spider

Description:

Hairy spider with long banded legs and I think it's a dark fishing spider (dolomedes tenebrosus).

Habitat:

This spider was plastered into the tree trunk in a vertical position so well that it was camouflaged well. We almost missed it!!!! We found it in the woody part of Wright's Bluff Nature Trail on the tree that hangs over the path and that children love to climb for photo ops. There was a tree hole not far from the spider with lots of webbing. It matches this descripton from the reference: "This particular species is frequently found far from water. Look for the spiders waiting motionless in ambush on tree trunks, fenceposts, walls, and other vertical surfaces, mostly at night. The spiders dash into tree holes, under bark, and into crevices when startled."