Eight-legged freak.

[slowworm]

After looking up Stone Spiders I came across this list of UK spider bites which is interesting reading! I've been bitten by a woodlouse spider before but can still pick up most house guests and pop them outside - I bet I'm more scary to them!

[Bushwhacker]

That's a cool site, nice find. I can feel myself getting more and more drawn into spiders. I ought to resist really so I can concentrate on other things I'm doing.

[Urban X]

I was reading through that earlier when I was looking for the Stone spider pic, who'd have thought Money spiders LOL they're minute.

Huntsman are proper aggressive lil buggers, I'm kinda surprised that the Cave spider isn't on that list I know of 2 peeps personally who've been bitten by them, I was there both times, very sharp bite, I suppose it because they normally live in the entrances to caves/tunnels and dark places, not many sane people often venture into such places. I read somewhere that they were rare, they're not rare round this area there's 1000s of em lol.


Si

[HillBill]

Cave spiders are also found in cellars.

I was reading through that earlier when I was looking for the Stone spider pic, who'd have thought Money spiders LOL they're minute.

Huntsman are proper aggressive lil buggers, I'm kinda surprised that the Cave spider isn't on that list I know of 2 peeps personally who've been bitten by them, I was there both times, very sharp bite, I suppose it because they normally live in the entrances to caves/tunnels and dark places, not many sane people often venture into such places. I read somewhere that they were rare, they're not rare round this area there's 1000s of em lol.


Si

[Urban X]

Yep, seen em in loads of dark places, just looking through some of my tunnel pics for some, they hang their egg sacks from the ceilings and then guard em.

Found a few will stick a couple up when Tinypic has finished it's maintenance....


Si

[Urban X]

Detached Bastion in Dover



Lyddon G3





About the only wildlife I ever see underground is the occaisional bat, leopard slugs, cave spiders and sum real funky moulds.


Si

[bob_pickard]

we have a few of these round my way - I've always thought they were woodlouse spiders, besides hating spiders anyway I usually especially avoid these as woodlice ones can give a meaty bite

[Harvestman]

I've come late to this thread, but I can confirm that the spider pictured is a 'Stone spider' (never heard it called that before) although whether it is Drassodes lapidosus or Drassodes cupreus is impossible to tell without a microscope and even then extremely difficult if the spider is a female (and this one is). I'll go with D. lapidosus as it tends to be slightly bigger, but there isn't much in it.

They are very common. I've got them in my shed, and in my compost bin. They are one of the more aggressive species in the UK, although not towards humans, but they could bite if left no other choice. I've never heard of any ill effects from them. They quite often turn up in houses.

Some lovely cave spider pics there Urban X, and the top pic shows the characteristic egg sac for the species too, a ball of silk hanging on a thread like a Christmas bauble. Can be as big as a golf ball in extreme cases.

As for money spiders biting, the one mentioned in the article, Leptorhoptrum robustum is bigger than your typical money spider, and has disproportionately large fangs as well.

[Urban X]

Thanks Harvestman, amazing creatures, I love spiders.

Got another pic of a Cave spider egg sack which we thought was due to hatch, can you confirm our thoughts or is the discoloration something else entirely, this was quite big, prolly about the size of a 2p coin kinda thing?



Cheers


Si

[woodspirits]

wouldn't surprise me if we didn't have some actual Widows around some of the docks,


Si

my lad used to work in a huge sainsburys warehouse, he said there were all sorts of things wandering around there coming in with the bananas etc

[Harvestman]

'Fraid I can't confirm one way or the other. I've never seen one of those egg balls hatch, although my instinct are saying 'fungal infection' to me. Something about it doesn't look healthy to me.

The egg sacs of other species don't become discoloured prior to spiderling emergence, so I've no reason to suppose they would in cave spiders either, but as i said, I can't be completely certain.

[Urban X]

Hmmm, yeah could well be right, I have seen some very, very funky fungus/mould growths underground.

I've never seen a baby Cave spider either come to think of it, they all seem to be about the same size more or less lol.

@woodspirits Yeh never thought about warehouses like that, I bet they do see some weird critters climbing out of some of the produce lol.

Cheers


Si

[Harvestman]

Hmmm, yeah could well be right, I have seen some very, very funky fungus/mould growths underground.

I've never seen a baby Cave spider either come to think of it, they all seem to be about the same size more or less lol.

Cheers


Si

Baby cave spiders behave differently from the adults. As soon as they emerge they head towards the light. When they reach the cave mouth (or whatever) they disperse by ballooning. They only start heading for the dark again once they get a bit bigger, later that same year.

Naturally, the mortality rate is enormous, but it seems to work for them.

[Urban X]

Ah cool, thanks never realised that. They are nippy buggers aswell, if you put your finger up near em they sometimes go for it. I remember one of my mates leaning against a wall to make a smoke and he must've brushed one or something cause next minute he's dancing round the tunnel trying to flick something off his neck, looked like he thought his hair was on fire, absolutely hilarious, but it did bite him hahaha.


Si

[Harvestman]

Ah cool, thanks never realised that. They are nippy buggers aswell, if you put your finger up near em they sometimes go for it. I remember one of my mates leaning against a wall to make a smoke and he must've brushed one or something cause next minute he's dancing round the tunnel trying to flick something off his neck, looked like he thought his hair was on fire, absolutely hilarious, but it did bite him hahaha.


Si

I suppose if you live in a cave food is in short supply. You might be tempted to have a go at anything...

[Urban X]

We'd been down there a while, spiders obviously have no sense of smell. LOL


Si