UPDATE 10 a.m The mystery spider has been identified and is a harmless barn hopper weaver. Elliot Rottacker, one of the moderators of the Alberta Spider Identification Facebook page, said the arachnid in question is a female barn funnel weaver. And they are completely harmless to humans. “Member of the Agelenidae family (funnel weavers) are really shy and more or less afraid of their own shadow. In fact, their fangs are so small that most of the time they don’t have the strength to break human skin,” Rottacker said. “Spiders don’t go around biting people. We are not on their food list and they are not bloodthirsty. A spider will only ever bite in a completely defensive last ditch effort to save its heads and lives from an early death. Most spiders have really bad eyesight, so when they see you they don’t see a person, but rather a large tree-shaped object. If a spider runs towards you, it’s because they think you’re just that tree and they’re looking for shade and a place to hide, as they don’t like to be caught out in the open without protection.” Females can live up to seven years in an undisturbed environment. The spider sits at the back of the funnel-shaped web, waiting for prey to disrupt the web. When the silk threads in the web are disturbed, vibrations are sent to the spider, alerting the spider that there is prey at the mouth of the hopper. The spider will rush out and attack the prey, dragging it back to the back of the funnel to consume its meal. These tissues can grow quite large if left undisturbed. ORIGINAL 4 am Halloween is still a few weeks away, but today’s bug of the week is already getting decked out. A large, black, ugly arachnid was recently spotted by an Okanagan resident. At the center of a funnel web is the beast in question, and there is some debate as to exactly what kind of spider it is. Most agree it’s a scary spider, but some say it’s a funnel-web spider or American grass spider, others say it’s a hobo spider. An internet search finds both look similar to the spider spotted in the Okanagan. Both spiders are introduced species and can both be found in British Columbia. Hobo spiders are native to Europe and have been designated as spiders of medical importance due to the belief that their bites can cause severe pain and potentially necrotic injuries. Research on hobo spiders is lacking and there is no definitive answer as to their level of danger. American Grass Spiders are funnel weavers, meaning they weave a funnel at one end of their web. Their webs are not sticky, like other spiders. But once the silk is activated, they use their speed to run quickly to get their prey. They are among the fastest spiders on the planet. This imported species of funnel weaver is widespread in southern BC. and is mostly anthropogenic (found near human habitation), but also occurs in natural habitats in southwestern and south-central BC. If you know what kind of spider this is please email me.
