How to Identify a Nursery Web Spider

Look for large spiders., Take note of coloration., Examine the spider's eyes., Look at the shape of the spider's body.

4 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Look for large spiders.

    The nursery web spider is one of the largest true spiders.They are so big that they are sometimes mistakenly thought to be close relatives of the tarantula.The nursery web spider's body is typically about a quarter of an inch to an inch in size, but it may spread its legs out to as far as three inches.
  2. Step 2: Take note of coloration.

    Although there are several different variations in coloring, nursery web spiders generally have a base color that is tan, gray, beige, or buff, with darker brown stripes or other markings.Close inspection of the legs of these spiders will reveal small black spines sticking out. , Nursery web spiders have eight eyes.

    They appear in two horizontal rows.

    The bottom row is nearly straight, while the top row curves upward forming a "u" shape.The eyes of the upper row are somewhat larger than the lower one.

    Examining the eyes, if you can get close enough to do so, is a good way to differentiate between the nursery web spider and the wolf spider, which have a different arrangement of eyes.

    Specifically, wolf spiders have three rows of eyes., The nursery web spider has a slender body.Its abdomen is widest in the middle and tapers toward the rear.Male nursery web spiders are typically very slender.

    An egg-bearing female, however, may have a very large abdomen.
  3. Step 3: Examine the spider's eyes.

  4. Step 4: Look at the shape of the spider's body.

Detailed Guide

The nursery web spider is one of the largest true spiders.They are so big that they are sometimes mistakenly thought to be close relatives of the tarantula.The nursery web spider's body is typically about a quarter of an inch to an inch in size, but it may spread its legs out to as far as three inches.

Although there are several different variations in coloring, nursery web spiders generally have a base color that is tan, gray, beige, or buff, with darker brown stripes or other markings.Close inspection of the legs of these spiders will reveal small black spines sticking out. , Nursery web spiders have eight eyes.

They appear in two horizontal rows.

The bottom row is nearly straight, while the top row curves upward forming a "u" shape.The eyes of the upper row are somewhat larger than the lower one.

Examining the eyes, if you can get close enough to do so, is a good way to differentiate between the nursery web spider and the wolf spider, which have a different arrangement of eyes.

Specifically, wolf spiders have three rows of eyes., The nursery web spider has a slender body.Its abdomen is widest in the middle and tapers toward the rear.Male nursery web spiders are typically very slender.

An egg-bearing female, however, may have a very large abdomen.

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Amber Moore

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