Today while working on the hot tub, I encountered this fine specimen. I absolutely HATE spiders! I mean HATE spiders!!!

As of late, we have been having a few of these large monsters showing up around our place. So, I have to know, what in the heck is this?

I am no expert, by any means, nor do I want to be. I just want to know what it is. It's about the same diameter as a silver dollar.

The closest thing I could find was that it is a hobo spider. From what I was reading, these are not overly people friendly. One bite could land you in the ER and sometimes end up with massive wounds.

Yes, call me a little Nancy, I know....It's just a spider. Not to me, it's a fricking beast.

Anyway, what do you think??





Thrasher

There are only three around here that I *think* I can identify...Hobo, Wood, and Brown Recluse...and I don't think that is any of those three...

Fish on...

Todd

My guess is a wolf spider. In college I pulled my jeans on one morning and felt something take a chunk from behind the knee. I squished it so couldn't idetnify what type but was told it was probably a wolf spider. I swelled up about the size of a baseball.

http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html

i'd agree with the wolf ID. got bit myself when i was a kid--nasty. BTW thare are no brown recluse spiders in washington, aside from 1 that was found in a travel trailer in Prosser in the 60's. the trailer had been stored for years in arizona prior to being here......




willy

The markings on it are completely different from that of a wolf, from what
I can see anyway.

I am still thinking hobo.

My pic....



a pic of a hobo..



Markings across the back of the abdomen look to be very similar.

Well, at any rate, my shoe kicked it's ass in the end anyway.

Looks like a wolf spider to me.

too dark to be a hobo, no brown recluses around here, i'd say wolf

I am beginning to agree a bit more with the wolf spider. The eyes look similar to this one. The body markings just appear a bit different.

cane spider. have them everywhere here in hawaii....only seen one in my life in WA. in a barn. they look freakishly big

nevermind. you got me interested enough to search online and research. it looks to be a male hobo spider. the big things that look like fangs are actually its genitalia. look up hobo's, exact same legs and markings. females have bigger back ends and skinnier legs.

Settle down kids.

It's a...



...Giant House Spider.

Pick the panties outta yer cracks.

Well, I must agree....

Irie, is the winner! It does in fact look like a House Spider.

Fine job!

This is from a friend who's an Arachnid specialist:

"This type of spider normally rapidly reproduces so once one is found you can assume there are many more. They seek out a human host at night for warmth."

So...good luck with that.

Looks like you're gonna die. Sorry 'bout that.

I will get ahold of Barbaroa in hopes that he can come and kill the sumbitches!

it does look like this pic of a "House spider"..

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://greennature.com/gallery/spider-pictures/giant-house-spider.jpg&imgrefurl=http://greennature.com/gallery/spider-pictures/callobius_spider.html&h=350&w=350&sz=20&tbnid=JDbWuBPxGa750M:&tbnh=120&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhouse%2Bspiders&hl=en&usg=__DyB18jnGmaJrljspUdv0JJS7G84=&ei=UcCSSuXOLoS0sgP9-bEO&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image

We don't have any Brown Recluse in Montana either...Except for the ones that hitchhike on inbound southern and southwestern freight that delivers to our state!! Spiders of all kinds hitchhike into all Northwest states from their "home ranges"..Its just whether they can survive once they get here that determines if we "have them" or not..

Not a big spider fan, but those are some cool photos!

Starting about now, we get some BigAss (TM) spiders that love to crawl in from the front porch in to our entry way. I always thought they were just big wolf spiders. Gonna have to capture one and try to take some macro photos of it, as those spider photos are too cool!

Maybe it's a....






























































































BARKING SPIDER??

I notice he hasn't posted again so either he was up all night with a flashlight or they must have got him.

I totally hate spiders that I find in my basement as well, but luckily, our new Kitten is a bloodthirsty Spidah Killah! Couple times a week there is a dead one on the floor downstairs, and the kitty treats come out...