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What is this spider I found in my basement?

Asked Apr 26, 2012, 08:16 AM — 7 Answers
I live in Dupage County, Illinois and found this spider in my basement last night (dead)
It is furry and was heavy.

It really scares me.

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7 Answers
smoothy's Avatar
smoothy Posts: 15,494, Reputation: 10703
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#2

Apr 26, 2012, 08:40 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsMac77 View Post
I live in Dupage County, Illinois and found this spider in my basement last night (dead)
It is furry and was heavy.

It really scares me.
How long is the body....as in fractions of an inch or inches?
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MrsMac77's Avatar
MrsMac77 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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#3

Apr 26, 2012, 09:02 AM
the body is about the length of my pinky nail. This picture was taken inside the bottom of a solo plastic cup
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Wondergirl's Avatar
Wondergirl Posts: 31,417, Reputation: 24188
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#4

Apr 26, 2012, 09:09 AM


I too live in DuPage County, so will be watching for this creature's friends.

Since it's so tiny, it could be a tick of some sort. Ticks are rampant this spring because of the early spring. It could be a baby wolf spider. Odinn7, one of our members on this site, is a spider expert, so I will PM him to look at this thread.
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raisingale's Avatar
raisingale Posts: 71, Reputation: 98
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#5

Apr 26, 2012, 09:18 AM
It appears to be a wolf spider. They are solitary spiders if it is. They basically hunt alone on the ground. Seeing one is not really indicative of an infestation. He probably just wandered in during his nightly hunt.
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DogEatDog101 Posts: 18, Reputation: -2
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#6

Apr 26, 2012, 09:24 AM
Not a wolf spider, looks like a female mouse spider and is venomous be cautious and spray your home or just be aware of any areas in your homethat you dont move things around alot in.
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raisingale's Avatar
raisingale Posts: 71, Reputation: 98
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#7

Apr 26, 2012, 09:29 AM
Mouse Spiders are not indigenous to the US.
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gnahcd's Avatar
gnahcd Posts: 217, Reputation: 185
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#8

May 8, 2012, 10:29 AM
The picture is not clear enough to distinguish the species, let alone family, of the spider. Wolf spider is a good guess. Wolf spiders have a distinct eye pattern:



It is definitely NOT a tick.

Spiders may be creepy but most species are not dangerous. I learned in arachnology that all spiders are venomous, but not all spiders have the ability or inclination to bite people. But there are species that bite people. The dangerous species are well known, but not always easily identified - widows, violin, yellow sac, & hobo spiders.

IMO, pesticides are not the first choice of control for spiders. Good housekeeping (=vacuum), window screens, door jams & thresholds, and a rolled up magazine will keep spiders out of the house. Spiders are different than insects. Their physiology and habits don't make them easy to kill for fumigant, or residual insecticides.

Websites:
USA Spider ID Chart
UC IPM
Illinois Dept of Health
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