Comments for Bugs In The News

Comment on Hogna baltimoriana Wolf Spiders in Kempner, Texas by Aimee

Aimee — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:11:23 +0000

I have found several holes in my yard like the ones on this website. We can see that they are occupied by spiders. We have been trying to get pictures of them to see if they match the ones here. We are about a 20 min drive from Kempner, so that’s why I wonder if these are the same kind of spiders.

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Aimee

Isn’t it interesting how we can live for years with burrowing wolf spiders in our yards but oblivious to their presence? Bob and his wife moved to his ranch in the year 2000, but had no idea the fields on his property were populated by all those spiders until January 2013, when by chance one of the females accidentally wandered into his home.

He’s mapping each field now, measuring the diameter of each burrow and photographing the spiders he finds there. In the process he’s discovered several different species of burrowing wolf spiders in those fields. We’ll be publishing a new article soon on a different species that he found coexisting with, but somewhat larger than, the Hogna baltimoriana spiders discussed in this article. Not only do these have distinctive ventral markings that vary considerably from the markings of H. baltimoriana, but their mating seasons — evidently beginning in May for them, while that for H. baltimoriana begins several months earlier — do not coincide.

It will be very interesting to find out what you have in your yard. Coaxing the spiders out of their burrows is not difficult to do, once you learn a few tricks. Collecting them in transparent glass or plastic containers, so they can be examined and photographed before they’re returned to their burrows, is not difficult, as they tend not to be aggressive toward humans. Bob regularly finds them outside of their burrows after dark (a good LED flashlight, with its shaft pressed against your temple, will illuminate the land in front of you in such a way as to reflect light from the spider’s eyes back to you, pinpointing where the spiders are). He is then able to get a look at their ventral markings by grasping one of the spider’s hind legs and gently flipping it on its back, where it remains just long enough for a good look at the abdominal markings. These spiders are so beneficial, as predators of insects, that their populations should not be disturbed any more than necessary.

Jerry

Comment on Red-spotted Antmimic Spiders in Texas by Sgt Tristan Adams

Sgt Tristan Adams — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:46:40 +0000

I have just discovered one of these red spotted ant-mimic spiders running up the wall behind my computer station.
Sadly like others in your article I mistook it for a Black Widow and quickly dispatched it due to having four young children in our household. After I did so I noticed that the strip was on the wrong side and quickly began researching what kind of new spider I had seen. I live in Jacksonville, NC. USMC Base Camp Lejeune to be more precise and was just wondering if it is normal for them to be this far east and or north since in your article they were all in TX.

Comment on Texas Ratsnakes in Alvin and Dripping Springs, Texas by Daniel Rodriguez

Daniel Rodriguez — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:07:19 +0000

I have a question? I am trying to figure out what kind of snake is living under my shed. At first I just seen two Snakes that had shed their skin and did not know what kind of snake it was The other day me and my wife. When in the yard, and we finally see one of Them at first we just saw the head peeking out of the crack where the Pool is at As we look at the head. It was kind of a red brown looking and has a sun hit it. it had looked, blurry. Then It put its head back in crack . Finally, it came back up and started to go to the next yard. The snake had to be about 6 foot long, it was a very pretty snake but to me it looked like a viper. Not sure I will try to describe it. The best way I can. The head was diamond shape. The neck was about 1.5 inch and then it went down 7 inches. And tapered to about 2 1/2 inches and right where The taper begins to a 2.5 inches. There was a white ring around it. And every 4 inches. After that, was a white ring. It was like that for a bout all 4 foot and three quarters of an inch of Of the body then it tapered down to the tail The whole body is black. I really don’t know what kind of snake it is. But maybe you can help me. Maybe it’s not a viper. I’ve tried To Google it And there is one picture of a Viper. It looks like it. The only difference is instead of having white readings it has yellow rings. Maybe someone could let me know what exactly this snake is like I said, there are two of Them, one 6 foot. The other is 5 foot although I haven’t seen the other one, but by the skin. Shed it. That’s what it Measures and I live in the Lamarque Texas

Comment on Giant Centipedes in Houston, Dallas, Texas : Bugs In The News by Matthew

Matthew — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:36:45 +0000

Found one in my house and killed it. I measured its remains and it was 12 inches long without its head. That is the second one I have found around that size near my house though most Ive seen are around half that size.

Comment on Puss Caterpillar or Asp — Online General Information Bugs In The News by Julie

Julie — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:33:19 +0000

Just stung on vacation in Puerto Rico the first week of April. Very scary. Stung at elbow, horrible pain and blistering skin at elbow with numbness radiating up to armpit. So relieved to read no long term effects. It is one week later, though, and I am itching intensely at sting site???

Comment on Index to North American Snakes by Jerry Bennett

Jerry Bennett — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:35:39 +0000

not on snakes but spiders, I have all kinds invading my home, lived there 6 months, including scorpions, have killed brown recluse, now I understand soap and water, but with grandkids, I am looking for way to spider proof my home, I have checked under doors that is tight, I notice many in bathroom, some in hall closet where a/c heat unit is , I believe I have pvc pipe coming from foundation for wiring, have attempted to plug up used numerous sprays, glue strips, eg. I killed 5 yesterday, a scorpion today, last fall , several a day, numerous scorpions, possibly in attic? walls,? foundation ? all of above ?thots? previous owner had carpet, did not mention problem , I have installed laminate floors,

Comment on Hogna baltimoriana Wolf Spiders in Kempner, Texas by Mandy Howe

Mandy Howe — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:09:31 +0000

Hi, Jerry and Robert, I stumbled upon this neat website and have bookmarked it to make sure I check in every once in a while. This article about the mystery lycosid in Kempner, Texas happened to be the first one I ready in entirety, and I thought it might be helpful to know that the spider is a Hogna baltimoriana, at least I’m 99% sure they both are (male and female). I was able to verify that from the great images of the genitalia within the article. You can match the genitalia to diagrams in Dondale & Redner 1990, page 47. Hope this helps!

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Thanks, Mandy!

I finally located a link to the 1990 paper by Dondale & Redner, and — as you pointed out — the genitalia sketched in that paper for H. baltimoriana matches that of the specimens found in the burrows at Bob’s ranch.

Jerry

Comment on Daddy longlegs (harvestmen) in Texas by Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:41:20 +0000

As a caver, I have been to quite a few wild caves in Texas. I’m not afraid of spiders and especially not daddy longlegs, but I have a rather vivid memory of one low cave entrance. I had to scoot through on my belly and focus on staying as flat as possible because I had only inches to clear a pulsing mass of daddy longlegs..many thousands of them..clinging to the ceiling above. Several dropped off on me during the process. It was a bit creepy

Comment on Giant Centipedes in Houston, Dallas, Texas : Bugs In The News by Melissa98j

Melissa98j — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:19:47 +0000

I saw what I believe was a centipede outside my home in Temple, tx, but am not sure… I got a couple pictures… Could you help me verify?

Comment on Blotched Water Snakes in Texas by Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:43:29 +0000

I saw a snake in my pond similar to this. It was probably a foot long or smaller. I wasn’t sure what it was. I didn’t get a good look at it, and Im hoping it wasn’t a moccasin. Are these blotched water snakes in the Galveston/Houston area?