Hobbies And Interests
Orb Weavers
Orb weavers comprise an extensive, diverse family of diurnal and nocturnal spiders that are, according to the Illinois Department of Health, the "spiders of imagination, Halloween and haunted houses." Orb weavers are typically large spiders with colorful markings. Despite their poor eyesight, they spin enormous, intricately constructed webs with concentric circles and long, silken spokes. These harmless spiders are almost always found outdoors, living in gardens, on bridges, or under porches or barn awnings. Orb weavers are not predatory spiders. They are generally content to sit in their webs and wait for vibrations that signal that a hapless insect has become entangled in a silken death trap.
Cobweb Weavers
The family of cobweb weavers are easily distinguished by their tiny heads and bulbus abdomens. Cobweb weavers are, according to "Spiders of the Midwest," commonly found inhabiting homes, garages, basements and warehouses, building their webs in dark corners, closets or under furniture. Cobweb weavers are not good housekeepers--their messy webs are typically littered with debris, empty egg sacs and discarded insect parts. An unproductive nest (one that does not attract prey) will typically be abandoned and left to gather dust. One lucky note for people of the Midwest: Although the black and brown widow spiders are members of the cobweb weaver family, these two venomous crawlers are rarely found in the region.
Cellar Spider
True to its name, the cellar spider commonly inhabits the cool, dimly lit cellars and basements of Midwestern homes. It is a pale yellowish gray spider with a spherical head, elongated abdomen and long, spindly legs. It is typically found hanging upside down in its sheet-like, irregularly-shaped web. Interestingly, if a cellar spider is disturbed it will begin to vibrate so violently that it becomes a virtual blur. According to the Illinois Department of Health, although the cellar spider can become a nuisance with its abundance of messy webs, it is basically harmless and does consume other intrusive insects.
Woodlouse Spider
The woodlouse spider is a medium-sized creature with unusual coloring: A brown cephalothorax (head and thorax), reddish-orange legs and a pinkish-tan abdomen. It uses two sharp-ended, mammoth fangs (chelicerae) to hunt and subdue woodlice like pillbugs or sowbugs. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the woodlouse spider is an avid nocturnal hunter that prefers to live outdoors. During the day it rests beneath rocks, logs or dense vegetation in a silken cell, which the female also uses to protect her eggs. If threatened by a human, the woodlouse spider may inflict a painful bite resulting in pain and swelling that generally subsides within an hour.
Jumping Spiders
This family of tiny spiders is quite aptly named for its often unnerving habit of, well, jumping. They are typically black, fuzzy creatures with white, red or iridescent green markings. According to the Illinois State Museum, jumping spiders are hunters with keen vision. They do not build webs, but prefer to hang out close to or on the ground, waiting for a luckless insect to wander into the vicinity. At night they crawl into cracks or crevices to rest and wait for daylight to hunt again. Jumping spiders are not considered dangerous to humans, but they have been know to inflict painful bites if disturbed.
Funnel Weavers
Funnel weavers are extremely common in Midwestern states. According to "Spiders of the Midwest," funnel weavers build sturdy, horizontal webs with an open-ended funnel at one end. They sit in the funnel and wait for an insect to become entangled, at which point they rush out, subdue their prey and retreat back to the funnel for a private meal. The family of funnel weavers includes the grass spider, which typically lives outdoors on buildings and in vegetation, and the barn funnel weaver, also called the domestica house spider, which prefers indoor living. Interestingly--or perhaps disturbingly--the barn funnel weaver can live for several years in a nice, damp basement.
Wolf Spider
The wolf spider is a large, hairy creature commonly found in many Midwestern states. According to the Illinois Department of Health, the wolf spider's body may grow to as long as 1 inch, with a leg span of up to 2 inches. It is generally black or gray, but may also be found in brown, red or tan. The wolf spider lives outdoors under rocks, logs and dense vegetation. It is a voracious hunter that seeks its prey both day and night. As her name insinuates, the female wolf spider is a protective mother who does not leave her egg sac in a web. Instead, she attaches the egg sac to her spinnerets (web-spinning organs) and carries it with her. When her spiderlings have hatched, she continues to carry them with her until they are ready to hunt for themselves.