It's the biggest one I've ever seen!
Halloween is just around the corner and Russel was able to indentify one of the creatures that appears this time of year. Yes they appear in this part of the country too, not just in warm climates like San Diego.
Thanks Russel!
It's the biggest one I've ever seen!Long-time friends know that my wise old grandmother instilled in me a love for all things created by Mother and Father Nature, so if I can't catch it and keep it as a pet for a day or so, I'll always try to get a picture. This little fellow had taken up residence at the home I was inspecting and refused to move, regardless of what anyone did:
Photo ©2010 Russel Ray Photos
That spider is the Halloween jumping spider (Phidippus audax 'Halloween'). It is the largest spider in the world, and although indigenous to Ireland, it is now also the most widespread spider in the world, having become adapted to almost every climate on Earth.The Halloween jumping spider also creates the largest web of any spider species. Interestingly, though, it is not a meat-eating spider; it prefers chocolate and pumpkin. It has been known, however, to make aggressive moves toward small children. Although it creates a web, it is not a sticky web like most spiders. Researchers believe that web-spinning for the Halloween jumping spider is simply a left-over spider function that has not evolved out of the species yet.
This spider also has one of the shortest life spans of any spider but one of the longest periods of egg viability. They hatch around October 1 from eggs laid the year before in boxes found in attics and other dark storage areas. Sadly, they die just 30-35 days later after mating and laying a new batch of eggs.
It is not unusual during October to find the Halloween jumping spider infesting houses and large commercial buildings. In fact, my local Costco store had an outbreak last week when they found over 500 Halloween jumping spiders congregated near the pumpkins, so if you go pumpkin shopping, beware of them. Even though they are not dangerous, their extraordinarily large size can be intimidating.
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