Comments on: Canada’s largest spider …sittin’ on the dock of the bay

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 00:35:38 +0000

My dad was bit in the foot by a dock spider when he was in bed and I was bit on the top of my foot once in my boat when I was wearing sandles. The one that bit me was not scared of me that’s for sure. He was about 5 feet away from me and ran at me when I startled him grabbing my fishing rod. They are very fast and it hurts a lot when you get bit. Also major swelling. couldn’t wear a shoe for about 4 days.

By: Expiscor (29 July 2013) | Arthropod Ecology

Expiscor (29 July 2013) | Arthropod Ecology — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:07:10 +0000

[…] you like Dock Spiders? Hey, that genus is found in Madagascar, too […]

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:10:08 +0000

I had one staring up at me from the bottom of my kayak while out on the water – I screamed and was trying to balance on the back of my kayak while I paddled? to shore! It must have been a funny sight! This was in Petawawa – grew up with lots around but they still freak me out!!!!!!!!

By: Chris Buddle

Chris Buddle — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:43:51 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Jason: You are correct! I am purposefully wording it this way to try to reduce fear of spiders. I would argue that at least in northern North America, there is little risk of exaggerating in that direction – spider bites are really, really rare.

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 18:03:53 +0000

I don’t doubt that spider bites are much rarer than people think, but saying “These spiders do not bite people” isn’t true. Saying “These spiders rarely bite people” would be a more accurate statement. I know you’re trying to reduce unnecessary arachnophobia, but I don’t think exagerrating in the other direction is the correct course of action.

By: Darren Baker

Darren Baker — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 06:06:18 +0000

“Dock” and “wharf” are technically interchangeable. Anyway, being Canada, “quay” would be more correct. As always in English, the majority rules, so “dock” it is.

By: Help give this jumping spider a common name | Arthropod Ecology

Help give this jumping spider a common name | Arthropod Ecology — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:55:37 +0000

[…] and that common names says something about how the spider looks to most people. Similarly, the Dock (or Wharf) spider is a nice common name for Dolomedes tenebrous since a wharf is a very common habitat! I think […]

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:47:47 +0000

last nite we had company overnight at the cottage in Northern Ontario. My friend was sitting on the sofa when one of the largest wharf spiders I have ever seen crawled up behind her and disappeared. They give me the creeps and I want them out of my cabin!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:34:03 +0000

I’m currently looking at two of them. One is a it larger than the other and the smaller one is darker…the other more grayish. Interesting looking creatures.

By: Chris Buddle

Chris Buddle — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:22:34 +0000

Hello Suzanne- by in large, spiders bites are exceedingly rare. http://arthropodecology.com/2012/02/15/spiders-do-not-bite/

I am well aware of the many, many stories of spider bites out there on the internet. However, I would argue that in the vast majority of cases, actual spider bites (by any spider! including dock spiders) are uncommon. What is common is that people implicate spiders all the time, without real evidence that a spider actually bit them. It’s easy to blame the spider, but in many cases other, more likely causes are to blame.

I can also provide many anecdotes about spiders – in my case, I have handled hundreds (thousands?) of spiders over almost 20 years; I have studied them, collected them, reared them, and have never been bitten. I spend summers at cottages, on wharfs, in and near ponds, and have never been bitten by dock spiders. They run from humans.