Wolf Spider Pics

Hawai'i's garden-variety spider & creepy-crawly tales

Having grown up in Texas, I've never been too daunted by the legendarily large bugs of Hawai'i -- cane spiders, scorpions, centipedes and cockroaches, among them -- and in fact have only had a personal encounter with the last, no doubt thanks to the vigilant housekeeping (and occasional pesticide overuse) at hotels, condos and B&Bs I've stayed in. (Tiny ants and mosquitoes -- now that's a different story.) So I was delighted to come across the colorful spider below outside our rental cottage on Moloka'i , making it the subject of my recent Sunday photo quiz. I asked readers to share their thoughts on the species and other creepy-crawlies they've encountered in the islands (feel free to add more stories in the comments below.)

Andre Pierce of Walnut Creek "bumped into one of these (literally) Hawaiian garden spiders on my first trip to Kaua'i," he recalled. "I was a Colorado native who was not expecting to run through an Indiana Jones-style web when straying from the path at our condominium. I frantically slapped and punched myself silly o escape what I thought would be the inevitable, fatal bite only to realize with much relief that the spider was still clinging to what was left of its web in the branches."

It was clearly a memorable encounter: "I started to see them everywhere, at least everywhere that was off the beaten path. We finally found a local who laughed at us when we tried to find out how poisonous they were. Now I stop to admire their handiwork (from a distance.)"

Steve Heard of Folsom, who identified the spider as Argiope appenza , noted, "A buddy of mine who grew up near Hilo said they are know locally as 'gold cadillacs,' because, as he put it, 'they are gold, and big as a car.' "

He -- or rather his daughter -- also had a memorable encounter in the insect world (she thinks): "I have to mention the Hawaiian cockroach and the cane spider as the creatures which gave my wife and daughters the creeps. In fact, one night on the beach on Maui, my then 7-year-old thought she felt one touch her foot and she screamed and jumped into my arms. I was carrying a bag in one hand so I couldn't support her and she slip down my body to the sand, in terror, as her older sister laughed and snapped pictures. She's now 18 and isn't as fond of those pictures as I am."

Laura Kaplan of Wailea, Maui, shared some other names for "the spider that is all over the yard right now," she noted. "It's called a banana spider, I think . . . or more like the 'somebody get rid of all these spiders' spider.

vitaldentytu.co.tv - wolf spider pictures

Now you can look to the right side of the site to the small pics, categorizing spiders that have been sent to me through e-mail. (If I have any name, city or spider pics mixed up, please let me know and I will fix it as soon as I can) ... The Yellow Sac spider can do some damage on the rare occasion, but most of the time its bite will only cause a slight itchiness and maybe a small rash. People will talk about the Wolf Spider being dangerous. ... Now you can look to the right side of the site to the small pics, categorizing spiders that have been sent to me through e-mail. (If I have any name, city or spider pics mixed up, please let me know and I will fix it as soon as I can) ... ( I believe this to be a Nursery Web Spider, even after originally thinking it a Wolf Spider. I am still not positive on this one.) Katlin - Plainwell Mi. Monica - Canadian Lakes Mi. Jamie - Jennison Mi. ...

The Wolf Spider

Wolf Spiders

Wolf Spiders

Wolf Spiders

Wolf Spiders