Hobbies And Interests
Hunting Spiders
Many types of spiders hunt rather than catch food in webs. They do build webs, but these webs resemble dens rather than regular webs. The spider catches food and drags it into the web. Jumping spiders, purse-web spiders and trap-door spiders are all hunting spiders. The wolf spider, with a body that is sometimes 1.5 inches long, often causes fear because of its size. The trap door spider can also cause fear because of its resemblance to a tarantula. These spiders only grow to 1 inch, though. Coyle's purse-web, robust trapdoor and funnel-web spiders are endangered species in West Virginia.
Orb Weavers
Orb weavers are the spiders that create the intricate webs strung from bush to bush or between tree branches. There are numerous varieties of orb weavers, from the thin, long legged orb weaver to the intricately patterned, multicolored marbled orb weaver. The long legged yellow and black garden spider is a commonly recognized orb weaver in West Virginia. These spiders catch their prey in the webs rather than hunting. They are rarely found indoors and are most often seen at night.
Cave Spiders
More than 4,200 caves were documented in West Virginia as of 2004. Some have yet to be explored. Caves each have their own ecosystems, some with species unique to a specific cave. Spiders are often part of cave ecosystems. Many of these spiders are so little known that they do not have common names and are referred to by scientific names only. Some spiders live both within the caves and outside of them, while others live only within the cave. These spiders are usually pale and very small. Many cannot be correctly identified without magnification. Some of these spiders are endangered even though little is yet known about them.
Poisonous Spiders
Only two types of poisonous spiders live in West Virginia. There is much argument over whether one of them is actually indigenous. The brown recluse is known to live in warmer climates, yet it has been seen, and its bites have been documented, in West Virginia. It is believed that this species might have arrived as a passenger in boxes when people moved. The bite of a recluse can be serious. The only other poisonous spider in the state is the black widow, known by the hourglass-shaped red mark on its abdomen. The bite from a black widow is miserable, but rarely fatal.