Spiders

are complicated multi-eyeballed, eight-legged predators and more. Seriously, the word Arachnids, as a descriptor, even sounds dangerous. Most of the spiders pictured on these pages are now named to species where possible. That is because I can finally sort some of them out. I have included my possible list of Jumping Spiders (Salticids), True Orb Weavers (Araneids) and my list of Wolf Spiders (Lycosids) for Arkansas. Recently I added the Comb-footed list (Theridiids). See the links below. As I learn more, more will appear. Norm Lavers worked harder on these animals and I have added quite a few of his shots.

I never pass up a Jumping Spider if I come across one out there on my butterfly and dragonfly runs. They are just too impressive to ignore. Those forward facing eyes; those stalking maneuvers. They are like cats with eight-power vision and a fearlessness that seems to approach a deathwish in what they sometimes attempt to bring down for a meal. And once you start with the Jumpers then you start noticing the Wolf Spiders and the Crab Spiders and the Funnel Webs and on and on.

Before you know it: Arachnophilia.                                   

AR Salticidae (Jumping Spiders)                                 AR Lycosidae (Wolf Spiders)     

AR Theridiidae (Comb-footed Spiders)                          AR Araneidae (True Orb Weavers)    

Wolf Spider Key (Ovtsharenko and Tanesevitch)