Dark Fishing Spider
Dolomedes tenebrosus
Arachnida
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 1-3 yrs
- Size
- Large
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Walking
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Camouflage
- Status
- Common
About
The dark fishing spider is one of the largest spiders in North America, with a leg span that can reach up to three inches, and despite its name it hunts as often on tree trunks and woodpiles as it does at the water's edge. It can walk on the surface of water and even dive beneath it to catch small fish and aquatic insects.
Life cycle
- 1.egg sacA silk-wrapped egg sac shelters a clutch of eggs until the young are ready to emerge.
- 2.juvenileA spiderling emerges from the egg sac already in miniature adult form and starts catching prey almost immediately.
- 3.subadultA near-adult arachnid molts through several instars, growing larger and developing mature markings.
- 4.adultFully grown after its final molt.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae
- Family
- Dolomedidae
- Genus
- Dolomedes
- Species
- Dolomedes tenebrosus