Hobbies And Interests
Wolf Spiders
According to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service, wolf spiders stalk their prey on the ground at night. Their coloring provides camouflage for them as they hunt. They build small webs for shelter during the day, but they do not use the webs to catch prey.
Fishing Spiders
These hunting spiders live in swampy and marshy areas, or near calm bodies of water. They are usually dark brown or gray and often have white markings. Fishing spiders can skim across the top of the water looking for insects, tadpoles or small fish to eat. They can also dive below the water's surface to catch their prey.
Jumping Spiders
Experts at the University of Minnesota say that jumping spiders hunt by hopping on their prey. They have better vision than other spiders and can spot a potential meal that is up to 8 inches away. Jumping spiders often leap many times their own body length. They are usually dark colored and can hunt on the ground or in trees or plants.
Barn Spiders
Karen Delahunt of the University of Wisconsin states that barn spiders are web spinners that build their webs in the shade of buildings, cliffs or caves. They often resemble marbles about 1 inch in size with cream or orange-colored markings.
Grass Spiders
These bristly-legged spiders build funnel-shaped webs in grassy areas. The funnel-weaver hides in the small end of the web and waits for prey to approach the larger end. The web vibrates with the movement of an insect and the grass spider moves rapidly through the funnel to capture it. They are incredibly quick spiders and can be brown, gray, black or tan.
Orb Spiders
These spiders come in a variety of colors but all have a large rounded abdomen that may look swollen. They produce an organized web that consists of concentric circles and spokes. Orb webs can be found on fences, trees or just about any upright structure. These spiders have poor eyesight but can feel the vibrations made by any prey that is small enough to get caught in their web.