Mystery funnel weaver in Lousiana eating a FROG

[CRX]

Came across this on reddit credit to user Putrid-Foundation711. They said it is from Lousiana, had a funnel web, and they were confused at first but realized it was eating a frog. I don't mean to jump to any conclusions, but I thought there is no frog eating funnel spiders in Lousiana?? (I know Dolomedes etc eat frogs but they dont build funnel webs) Here is the post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/comments/1efh2el

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Came across this on reddit credit to user Putrid-Foundation711. They said it is from Lousiana, had a funnel web, and they were confused at first but realized it was eating a frog. I don't mean to jump to any conclusions, but I thought there is no frog eating funnel spiders in Lousiana?? (I know Dolomedes etc eat frogs but they dont build funnel webs) Here is the post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/comments/1efh2el

I have no clue what species it is , the videos too blurry and out of focus . But some large true spiders can eat small frogs ofc . Nice share , unique looking spider.

 

[CRX]

I have no clue what species it is , the videos too blurry and out of focus . But some large true spiders can eat small frogs ofc . Nice share , unique looking spider.

I know Dolomedes and etc occur there and they eat frogs and fish, but they dont build funnel webs?? Thats what is freaking me out

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I know Dolomedes and etc occur there and they eat frogs and fish, but they dont build funnel webs?? Thats what is freaking me out

Yeah I can’t tell if it’s a myg misidentified or a wild species of funnel web we either don’t know of or can’t identify because the videos too blurry. Lousiana winter too cold for large species ? I’ve never checked their weather.

 

[Brewser]

Frog Legs are on the menu.
Louisiana Cuisine

 

[fcat]

I was certain that there was no way aliens could possibly exist, because everyone and their dog is carrying a decent recording device everywhere they go (cell phone)...surely someone would've filmed documentation by now.

Then I see videos like this....a stationary object, somewhat close...not a single frame in focus...and it gives me hope

 

[aaarg]

i feel like i'm missing something.
all i see is a male agelenid molting

also, relevant article from the journal of arachnology a few years ago, a nice look at spiders eating frogs

https://www.americanarachnology.org/journal-joa/joa-all-volumes/detail/article/download/arac-48-01-26.pdf

 

[CRX]

Some people on the reddit thread are pushing back on it being a frog now too.. really curious just what the hell this is

Yeah I can’t tell if it’s a myg misidentified or a wild species of funnel web we either don’t know of or can’t identify because the videos too blurry. Lousiana winter too cold for large species ? I’ve never checked their weather.

Well, its currently July. Southern LA basically has roughly the same climate as northern Florida and theres plenty of large species there.

 

[Biollantefan54]

Yeah after watching the video a few times, this definitely looks like a spider that’s molting. The angle makes sense, the weird white wiggly things are the newly molted pedipalps, I don’t think there was ever a frog at all

 

[CRX]

Yeah after watching the video a few times, this definitely looks like a spider that’s molting. The angle makes sense, the weird white wiggly things are the newly molted pedipalps, I don’t think there was ever a frog at all

I actually am still curious about the species tho, anyone got a idea?

So, the kettle thickens... I begin to think OP was lying from the start lol. They claim to actually have a frog from this. I think they're full of BS. I had seen this post earlier but forgot about it

 

[aaarg]

I actually am still curious about the species tho, anyone got a idea?

Agelenopsis sp. or Barronopsis sp., both genera are common in the eastern US

 

[CRX]

Yeah the OP is lying for karma, he said there was a tiny frog but stopped posting after we asked for proof

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Yeah the OP is lying for karma, he said there was a tiny frog but stopped posting after we asked for proof

his lies might work on the uneducated but it’s quite obvious lol
I didn’t see any frog in the video or anything eating. I’m pretty sure it was molting like you said.

 

[Caveternal]

Came across this on reddit credit to user Putrid-Foundation711. They said it is from Lousiana, had a funnel web, and they were confused at first but realized it was eating a frog. I don't mean to jump to any conclusions, but I thought there is no frog eating funnel spiders in Lousiana?? (I know Dolomedes etc eat frogs but they dont build funnel webs) Here is the post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/comments/1efh2el

I live in LA, there is some strand of Dolomedes that is some type of hybrid I'm guessing. The ones I saw and have kept do make funnel webs. The spiders get beefy thick and they have a black and orange phase.

Yeah I can’t tell if it’s a myg misidentified or a wild species of funnel web we either don’t know of or can’t identify because the videos too blurry. Lousiana winter too cold for large species ? I’ve never checked their weather.

Winter here is sometimes mild and not very long. I found a mystery Dolomedes funnel web colony along a canal. the grass is thick and the town has it bushwacked so there is always really thick grass beds piled up like blankets I could imagine them making it through winter easily some winters.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I live in LA, there is some strand of Dolomedes that is some type of hybrid I'm guessing. The ones I saw and have kept do make funnel webs. The spiders get beefy thick and they have a black and orange phase.

Wow, that sounds awesome. Try and get some pictures of them.

 

[Caveternal]

Wow, that sounds awesome. Try and get some pictures of them.

Ok last weekend I saw some out there. They all seem smaller this month but I assume they'll reach the larger size later if eveything stays stable in the area. 3 years ago somehow they were massive. havent seen them get that size since but hopefully they will this go around.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Ok last weekend I saw some out there. They all seem smaller this month but I assume they'll reach the larger size later if eveything stays stable in the area. 3 years ago somehow they were massive. havent seen them get that size since but hopefully they will this go around.

Nursery web spiders are the biggest I seen here. Haven’t seen one in a few years at the park. Apparently, Southern Ohio has pseudo scorpions but there aren’t any where I live. More or less in the middle of the state.

 

[aaarg]

i'd be curious to see a Dolomedes in a web, i've never seen or heard of such behavior. i briefly kept D. tenebrosus, albineus, and triton.
were they nursery webs?

 

[Glorfindel]

I would like to know more about Black & Orange Phase Dolomedes ?

 

[aaarg]

i have seen several lightly-colored Dolomedes, sometimes dark with light brown/orange margins, sometimes they look more like their cousins in genus Pisaurina -
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1584598/bgimage
that image also includes the only kinda web I'd associate with the family, a nursery web


here's one of my observations on iNat, though the colors were more vibrant in 'real life' lol

both examples in this post are D. vittatus, tho i have seen some pale/tan/orange D. tenebrosus over the years

<3 Dolomedes <3