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Dolomedes triton
(Six-spotted Fishing Spider)

Featured spider picture The spider species Dolomedes triton, commonly known as Six-spotted Fishing Spider, belongs to the genus Dolomedes, in the family Pisauridae. Dolomedes triton spiders have been sighted 26 times by contributing members. Based on collected data, the geographic range for Dolomedes triton includes 1 countries and 13 states in the United States. Dolomedes triton is most often sighted outdoors, and during the month of May.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Family: Pisauridae
  • Genus: Dolomedes
  • Species: Dolomedes triton

Common Name (AASMore information icon)

Six-spotted Fishing Spider

Other Common Names

Nursery Web Spider, Raft Spider, Dock Spider, Fishing Spider

Author

Charles Athanase Walckenaer, 1837

Primary Colors


Sightings Overview

There have been 26 confirmed sightings of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider), with the most recent sighting submitted on September 27, 2019 by Spider ID member tangledweb. The detailed statistics below may not utilize the complete dataset of 26 sightings because of certain Dolomedes triton sightings reporting incomplete data.

  • Web: 8% of the time, Dolomedes triton spiders are sighted in a spider web (Sample size: 26)
  • Sex: 0 female and 1 male.
  • Environment: Dolomedes triton has been sighted 27 times outdoors, and 6 times indoors.
  • Outdoors: Man-made structure (9). On flower (1). Low foliage (1). High foliage (1). Ground layer (3). Under rock or debris (1). Freshwater river, lake, stream (9). Open field, pasture, grassland (1). Forest (1).

Location and Range

Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) has been sighted in the following countries: United States.

Dolomedes triton has also been sighted in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin.

Seasonality

Dolomedes triton has been primarily sighted during the month of May.

  • January:
  • February: 2
  • March: 1
  • April: 7
  • May: 10
  • June: 3
  • July:
  • August:
  • September: 1
  • October: 1
  • November:
  • December: 1

Additional Remarks

  • Though people sometimes assume the common name, “Six-spotted Fishing Spider,” must have something to do with the white spots on the abdomen of the spider, it does not; it actually refers to the six dark spots on the spider’s sternum.
  • This species looks very similar to the European species, Dolomedes fimbriatus.
  • This spider can dive below the surface of the water when escaping predators or trying to catch food. They can stay underwater for up to an hour. Feeds on prey as large as minnows and frogs, etc.
  • Deshefy (1981) and others (e.g. Suter 1999) have described “sailing” by this spider, whereby it takes advantage of the wind and their nearly frictionless interaction with the water surface in order to sail around. Like other fishing spiders, they also actively propel themselves across the water surface by rowing and galloping.
  • Egg sac is a brown sphere, around 8-10mm in diameter, and held in the jaws of the mother spider as she wanders around. She hangs it amid a “nursery web” once the babies are ready to emerge.
  • Sometimes found floating on the surface of swimming pools in urban situations.

Featured Pictures

Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
Picture of Dolomedes triton (Six-spotted Fishing Spider) - Dorsal Enlarge Picture
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