Spider Identification - Pennsylvania

[wright100]

I apologize if this isn't actually a spider but rather a tick, which would result in this post being in the incorrect place. The tick/spider we believe bit my wife today. I have been trying to figure out what it is. Picture searches have not been super helpful. I haven't been able to find anything that looks very much like it. I'm wondering if it is young resulting in it looking different from the adult pictures I'm finding online. Does anyone have any idea what it is? Thanks!

 

[schmiggle]

First, that's a spider. Second, ticks being arachnids, you would still be in the right place.

I generally wouldn't worry about spider bites, they're usually harmless. Also, if it were a tick, it wouldn't bite your wife and then leave, it would just bite your wife and stick around.

It kind of looks like Araneus quadratus to me, but somebody who's actually good at identification should have a look.

 

[RTTB]

Definitely not a tick.

 

[wright100]

First, that's a spider. Second, ticks being arachnids, you would still be in the right place.

I generally wouldn't worry about spider bites, they're usually harmless. Also, if it were a tick, it wouldn't bite your wife and then leave, it would just bite your wife and stick around.

It kind of looks like Araneus quadratus to me, but somebody who's actually good at identification should have a look.

Thank you for your response, I appreciate it. I actually pulled the spider off of her. I think it was injured as it was trapped between her body and clothing. I looked into the Araneus quadratus and that definitely looks the most like it that I've seen so far. The black dots look like it and I think there are white patches around them as well, but its hard to tell. It is not very big. Reading about it, it seems very docile and unlikely to bite a human, but since it was trapped it may have resorted it it. The place where she was bit has a red dot. I think she equated it to a mosquito bit feeling. We are trying to quickly look into this because she is breast feeding our infant and we are trying to figure out if we need to change what we are doing. The only thing about that Araneus quadratus is that it doesn't look native to the U.S. I'm in Pennsylvania.

 

[schmiggle]

Thank you for your response, I appreciate it. I actually pulled the spider off of her. I think it was injured as it was trapped between her body and clothing. I looked into the Araneus quadratus and that definitely looks the most like it that I've seen so far. The black dots look like it and I think there are white patches around them as well, but its hard to tell. It is not very big. Reading about it, it seems very docile and unlikely to bite a human, but since it was trapped it may have resorted it it. The place where she was bit has a red dot. I think she equated it to a mosquito bit feeling. We are trying to quickly look into this because she is breast feeding our infant and we are trying to figure out if we need to change what we are doing. The only thing about that Araneus quadratus is that it doesn't look native to the U.S. I'm in Pennsylvania.

That was a silly mistake on my part. I still think it might be some Araneus, though.

The situation you're describing sounds like exactly the sort where I would expect an otherwise timid spider to bite.

I wouldn't worry about a breast-feeding baby being poisoned by this spider, if that's your concern.

 

[wright100]

It looks like it is probably a Araniella displicata, which is also a orb weaver but is native to North America.

 

[wright100]

Here is a link to what we think it is.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/1266590/bgimage

It can bite but is not harmful to humans.

 

[wright100]

Yea that was our primary concern. First child = overly concerned. I also posted over on a site (Dave's Garden) and somebody there identified it. Want to give credit to him.

 

[wright100]

Also thanks schmiggle for your help

 

[schmiggle]

Nicely done on the ID