32 replies to this topic

[imabitnaughtyxx]

We went to Flambards theme park in Cornwall during the summer and we saw a wild animal show where they brought out a bird eating spider which was the size of the woman's had who was carrying it. After the display they brought out what I think they called a Chilean tree spider which was almost as big and hairy and my son let it crawl on his hand. He's braver than me.

i remember that ewww...... went there in august, it was horrific, i was seriously squirming, my daughter stroked it i was mortified!

Thats when I was there, I hope you didnt see me skinny dipping in the sea at St Ives. It was a little cold but worth the crack.

lol i was there 11-19 august, staying at st tudy (my friends own a manor)

[imabitnaughtyxx]

We went to Flambards theme park in Cornwall during the summer and we saw a wild animal show where they brought out a bird eating spider which was the size of the woman's had who was carrying it. After the display they brought out what I think they called a Chilean tree spider which was almost as big and hairy and my son let it crawl on his hand. He's braver than me.

i remember that ewww...... went there in august, it was horrific, i was seriously squirming, my daughter stroked it i was mortified!

Thats when I was there, I hope you didnt see me skinny dipping in the sea at St Ives. It was a little cold but worth the crack.

lol i was there 11-19 august, staying at st tudy (my friends own a manor)

[Juju]

Mmmmkay. Back to the Spider issue.......pray silence for Mr. Juju.....

*a marked hush falls across the auditorium as a lone piper begins the customary fanfare*

"OK here are some answers. Spiders are not really my thing but.... Spider ident: Orb web spider (probably Araneus normanni) - native, harmless (as are all our spiders) - get enquiries on this species at this time of year - very variable in colour (black to ginger).

Get several enquiries on this 'non-native' looking spider each year - if they thought that was non-native check out the wasp spider - found on the south coast (known one knows if it was introduced or is a native) but spreading north - found at Wisley (Surrey) for the past two years http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/358.shtml

Don't know record of largest house spider - but the bodies of the females of some common species can get up to 2 cm in length - so leg span of 5 inches is to be expected (they don't provide measurements of leg span in books)

Is it just us being plagued by huge spiders this year, or has anyone else noticed a strange increase in numbers?!

Spiders tend to have a life cycle where many species mature in the late summer early autumn - so there always seems to be lots of big spiders in Sept/ Oct."

[Amy]

Excellent... Silly me, I thought Entomologists studied spiders too!

Thanks for asking Juju... Seems that little Lady is one of the biggest I'm likely to find then!

I'll tell my Mum that it's perfectly safe to go back to the park with Oscar too..... hehehe (looking at the spidey site as we speak)


That wasp spider looks amazing! I've seen moths in our garden that look just like large bees and wasps, my other half freaks out and starts flapping about until I calm him down... Although the female Hornet that came into the kitchen last week even had me panicking- it was HUGE!!!!!

[*Raz*]

Spiders tend to have a life cycle where many species mature in the late summer early autumn - so there always seems to be lots of big spiders in Sept/ Oct."

Edited by *Raz*, 16 October 2007 - 01:09 PM.

[Pie]

A spider bit me on my wrist the other day..... it felt exactly like a wasp sting, left a little pair of 'fang marks' and a small red bump, but was gone within the day....

I knocked it off as it bit me and it scurried off, so I'm not sure what it looked like!

ounds like spiderman!!

[Amy]

Thought I'd drag this one up again....

Not about spiders this time, but an actual insect I believe!!

Does anyone have any idea what could be eating my neighbour's wallpaper???? It looks like tiny trails all over it, that have been munched away by a teeny little caterpillar!!

I think it's some sort of insect like a book worm (?), or wood worm, but it's only eating one type of wallpaper in one room in, her spotlessly clean, perfect, and relatively new house.

Any thoughts???

[bert998]

Don't know record of largest house spider - but the bodies of the females of some common species can get up to 2 cm in length - so leg span of 5 inches is to be expected (they don't provide measurements of leg span in books)

mommy

[Juju]

Off the top of my head & without consulting the other half, I would suggest:

Carpet/Museum beetle? nice beekles munch our homes

Psocids? (Book lice) this is my old supervisor's website when I was in forensics. Bryan is King of Booklice & Forensic Entomologist extraordinaire....psocid page

[Brawlyrox]

I cant believe somebody would want to work with insects the evil things, if Mr Juju works with insects can he tell us what a wasp is actually for. Dam I hate them.

The other day I randomly found a mahoosive stick insect in my hallway. Very odd.

[yorkshirechris]

Jesus christ I thought it was bad enough reading about spiders but then I saw that picture and my stomach churned, I absolutely hate them!

I haven't seen any in our house lately but ina flat we lived in a couple of years ago there were a few big ones... I nicknamed one of them 'Hitler' - thinking about it it doesn't make sense but it just wouldn't die! It keps running under the computer wires so I couldn't catch it... sprayed deodrant on it, threw things at it, it just wouldn't die! At one point before its (painful, I assume) death it was covered in white anti-perspirant and limping across the room!

I really REALLY hate spiders

[Amy]

Off the top of my head & without consulting the other half, I would suggest:

Carpet/Museum beetle? nice beekles munch our homes

Psocids? (Book lice) this is my old supervisor's website when I was in forensics. Bryan is King of Booklice & Forensic Entomologist extraordinaire....psocid page

Thanking you Mademoiselle Juju...

I thought it looked like book lice too, I have some antique books with the same track marks in them! Will let her know anyway... I guess it's time for her to redecorate

[MiNi FiZ]

pop "Camel Spider" into youtube...

[Bungle]

we have lots of problems with beetles in the local VW club

the are like slugs but leave a black trail behind them

[Juju]

I cant believe somebody would want to work with insects the evil things, if Mr Juju works with insects can he tell us what a wasp is actually for.

I think they are what the microwave was invented for, but evolutionary luminaries may question my theory............... Bzzzzzzzz .......fizz-pop. Ping!