Careful Footwork
Posted by Tina Ivey on April 19, 2006
Q: I keep finding black spiders with a small orange dot on its back. Could you tell me what type of spider this is.
Thanks.
Habitat: pond/lake
State: Georgia
Habitat: pond/lake
A: There are many different kinds of spiders that come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors, so I'd need a photo and a bit more information to help you out with an ID. If you're concerned that it may be a Black Widow Spider, it would have a red hourglass on the underside of its abdomen (last body part) and would be living in a web. Only two of our North American spiders are dangerous so I don't think you have anything to fear.
If you can get an inexpensive paperback book called, A Golden Guide to Spiders and Their Kin, you'll find lots and lots of good illustrations that should help you narrow down the possibilities. Sorry I can't nail this for you but with the book, you should be much closer to figuring this out.
John Wiessinger ( April 20, 2006)