Any spider experts here?

Sleipnir

HI,

I think I've seen just about every common spider we have here in Ireland but the one (or ones) I've seen in my shed has be flummoxed (and slightly worried!)
I'm trying to get a photo of it but it seems to be very wary and disappears as soon as I turn the light on.

Basically, the web isn't your usual "star" shape. It's a random patchwork really but the largest I've found (on the opening of a lawnmower grass box) was about 1 foot by 1 foot.
The abdomen of the spider is about 1cm in diameter and I *thought" I saw yellow marking on it.

I found another one a few weeks ago and moved it with a screwdriver and (now this may have been my imagination!) it seemed to act quite aggressively.

Any have any ideas?

RobEire

Sounds like some form of orb spider. Check the web carefully and see if there is a zigzag pattern anywhere in it - it is usually quite obvious.

Shinners21

Sleipnir wrote:

HI,

I think I've seen just about every common spider we have here in Ireland but the one (or ones) I've seen in my shed has be flummoxed (and slightly worried!)
I'm trying to get a photo of it but it seems to be very wary and disappears as soon as I turn the light on.

Basically, the web isn't your usual "star" shape. It's a random patchwork really but the largest I've found (on the opening of a lawnmower grass box) was about 1 foot by 1 foot.
The abdomen of the spider is about 1cm in diameter and I *thought" I saw yellow marking on it.

I found another one a few weeks ago and moved it with a screwdriver and (now this may have been my imagination!) it seemed to act quite aggressively.

Any have any ideas?

:eek: I think I'm gonna puke..I hate spiders..my mam found a huge one a few weeks ago..like tarantula (cant spell that) big!! Freaked the hell out of me..I'd say move far away from where you saw it and never come back.... :eek:

Fighting Irish

Does it have a really think body and smallish legs in comparison?

If so i see these all the time, they are a brownish colour and usually have markings on them

Sleipnir

I got some (bad) pictures of it last night where you kind sort of make it out (you can see it's abdomen is huge anyway) and also a close up of the web (about 2 inches away)
Sorry, it was dark and it's only a camera phone (don't throw things on top of your digital camera!) but I'll try to get some SLR photos over the weekend and scan them.

Sleipnir

Fighting Irish wrote:

Does it have a really think body and smallish legs in comparison?

If so i see these all the time, they are a brownish colour and usually have markings on them

yeah a dark brown with a lighter brown on the abdomen.
What the hell kind of spider is it though!?!?

BolBill

Don't ask questions , just kill it before it eats you !!!!!!

Wokie

BolBill wrote:

Don't ask questions , just kill it before it eats you !!!!!!

That's funny:D

Sleipnir - check out http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spider...thumbnails.htm you might find it here?!?

Sleipnir

have you got the full link there Wokie? Cheers.

The problem with trying to kill it is that there's a real chance that it'll end up falling down the front of my pants. You know, sod's law an' all.

Wokie

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/spidhome.htm

Oops sorry about that! This should get you there!

Yeh..I can't kill spiders either! I catch them (in a glass) and put them out or more accurately get my OH to do it for me:D

I used to know a guy who was convinced that the spiders just turned around and came straight back into house:D (sometimes with friends!)

BeatTun

im not a spider expert, but cos ive always been afraid of them ive done ****loads of research on them.

i now live in australia (go figure) and to be honest the shape of that spider is identical to the redback, i doubt its related but id kill it if i were you.