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Project Noah Nature School
Pholcus phalangiodes
This small, abdomen .35 inches (9 mm) with legs 5-6 times its body length. Found on the wall to the outer garage/workshop sunning itself. When I got too close it made a very strange noise. Almost like a vibrating or hissing sound. (Yes, I backed off pretty quickly). It didn't like flash photography for the 3rd and 4th photos.
Wall (near the meadow)
Also known as Vibrating Spider, Daddylong legs spider (not to be confused with the Harvestman daddylong legs insect.) These spiders are found in every continent of the world except Antarctica. Cool!
I agree with KarenSaxton. This is an Opiliones sp. It only has one body segment--you can see this in your photo #4. I spotted a similar one:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/726...
I"m disagreeing with your ID... seriously. I've seen the cellar spider and it's very elongated, which yours isn't
Thanks everyone! This spider goes by a lot of names, but Skull Spider fits the look perfectly and vibrating spider (that noise like a hiss) well, what can I say. I backed off very quickly.
Carol, here is the info on the cellar spider. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcus_pha... It looks nothing like the spotting here
I think I found the ID. It is also called a Granddaddy long-legged spider or cellar spider or VIBRATING SPIDER. This is it! It makes a noise. (Pholcidae)
I saw your harvestman last night and thought WOW, I better re-count the legs. I thought the same thing. I am use to orb weavers. Yes, It was scary. They do make noise. In the meadow. The spiders start shaking their webs really hard and go bouncy bouncy when I get too close. HA!
At first glance I thought this was a harvestman but I see that it does have a separate thorax so it is a spider. I've not seen a 'hissing' spider - how interesting!
Spotted on Nov 21, 2011
Submitted on Nov 25, 2011
