UPDATE 10 a.m.
The mystery spider has been identified and it is a harmless barn funnel weaver.
Elliot Rottacker, is one of the moderators of the Alberta Spider Identification Facebook page, and she said the arachnid in question is a female barn funnel weaver.
And they are completely harmless to humans.
“The member of the family Agelenidae (funnel weavers) are really shy and pretty much scared of their own shadow. In fact their fangs are so small that most the time they don’t even have the strength to break human skin,” Rottacker said.
“Spiders don’t go around bitting people. We aren’t on their list of foods and they are not blood suckers. A spider will only ever bite in an entirely defensive last-ditch effort to save their heads and lives from an untimely squishing death. Most spiders actually have very poor eye sight, so when they see you they don’t see a human, but rather a big tree-shaped object. If a spider runs towards you it’s because they think you are just that a tree and are looking for shade and a place to hide as they don’t like being caught out in the open with no protection.”
Females can live for up to seven years in an undisturbed environment.
The spider sits at the back of the funnel shape web, waiting for prey to disturb the web. When the silk threads in the web are disturbed vibrations are sent to the spider, notifying the spider there is prey at the mouth of the funnel. The spider will rush out and attack the prey item, dragging it back to the back of the funnel to consume its meal. These webs can become quite large if undisturbed.
ORIGINAL 4 a.m.
Halloween is still a few weeks away, but today’s bug of the week has already started decorating.
A big, black, nasty looking arachnid was recently spotted by an Okanagan resident.
At the centre of a funnel web sits the beast in question, and there is some debate as to exactly what kind of spider it is.
Most agree it is a scary spider, but some say it is a funnel spider, or American grass spider, other’s say it is a hobo spider.
An internet search finds both look similar to the spider spotted in the Okanagan.
Both spiders are an introduced species and both can be found in British Columbia.
Hobo spiders come from Europe and have been labeled as spiders of medical importance because of the belief that their bites can cause severe pain and potentially necrotic wounds. The research on hobo spiders is incomplete, and no definitive answer regarding their level of danger exists.
American Grass Spider are funnel weavers, which means they weave a funnel on one edge of their web. Their webs are not sticky, like other spiders. But once the silk is triggered, they use their speed to run quickly to get their prey.
They are among the fastest spiders on the planet.
This introduced species of funnel-web weaver is widespread across southern BC and is mostly synanthropic (found close to human habitation), but also occurs in natural habitats in south-western and south-central BC.
If you know what kind of spider this is, send me an email.
