Washington state spiders?

[NeuroToxin109]

Hello all! I live in the Northwest part of Washington, about 20miles north of Seattle. I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with the spiders around here. Like what to find and where to find them. I'm VERY new to keeping true spiders but am decently versed in tarantulas. Currently the only spiders I keep is an adult female Tegenaria sp. and some of her slings.

Thank you!

 

[dredrickt]

The most interesting will probably be the Tegenaria genus. Domestica, gigantea, and agrestis all reside in the Pacific NW. Agrestis is also known as the hobo spider, but the aggression they display is largely overrated. I lived out there for 26 years (Edmonds) and never saw a threat posture from a single spider, and I messed with them all the time. They are found in funnel tube like webs between crevices, typically low to the ground.

 

[succinct]

Last time I was up there, I saw some Antrodiaetus pacificus. You will need to really look for them. The are a trap door spider, I guess folding door spider is a better description. They have a trap door that acts like an flower blooming. It literally blooms when prey is detected. Let me see if I can find a video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyvFEOdaOSI

That is a horrible video.

Anyway you get the hint. You will need to keep a good eye out and have some light at the surface of the soil to pick up the webbing.

Remember, before you remove anything from the wild, check local, state, and federal laws. As far as I know they are not protected, but there are several types of them, reds, blues, black, brown, and yellows. Any given species or sub species my be protected or only from that geographical area.

 

[Smokehound714]

Washington is actually a great place to look for many arid species. In eastern washington, the landscape is a "Desert-steppe" climate, and as such, many arid-loving species can be found there.

Geolycosa, Tigrosa, Hogna, and Schizocosa are common in eastern washington. Phidippus octopunctatus, the largest jumper in the USA, can also be found in eastern washington, amongst dense artemesia growth, also common, are Phidippus johnsoni, P. californicus, and many more. Kukulcania arizonica MAY range into there, as the habitat is correct.

 

[gunslinger]

I second Smokehound - eastern Washington is pretty good - lots of nice Phiddipus in the area with P. octopunctatus being an awesome highlight, it is just a really awesome spider in my opinion, and P. clarus are around as well.

Also a fair number of widows in the east, if that is your thing.

 

[NeuroToxin109]

Thanks for all the great info guys! I'm definitely looking forward to finding some of these beauties. My wife and I are looking into moving to Eastern Washington (around Spokane) within the next year so that'll give me something to do in my spare time
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[The Snark]

Don't forget you got Rod Crawford in that neck of the woods. http://staff.washington.edu/tiso/