Hobbies And Interests
Black Widows
Though their bite is neurotoxic, black widows are timid and easily recognized. This reduces the likelihood of being bitten. There are two species in western North Carolina: the northern and the southern. Both are glossy black with bulbous abdomens and the telltale red "hourglass" on their underside. Both hide in rocks and log piles. Females may reach three-quarters of an inch long; males are smaller. Younger adults, especially in the northern species, may have additional red markings. Juveniles may be red all over. False black widows lack red markings.
Purseweb Spiders
These stout, inch-long spiders are hairless members of the tarantula family. Pursewebs are identifiable by their glossy black bodies and large jaws. The vertical burrow contains a silk lining. This tube extends beyond the burrow, lying along the ground and disguised with debris. When insects step onto the tube, the spider bites through it, pulling them inside. Females rarely leave the burrow; males roam.
Folding-door Spiders
These nocturnal "false trapdoor spiders" are similar to pursewebs but generally smaller and hairy. They dig underground burrows with silk double doors. Disguising these doors with plant material, they lie in wait for passing insects. North Carolina also holds some true trapdoor spiders that leap onto their prey from lidded tunnels. Trapdoor spiders are black and are stouter than folding-door spiders.
Jumping Spiders
Another hairy, tarantula-shaped spider is the jumping spider. These active spiders have eight eyes, one set noticeably larger than the others. Waiting on bushes, windowsills or on the ground, they leap onto passing prey. Jumping spiders common in western North Carolina include the daring jumping spider. Black with a white spot, white knee tufts and iridescent green jaws, it is between a quarter and a half inch long --- large for a jumping spider. The quarter-inch-long dimorphic jumping spider is jet black with pale legs and three black head tufts.
Ant-mimic Spiders
The ground sac spider is gray-black, with variable lighter markings. The red-spotted ant mimic is black with an orange splash. Ground dwellers of less than a half-inch length, their elongated bodies give them an antlike appearance. Some jumping spiders are also ant mimics, mingling with ants before pouncing on them.
Spiny Orb Weavers
Also known as jewel spiders, these have spiny bodies. Some are predominantly black; many have black spines and spots against a brightly colored background. Crablike spiny orb weavers are even more distinctive. Their bodies are broad, flattened and spiny, similar to a crab's shell. They inhabit woodlands and are often encountered at eye-level, spinning their webs across paths.
Argiope Family
Argiopes are long-legged garden spiders common throughout western North Carolina. The most common is the black and yellow argiope --- one of the state's largest spiders. The black body with contrasting yellow patterns reaches an inch long. Leg span can be 3 inches. The legs are black, turning red closer to the body. These spiders are also identifiable by the distinctive zigzag stipe of silk running through the web. This earns them the nickname "writing spiders."