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Comments & ID Thoughts
We live in a rural area 20 minutes from Knoxville, TN. This is one of the largest spiders I've seen! I caught it with a Dixie cup and it's diameter was nearly the diameter of the cup!
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Oct 5, 2022
- Photographed: Oct 5, 2022
- Spider: Unidentified
- Location: Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, United States
- Spotted Indoors: Other
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes:
My son found this fellow on his bedroom wall behind his hermit crab terrarium.
Fishing spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus? – Dolomedes tenebrosus – BugGuide.Net
This is a very cool find! They’re known as Fishing Spiders, this particular one appears to be Dolomedes tenebrosus. They’re venom is not deadly, but their bite is said to resemble a bee sting. They’re typically found in wooded areas in dead wood. I’ve never had the pleasure to find one in person.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolomedes_tenebrosus
Alec! Thank you so much! It was quite the surprise to come home to!
Also, my son woke 2 days ago and had a strange red area on his elbow. In the middle was a puss pocket. I thought spider bite but we rarely see spiders in our home that could cause any damage to human skin. I had him wash it and I put ointment on it to help heal. Now I think i know the culprit!
Very possible. Though they’re creepy and occasionally mean, I would still recommend releasing him back into the wild (preferably away from the house lol) since he is a valuable member of your local ecosystem. Since it is getting colder, it’s very likely he was seeking a warm place to hibernate, and found your cozy home. If your son’s bite is still active, try cold compresses every hour or so and apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
I have just found them quick when spooked, a real challenge catching them by hand
A quick note, such injury is not the result of any spider. There are only a couple spiders that scavenge on dead insects and very rarely a bite may result in secondary infection.
Thanks, yes, I caught it with a Dixie cup and the paper pamphlet seen in my photo post. I walked to the edge of our back yard which is wooded to release it back into its natural environment. I love spiders as they are nature’s exterminators. I will place the ultrasonic plug-in in my son’s room to prevent a revisit.