spiders of west virginia

SpidersFound in Our State

Field Trip Facilitator:Emma Gail Ronat

Let’s begin in our class…

Let’s Review What WeLearned on Our Last Trip

• Spiders have 8 legs• Some spiders crawl and some spiders jump• Some spiders spin webs• Some spiders bite• Some spider bites are poisonous• Some spiders go in the water to catch

tadpoles• There are spiders living in California, at the

beach, and in West Virginia

Common Traits of Spiders

• Spiders have 8 legs

• Some spiders spin webs

More Common Traits of Spiders

• Most spiders have 8 eyes

• Spiders have two major body parts: cephalothorax (combination of the head and thorax) and abdomen

Can spiders hurt us?

• Most spiders found in West Virginia are harmless.

• Black Widows rarely bite, but if so they are poisonous.

How are spiders a benefit to us?Destroy unwanted insects

in garden or homes

Let’s begin our adventure and see what kind of spiders

we might find in West Virginia!

Let’s travel through West Virginia and enter into Summers County where we live. We

will take a look at the scenery and the woods where we might find some spiders.

We will be entering 5 different spider rooms today. All of these rooms

contain spiders that are found in our state of West Virginia.

Are You Ready?

Let’s enter

The Wolf Spider Room

This is an outdoor room as the Wolf Spider does not normally inhabit

buildings.

The Wolf Spider

• Largest and most common spider found in West Virginia.

• The Wolf Spider’s bite is harmless.

• Mainly live outdoors and rarely enter buildings.

• The mommy Wolf Spider carries her babies on her back.

Our next room is

The Orb Weaver Room

We will be entering another outdoor room as the Orb Weaver are most

common out-of-doors.

The Orb Weaver• A common spider in West

Virginia.

• The Orb Weaver is harmless.

• Construct their webs between the foliage of plants or weeds.

• Annoyance to hikers as they spin their webs among weeds and plants.

Our third room will be

The Jumping Spider Room

The Jumping Spider are most common outdoors but may seek shelter in

buildings.

The Jumping Spider

• Very common in West Virginia.

• Considered harmless.

• Stalk their prey in broad daylight, approach slowly and when near makes a sudden jump.

• When disturbed, they will jump to avoid contact.

• Easily recognized by the arrangement of 6 eyes and their way of jumping.

• Common in well lighted areas.

Next, we will be entering

The Crab Spider Room

The Crab Spider will mainly be found outdoors.

The Crab Spider • Easily recognized by their crab-

like habit of moving side ways and by the appearance of legs that resemble a crab’s legs .

• Wanders and capture their prey by sneaking upon it.

• Do not construct webs.

• Eight eyes.

• Considered harmless.

Our last spider room will be

The Black Widow

The black widow commonly spins her web in dark sheltered areas away from the

weather. They can be found under stones or logs, in outbuildings, in wood logs,

under or in discarded cans and similar places.

Black Widow• Gets its name from the fact

that she may kill and eat the male.

• The Black Widow has a distinct red hour-glass shaped marking.

• The venom of a Black Widow is highly poisonous but is quite timid and has no instinct to bite people.

• If attacked will try to escape instead of biting.

• However, when her web is disturbed, she may rush out and bite.

What if we get bit?

How can I tell if I have been bitten by a spider?

How can I tell if I was bit by a spider?

• Symptoms may include– Pain at the bite area– Stomach cramping– Numbness– Tremors– In severe cases:

• nausea• vomiting • fainting • dizziness • chest pain • respiratory difficulties

Black Widow Bite

Are spiders poisonous?

Most spiders found in West Virginia are not poisonous.

Black Widow Spiders are the most common poisonous spider in West Virginia.

First Aid• Apply antiseptic to the bite

area to prevent infection.

• Use ice packs to localize the venom.

• Go to a doctor as soon as possible.

• If spider can be found, have an adult place it in alcohol and send it to the Department of Agriculture.

One last room…

Let’s enter

Is it a spider?The Daddy Long Leg

Room

Daddy Long Leg

• Often found in basement area, under porches, and in old sheds.

• Feeds on plant juices and both dead and living insects.

• Have no poisonous glands, so are harmless.

Not a true spider, just a close relative.

Resources

• Images found at:• www.google.com

• Additional Materials can be found at:– West Virginia Department of Agriculture

• www.wvagriculture.org