you, but I'm fairly sure that "hobo spider" bites are known to cause dermonecrosis. Not very sure about the Lycosidae/Hogna, though.If you're in California, you don't have to worry about any of those. Hobo spiders and wolf spiders are completely harmless
I seriously doubt they would go out of their way to touch you. Even as a child, I would try to catch every spider and play with it, and almost all would run away.Are Hobo Spiders aggressive? I've read that their vemon is powerful but do they bite frequently?
If you read the full article that you linked, in the 'Toxicity and Aggression' section, it states "This laboratory study has led to the proposal that in some parts of the U.S. nearly all bites attributed to the brown recluse spider are in reality the hobo spider's bite.[8] The CDC and other U.S. government agencies[9] have also used this same study as the basis for a report claiming that the hobo spider bite causes necrosis in humans,[10]"According to Wikipedia, the toxicity of hobo spider bites is ambiguous:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_spider
As far as I know, you're generally right about the "stuck in a pant leg" rule, but I think there are a few species that are exceptions (though the ones I'm thinking of are large and not native to North America).
Whoa, whoa... I guess I'm be sleeping on the hammock with the trees burning to flames... lol...or in your bed...
Well I think being bit by a spider is pretty unlikely anyways. But when I'm in an area that has more insects and such, I always check my shoes, sheets, toilet, and give my clothing a shake.Whoa, whoa... I guess I'm be sleeping on the hammock with the trees burning to flames... lol
Back in my kid years, in Philippines, I would just catch all spider I see and make them fight on a stick and never got bitten. But, when we got here in Cali, I found out about Redback Spiders and yeeeh, I became unsure of every true spiders out in the world.
No, that would be called safety... I definitely would be doing that also, especially my bed... ThanksWell I think being bit by a spider is pretty unlikely anyways. But when I'm in an area that has more insects and such, I always check my shoes, sheets, toilet, and give my clothing a shake.
Although I'm sure anyone could say it is a bit paranoid.
Yes, that's sort of what I meant. I assume it contradicts itself because the research does.This article seems to conflict with itself often on this subject. It's actually pretty funny, I guess.
Absolutely not trying to hound you, but I'm fairly sure that "hobo spider" bites are known to cause dermonecrosis. Not very sure about the Lycosidae/Hogna, though.
Are Hobo Spiders aggressive? I've read that their vemon is powerful but do they bite frequently?
I think you mean "are not going to run out and chase you"?Yep, that's a Philodromid, the only dangerous spider you probably have to worry about are Latrodectus and even then they are going to run out and chase you
The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis, formerly known as Tegenaria agrestis) is not medically significant, contrary to what some sources say. (Like most spiders, they are technically venomous and are capable of biting in self defense, but they have not been proven to be dangerous to people.)Are Hobo Spiders aggressive? I've read that their vemon is powerful but do they bite frequently?
Mandy of Spiders.us said:Research has recently (2011) shown that the hobo's venom does not destroy mammalian cells and that their fangs did not carry bacteria (findings here). Who knows what will happen with additional research but, to date, there's been no verified case of this spider biting a human... and all research and arachnological opinion points to it being no more dangerous than any other regular ol' spider. (And if the hobo were established in NY or anywhere else outside of the northwest region, arachnologists would know about it. Things do get transferred around, and that's how the hobo got here in the first place from Europe... but right now there are no established populations in the east.)
Spiders.us said:
- Please note that there is currently no solid scientific evidence suggesting that the venom of this species is of medical significance in humans (the work of Darwin Vest dealt with rabbits and, so far, subsequent researchers have been unable to repeat his results).
- Recent research published in 2014 reported the first verified bite from a hobo spider, which resulted in pain, redness, and twitching in the calf muscle which went away after 12 hours (McKeown et al. 2014). It may take some time for researchers to gather more instances of verifiable hobo spider bites in order to find out more about the toxicity, or lack thereof, of its venom. Until that time, it would seem practical, based on all the evidence at hand, to consider the hobo spider a non-medically significant species.
- Research published in March of 2011 "confirms previous results and provides further evidence that the hobo spider is not a spider of medical concern" (Gaver-Wainwright et al. 2011); it was found that the venom of the hobo spider did not kill mammalian cells (was not necrotic) and that spider specimens exposed to MRSA did not transfer the bacteria.
Reddit said:I'm just going to get it all out here, tag this page and refer people to this thread in the future.
There is no scientific evidence to support that hobo spiders are any more dangerous than other spiders, including other species of Tegenaria. This myth only exists in the U.S. The spiders are considered harmless in their native Europe, and in Europe there have been documented bites without necrosis.
To establish causality, you need evidence that one thing is associated with the other. In this case, "one thing" is the spider bite, and "the other" is necrosis. A spider bite is established when you see/feel a spider biting and catch it in the act, and subsequently identify the species. There was one documented bite in a Spokane woman who had another medical condition that coincidentally is associated with dermonecrotic lesions. That doesn't count. In another incident, they blamed a spider they found on a railroad track beside the victim's house. Please. When you get a necrotic lesion, you can't just search the neighborhood and blame the nearest arthropod. This is not how science works. Also, these incidents were some 20 years ago. If anything, the population of hobos has increased and spread since then. If the threat is worth warning people about, you would expect evidence that anyone has been bitten - but there isn't any. Not a single instance.
One study in rabbits found that their venom causes necrosis in rabbits (well, in one species of rabbit but not another species). Rabbit physiology is different from human physiology, and several venoms are known to affect some mammals and not others. Furthermore, in that study, the spiders could not even be provoked to bite. The researchers tried their best to piss off the spiders and get them to bite, and they wouldn't. The researchers ended up extracting the venom and injecting it into the rabbits themselves. Thus, the amount of venom administered in a real bite may not be comparable - if you can even get one to bite.
For the spider to be harmless in Europe, but necrotic in the Pacific Northwest, some theories were proposed:
1) the separate populations evolved different venoms
2) they carry different microbes that are responsible for lesions or
3) arachnophobic Americans were quick to latch onto early erroneous reports and repeated them so much they became common knowledge.
Theories 1 and 2 were debunked by Binford, et al, 2001.
Theory 3 is also supported by the fact that physicians in states/provinces where hobos do not exist attribute necrotic wounds to hobo spiders. Hobos get blamed where hobos do not exist, just like brown recluses get blamed even in Alaska, several thousand miles away from any brown recluse.
For more on this topic see:
Bennett & Vetter, 2004 "Erroneous attribution of dermonecrotic lesions to brown recluse or hobo spider bites in Canada."
Gaver-Wainwright et al., 2011 - study showing hobo venom is not hemolytic and contains no pathogenic bacteria.
Vetter et al., 2003 on the distribution of T. agrestis versus where bites are reported.
A good summary of evidence at Utah extension.
British Columbia Ent Society with a summary of Binford.
Mod /u/quaoarpower attempts to provoke bite from hobo spider.
And that, my friends, is why we don't list T. agrestis among the "dangerous" spiders on the sidebar.
Hahahaha, yes, I always forget that crucial word! As stated above hobo spiders are not dangerous, just a bunch of bad stories with no evidence. Black widows are probably really the only spider that can hurt you a lot, but even then only if you get one to bite you. Loxosceles reclusa can mess you up pretty bad but it doesn't always cause a severe reaction as portrayed on the news. Wolf spiders and any other spider you can think of that lives here are not dangerous.I think you mean "are not going to run out and chase you"?