Spiders

Spiders abound; indeed, it has been suggested that anywhere in (outdoor) BC, a person is never more than a meter from a spider. Obviously, most pass unnoticed. Not only are there many spiders, there are many species of spiders: some seven hundred known in the province. Clearly, this page will present but a few local characters.

A spider is an arachnid (eight legs, two body segments), rather than an insect (six legs, three body segments). Spiders are predatory, but lack wings and chewing mouth parts. They (usually) have eight eyes, but unlike insects (which have compound eyes), each spider eye has a single lens. Indeed, in cases such as the jumping spider, the eyes provide excellent vision.

The female wolf spider is larger than the male, and appears even larger in this picture where it is carrying its eggs in a silken bag attached to the abdomen.

A male wolf spider hunts relentlessly thought the debris on the forest floor.

This is a house spider, quite possibly a Barn funnel Weaver, a species which builds a sheet–like web in dark corners.

There are 45 species of jumping spiders in BC. Which is this one? It is not unusual to find a jumping spider in the house.

An orb web, the work of an orb weaver.

There are two families of orb weavers, one which is round and plump, one which is long and slender. This is the Long–jawed Orb weaver.

This is the round and plump orb weaver.

This orb weaver is seen from below at the back. From the look of its web, the spider has a bit of housekeeping work to do.

That the orb web can be an effective means of providing the spider with a meal is clear.

The underside of an orb weaver, in a picture I took a few years ago.

A female crab spider (Misumena vatia) looks like just another Pieres Japonica blossoms as it waits to pounce on foraging pollinating insects.

Hiding on the petal of a tiger lily is another crab spider (Misumena vatia).

There are many species of crab spiders. This one, from the genus, Xysticus (?), doesn’t haunt flowers, but trees and weeds. But, as with its cousins, it lies in wait for tasty arthropods. However, this particular spider was found on a wall, not a tree; the pickings were probably a bit slim.

The crab spider (Misumena vatia) waiting on the buttercup is really small. The bee which it threatened, escaped.

Information The Canadian Arachnologist: Nearctic Spider Database;
Information from Wikipedia: Spiders.