New backdoor visitor (wolf spider(?))

[CosbyArt]

While I was out collecting flies from my fly traps today I saw something in the bush beside the backdoor.

Turns out it was a spider (I assume a wolf spider, but it does not have the typical two black bands on it's thorax). It is rather large about 3" (perhaps likely almost 4" with it's legs fully extended). It built a crude web on the top of the bush, so I am curious to see tomorrow if it build more on the web tonight. Also it tends to keep it's front two legs together no matter what it is doing, which I found odd.

As it is about 4 feet from the backdoor stairs in the wide bush it won't be a problem even with my dad who heard about it and was not happy. Funny my mom seemed to be ok with the ideal of me bringing it inside and feeding it flies and crickets, but my wife and especially my dad were against the idea.

I went and got my camera for a photo (first one). After looking through my photos it turned out many of the other angles had bad shots. So I went down a hour or so ago with a flash light and my camera and captured two more photos of the spider. I was surprised it was still in the same location.

Anyone have a proper ID on this spider?

 

[MantisMatt14]

Dolomedes sp

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

These things are great. They eat fish!

 

[CosbyArt]

Dolomedes sp

Thanks for the proper ID. Reading the details it does seem to fit. I'm just not sure what it is doing here as there is no water anywhere around here.

These things are great. They eat fish!

I did see some photos of it doing just that, it is neat.

 

[CosbyArt]

Checked on the spider today and it was still in the same spot. She(?) was busy last night making a random looking web, but it has pulled many of the small limbs and leafs together almost in a mass.

Also about in the middle is a frothy/web looking mass on a leaf, I put a arrow towards it in the photo. It is in a hard spot to get a decent photo, I'll try again tomorrow. My guess is she is building some web "bag" and has laid her eggs in the middle. Does this sound right? Looking around online it seems some do build such a thing, others have a typical egg sac, and others carry their live young - not sure which is right as many are not labeled or incorrectly as usual.

I put a few GB flies on her web that she ignored. So I tossed on a cricket, but it sit awhile before it managed to run off the web and climb down right in from of the spider who wasn't interested. So it seems the silk she spun the web with is not meant for capturing prey as it wasn't sticky to the cricket, and she wasn't interested.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Hmm... Dolomedes carry their egg sacs like wolf spiders. Definitely a fishing spider though.

This spring I found a large female nursery web spider, put her in a small kritter keeper with some leaves and she did something very similar and made an eggsac. When the babies hatched i put it outside, they stayed for a few days then molted and left through the slots in the lid. I'm still seeing many of what I'm sure are her half- grown offspring all over nearby plants and walls.

 

[CosbyArt]

Hmm... Dolomedes carry their egg sacs like wolf spiders. Definitely a fishing spider though.

This spring I found a large female nursery web spider, put her in a small kritter keeper with some leaves and she did something very similar and made an eggsac. When the babies hatched i put it outside, they stayed for a few days then molted and left through the slots in the lid. I'm still seeing many of what I'm sure are her half- grown offspring all over nearby plants and walls.

Perhaps it is just her wrapped prey then.

Interesting to hear, and I'm glad to hear she lives on. I bet there are low numbers of pests around then outside.

I haven't seen that species of spider yet around here, but I've been finding crab and jumping spiders a lot lately (very few yellow garden spiders though). I played with a little white jumper and about gave my wife a heart attack as I got it from the car door area instead of crushing it. The spider happily went to the nearby fence and disappeared. So I guess I am adapting to them myself, seems mantids have made me more interested than scared of nearly anything I find.