Help with Spider ID, please

“On our trip, we encountered this little bugger. Including his legs, he was close to 3" in diameter. Can someone help me out with an ID?









Here's the story: Jon and I headed toward Sturgis. We found a campground with a spot open in Rapid City where we crashed for the night. The next morning we got on the bike to spend the day exploring. We saw Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, and Sturgis. While we were gone, it poured and hailed in Rapid City. We missed most of the inclement weather until we drove home to the campground at night. When we arrived, I realized that while I had closed the rain fly, I had not closed the tent door, but no problem; right? We went to sleep, again, totally exhausted. The next morning when Jon went to shower, I started to break down our camp. After removing the sleeping bags and pads, I went back into the tent to retrieve our head lamps which we had left next to our head area of the tent for easy access. As I reached for one of the lamps, this ginormous spider crouched deeper into the head lamp strap. I yelled, "HOLY SH|T!!!!!!!!" and scrambled back out of the tent as fast as I could. Sheeshola!
last edited: 8/23/05 10:55:51 PM”

“looks like a wolf spider. Did the spider jump?”

“Looks like a Wolf spider...they actually chase down their prey. When the wolf spider has babies they all ride on mom's back...gives her a weird fuzzy look.”

“That's what I thought it was. It didn't move too much. We tried to not disturb it while I took pictures. It scurried a bit at one point into the corner of the tent. Then Jon captured it in a cup and let it loose in the woods. Are they dangerous at all?”

“Yes...it will hunt you the rest of it's life. LOL!

No...they hunt insects.”

“Yes, wolf spiders can and do bite. Even though they are not deadly. They are painfull.”

“Ha! Ask lyra!”

“ohhh sick me out. so that thing was in your tent all night, Ruby? i think i'd have a heart attack right there!!”

“Whoo Hoo! That little guy was crawling all over my headlamp! COOL!

You should have brought him back for the Crazies! They only knve like 150 spider like that in thier house.”

“One word: ughhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Just looking at the pictures of it makes my skin crawl, sends shivers up my spine, and makes me feel ill. I would have passed out if that buggar crawled on me or any of my stuff. It's freakin' huge!

I have to go throw up now. Cool close up pictures.”

“That is not pretty at all.”

“I hate spiders”

“Can't we all (spiders and people) just get along?”

“eeeewwwwww icky! I agree with lyra I would've had a heart attack right there on the spot and keeled over!!!!”

“Wolf spider! Those are really good shots, too!”

“Yeah, I would have freaked knowing that thing was in my tent all night. That sucker looks scary!!!!”

“Cool looking pictures you got Ruby...I love how this spider matches the color of your headlamp..the brown and black..the color is almost perfect
Beautiful spider I think!”

“I know what kind it is....


A BIG UGLY ONE.”

“Just as many of you said, this totally grossed me out. I'm usually okay with creepy crawly things, but this spider took me by surprise as I reached for the headlamp (which by the way is WoundedKnee's). If I was the fainting type, I probably would have.”

“That thing is soo COOL!!!!! You should of brought it home, we would of given it a nice home :)”

“I had to pass over the pic very quickly. I hate spiders and am absolutely terrified of them! I can't even stand to look at pictures of them. If I had been in the tent with a spider like that, I would have torn the tent down trying to get out.”

“That spider is a Western Wolf Spider the 2nd largest spider in the U.S.This spider is not a theraphosid but it is in the family of spiders such as.

Aaneomorphs:

or true spiders such as the wandering huntsman orb-web and wolf spiders.

Oh and one more thing that spider in the picture is a male and is very much ready to mate due to the fact that his palpids are very inflamed and full of sperm.

I wish you would have brought him home he is very pimp.

8)”

“And do not hate spiders they do more good then you will ever know!


8)”

“CMB - Thanks for defending the poor spiders. Please round them all up and keep them away from me.”

“Cool spider! What is it with blue lately? The spider's eyes are the same color as the balls on Tango's blue balled monkey! LOL!”

“You da man, CMB!!! Thanks!!!!

I would have brought him home with me for you (I actually thought of you and Free when I found him), but I don't think he would have liked riding around with us for two more weeks.”

“I must admit, it scares me a little to know CMB can identify a spider full of sperm.”

“That spider's sportin some pretty cool desert camo!!”