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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Fishing Spiders (Dolomedidae) » Fishing Spiders (Dolomedes) » fimbriatus group (Dolomedes fimbriatus group) » Dolomedes scriptus

Species Dolomedes scriptus

Representative Images

Wolf spider? - Dolomedes scriptus fishing spider - Dolomedes scriptus In my NH home. Many of them - Dolomedes scriptus Spider - Dolomedes scriptus Fishing Spider - Dolomedes scriptus - female Dolomedes scriptus? - Dolomedes scriptus - female dark fishing spider on nursery web - Dolomedes scriptus - female fishing spider - Dolomedes scriptus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Entelegynae)
Family Dolomedidae (Fishing Spiders)
Genus Dolomedes (Fishing Spiders)
No Taxon (fimbriatus group)
Species scriptus (Dolomedes scriptus)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Explanation of Names

Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845
Scriptus is Latin for "written". Usually indicates markings that look like writing. Probably referring to the "W" shaped marks on the abdomen.

Identification

Distinguishing Dolomedes vittatus from Dolomedes scriptus males can be rather tricky at times, so here's a couple physical characteristics that I use to tell the two apart:

1.) Generally, the abdominal markings of adult male D. scriptus have a more "sculptured" appearance, whereas D. vittatus have less-pronounced markings.
2.) The two dark-colored spots in the middle of the cephalothorax are almost always more robust in D. vittatus than the more narrow ones found on D. scriptus.
(Brett Tyler, 31Dec2008)

Here are some images from the Guide that might help clarify some of this:

Dolomedes vittatus


Dolomedes scriptus


The main difference between scriptus and tenebrosus is that the 'W' pattern on scriptus is outlined in white all the way across the abdomen. The pattern in tenebrosus is broken.. and it generally has less white. It also appears that scriptus has a fuller and more complete median carapace stripe.

Dolomedes scriptus


Dolomedes tenebrosus


Additionally Dolomedes tenebrosus features an inverted "v shaped" black mark beginning at the AME extending to the edge of the clypeus enclosing a light spot on the anteromedial margin compared to Dolomedes scriptus which is dark only around each eye with a homogenous medium gray clypeus(1):

Dolomedes scriptus

Dolomedes tenebrosus

Range

Dolomedes scriptus is widely distributed in eastern North America, but only rarely found in the Gulf Coast region.

Habitat

Most often found on rocky & sunny shores of fast flowing streams.(1)

Food

Insects and small fish.

See Also

Dolomedes tenebrosus
Dolomedes vittatus

Print References

Carico, J. E., 1973. The Nearctic species of the genus Dolomedes (Araneae: Pisauridae). Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard 144: 435-488. (Species Description Here)
Hentz, N. M. (1845). Descriptions and figures of the araneides of the United States. Boston Journal of Natural History 5(2): 189-202, pl. 16-17. (Original Description)

Internet References

iNaturalist
GBIF
World Spider Catalog

Works Cited

1.The Neartic Species of the Genus Dolomedes (Araneae: Pisauridae)
James Edwin Carico. 1973. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Vol. 144, No. 7 Cambridge, Mass., March 13.
Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 6 December, 2005 - 2:51pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, john and jane balaban, Lynette Elliott, cheins, Chuck Entz, Laura P., Nathaniel Green, chuuuuung
Last updated 28 July, 2025 - 12:42am

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