Fishing Spider (Dolomedes), Shane, Bulverde TX

Thanks to Shane for these photos, which were taken on 072508. I failed to ask where (on a tree, in the grass, or on bare ground) this spider was found. The fishing spiders are among the largest spiders in North America, and Shane measured this one about 4 inches across; the abdomen was 1.25 inches long. This specimen may be Dolomedes tenebrosus, often called the dark fishing spider. The Latin, tenebrosus, "dark," distinguishes it from D. albineus (Latin, albus, "white"), often called the whitebanded fishing spider. Just as likely,  however, Shane's specimen may be a dark specimen of D. albineus. Neither common name has been accepted by The American Arachnological Society Committee on Common Names of Arachnids. The genus name Dolomedes, applied by Pierre Latreille (1762-1833) in 1804, has Greek origins, "trick, strategem; wily, crafty." (see Ubick et al, [2005], pg. 291 for elucidation on this.) Prof. Latreille established the first set of spider genera, and held the first professorship in entomology (Hillyard [1994], p.161). Certain features of Shane's specimen may help explain why spiders in this genus might be considered wily, crafty, predators ---- NEXT PAGE ---- PAGE MENU:  1  *  2  *  3  *

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