Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#496428
Wildrye Spider - Pisaurina - female

Wildrye Spider - Pisaurina - Female
River Road, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
August 21, 2010
Size: body <2cm
I am studying these grasses (wildrye-Elymus), so I was photographing the spike when I noticed the exquisitely camouflaged spider. I've spent an hour going through the spider pages, and I've learned a lot but still wouldn't hazard a guess. I think she resembles the lampshade spiders, but I gather they don't occur out our way. I'd love to know more about her and if her kind are specifically adapted to this grass!

Images of this individual: tag all
Wildrye Spider - Pisaurina - female Wildrye Spider - Pisaurina

Moved
Moved from Spiders.

Pisaurina sp.
of some kind. It may be Pisaurina mira. See info page here.

I doubt they are specifically adapted to that grass. They seem to do well in a variety of grasses, plants, etc.

She sure does blend in well!

 
Thanks
I enjoyed looking at the other pictures and reading up on nursery web spiders. Having met this particular nursery web spider first, I was surprised to see that so few of her sisters were well camouflaged. I guess this particular girl just knows how to accessorize.

 
Not random
Then it occurred to me that of course the photos here aren't to be taken as a random sample of the species, since, after all, the spiders that people saw were the ones they photographed. In my case, I actually didn't see the spider, I was photographing the grass, so that's how a really well camouflaged one happens to be in the collection.

 
Camo P. mira
Good point!

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.