A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems What spider???

I was sitting out by the pond, knitting away and enjoying the fish swimming in front of me, when all of a sudden I felt "something" on my pinkie toe. Next thing I know it's up on my calf and I freaked and brushed it off. I then saw it on the ground - a black spider - about 1/2 inch long with a reddish/orangish dot on the back. Definitely NOT a black widow - the legs were shorter and stockier and it was a small round reddish dot on the back, not an hourglass.

I can't find it in an online search - any suggestions?

Sounds like a Red-back or Widow but I think they only live in hot climates...now I'm curious. I fear spiders.

My guess is that's its just a common jumping spider....

Thanks Tamara - I looked up jumping spiders yesterday and that is not it at all, nor was black widow. I really do not see anything like it online, nor in my son's "Insects of North America" field guide. Very odd!

Not all black widows have the same marking. Some black widows do have one or more red dots on the back. I doubt it was a black widow, they typically don't like the light. I don't think there is a breeding population of readback spiders in the United States. Most black widow and red back spider bites occur to humans in or near dark areas when the spider feels threatened. Like an old-fashioned outhouse they often used to live down in the hole and sometimes came up between the seat base, seat, and seat cover or around other things that were kept in the outhouse that provided shade. People were often bit on the hindquarters as they sat down or on the hands as they lifted the seat. I think the second most common time people got bit was bringing in firewood. Nowadays that most people don't have outhouses or cook with firewood or heat their homes with firewood; black widow spider bites in the US have become rather uncommon. They sometimes can be found in dark areas like sheds, under rocks, leaves, logs, etc...

I'll PM you a link. I would post it but I can't remember the rules, too lazy to read the rules and not sure if I can understand the rules.

I doubt it was a black widow, because of the behavior, however the rough physical description you have given is within the parameters of a black widow and many other spiders.

Check Latrodectus hasselti, it is related to the black widow [ Lactrodectus mactans]. See also
Spider Identification Chart.