Ask A Scientist© Biology Archive

name         Zachary
status       student
age          11
      
Question -   Identify Spider with web by garage.  Clarendon Hills, IL

Size: Body almost size of a quarter.  Legs 3/4", maybe an inch long with
light and dark brown stripes or black and brown stripes.  Body is brown. On
the underside abdomen there is a short black vertical line with two or
three short horizontal lines passing through the top of the vertical line,
kind of like a "T" with two or three cross lines.  It is not afraid when we
look at it at night, even if we shine a flashlight close on it.  It just
keeps weaving its web.  If it is not dangerous we'll leave it alone or take
it away from the garage.  Someone said it was a brown recluse, but I don't
think so from the pictures I've seen on the internet.  If it is we'll have
to kill it.  I couldn't find any good web site for "Illinois Spiders", so I
thought you could help.
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Definitely not a brown recluse, it is much too big, and recluses do not
build obvious open webs. It is probably some sort of Aranae, or orb weaver -
does the web look a little like a wheel with spokes? I don't have my spider
books handy but you have done a good job describing it and when I get the
chance I'll give the books a look.
J. Elliott
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