What's your favorite Family?

[PhormictopusMan]

Please pick only one family from both Parts of the survey. In otherwords if you choose one here don’t pick from part two or vis versa. Additionally, if you wish to include a different family just mention it in a comment. If we get another ten (favorites, not just families, I know there are a ton) we can start a part III on this. Thanks.

Also please include any comments you wish about your favorite family.

You may go to part II by following this link:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=55888

Introduction:

When I attended a weeklong spider Taxonomy course at San Francisco State's field campus in the Sierras last year, I got the chance to work with some great people. I, myself, was very excited to be there--I have enjoyed spiders since my love affair with them started at the age of five when I was bitten for the first (and last) time, by what I now think was a Phidippus johnsoni. Who knew you couldn’t carry a spider inside the hollow of a sweaty clenched fist? Anyway, it was truly wonderful to be surrounded by so many people at once who were as nuts about spiders as I was. I found it amusing when I asked for help keying out some of my favorite spiders, the Salticids. I mean, who doesn't love a good Jumping Spider? I think I got responses like "the Hentz key is over there." Now ask about the cutting edge new frontier family the uncharted territories of Lynyphiidae, and I had four PhD's hovering over me within seconds. It was quite amusing, and the results of course was me trying to learn how to identify spiders, and having to separate and view body parts clear down to the hairs on tarsus IV, using the smallest spiders in the world.

Anyway, to get to my point, I am curious to peoples favorite families. I only have ten spots for the poll so I will try and include those that I think are more common. I will post this in two parts. If there is a spider family that is not listed then please mention it under comments. We can always add more parts with new families. Also I am using families whose distributions are within North America.

If you have more than one favorite, just put the one that you seem to be more interested in now.


Thanks,
--Chris
--------------------------------------
The Building of List Three. If your favorite family is not yet on the poll, leave a reply and I will add it to the list below. When the list reaches 10, I will post it.

1. Ctenidae -wandering spider -banana spider
2. Dinopidae -netcasting spider, ogre-faced spider
3. Sparassidae -huntsman, Giant crab spider
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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[Whiskeypunk]

I love jumping spiders! They have so much personality. Once it warms up in the spring I plan on testing wether the rumour is true that they can navigate a maze correctly, and on the first try, by seeing it from above first.

 

[Stefan2209]

Ctenidae

Hi,

i´m missing my all-time-favourite family here, the Ctenidae.

The family of wanderers, hunters and banana spiders, however you like to call them. From the quite docile Cupiennius over the nasty Phoneutria to the fishers of Ancylometes....

:worship:

Greetings,

Stefan

 

[spydrhunter1]

Tetragnathidae

Long-jawed orb weavers...the name says it all. Delicate little spiders with these long armored jaws.

 

[orcrist]

Hi,

i´m missing my all-time-favourite family here, the Ctenidae.

The family of wanderers, hunters and banana spiders, however you like to call them. From the quite docile Cupiennius over the nasty Phoneutria to the fishers of Ancylometes....

:worship:

Greetings,

Stefan

Is Ancylometes in Pisauride like the smaller fishing spiders, or Ctenidae? I always thought the former. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/images/smilies/033102stupid_1_prv.gif
:?

-0rcrist

 

[PhormictopusMan]

Thanks for the interest in the post. I will start a list for Favorite Family III, and it will be open to all favorite families, not just those found in North America.

When the list reaches ten I will post it:

1. Ctenidae -wandering spiders -banana spider
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Thanks,

--Chris

 

[swatc1h]

was Widows but at the moment Pedes yeah. also with Jason sale in mind im kind of tempted to but in due time $$$.$$

 

[Stefan2209]

Is Ancylometes in Pisauride like the smaller fishing spiders, or Ctenidae? I always thought the former. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/images/smilies/033102stupid_1_prv.gif
:?

-0rcrist

Hi,

till 2001 you had been right, Ancylometes had been in the Pisauridae.
Since the last revision of the family Ctenidae (SILVA 2001) they are now a member of the Ctenidae (again).

Screening the list of families again, i noticed some more families of possible interest missing:

Sparassidae (Giant crab spiders)
Dinopidae (Ogre-faced spiders)

How about them?

Greetings,

Stefan

 

[PhormictopusMan]

Thank you Stefan. I have updated the list and it appears at the opening of the thread.

--Chris