# Hobo Spiders and more **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 18, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207 "2001-10-18T14:14:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/1 "2001-10-18T14:14:08Z")
Great question and article: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspiderbites.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspiderbites.html) But I have one follow up question. It was stated that, > [@](#): > > The only sure way to distinguish between the two is to compare the genitalia of the spiders. You can’t just leave us hanging. What are the differences between the genitalia of the Giant House Spider and the Hobo Spider? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/2 "2001-10-18T14:41:49Z")
Adventures in Googling… “hobo spider genitalia”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **Wah!!** Huge creepy pix of hobo spiders!! And gross pic of ulcerated bite (scroll down)!! Whoa! I am SO glad I don’t live in the Pacific Northwest… :eek: [http://www.hobospider.com/info/](http://www.hobospider.com/info/) > [@](#): > > Males are distinctively different from females in that they have two large palps that look like boxing gloves. These palps are often mistaken for fangs or venom sacs, but they are in fact the male genitalia. The females also have these palps, but the ends are not ‘swollen’ as they are on the males. **WAAAAAHHH!!** Really huge creepy closeup pic of male hobo spider!! [http://www.hobospider.com/info/maleidentify.html](http://www.hobospider.com/info/maleidentify.html) And down at the bottom of the page, the scariest thing of all: > [@](#): > > Don’t forget, you can also buy Big H Traps via the internet using our **Online Store** Um, what? Back up to top of page… > [@](#): > > Make sure you get Big H Traps > Don’t accept imitations! Oh. So it’s a website selling spider traps? Guess I won’t panic after all… :rolleyes: Okay. Let’s talk to some serious education-type people. [http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7488.html](http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7488.html) > [@](#): > > To distinguish funnel-weaving spider species, the arachnid’s genitalia must be examined, a task that requires the skills of a qualified arachnologist. Each spider species has a distinctive “lock and key” design of the male and female reproductive organs. Through evolution, the physical features of the males and females have become unique for each species and hence are used by arachnologists for species differentiation. Until someone has examined reproductive features on dozens of hobo spiders and also related species, it is unlikely that a hobo spider would be correctly identified with the naked eye. Therefore, virtually any “hobo spider” identification by a nonarachnologist in California should be suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/3 "2001-10-18T16:05:54Z")
> [@](#): > > These wounds, when it is possible to figure out what they are, can be caused by about 30 different medical maladies including Lyme disease, tularemia, chemical burn, diabetic ulcer, pyoderma gangrenosum, bacterial infections, **fungal infections (herpes),**\* viral infections, adverse drug reactions and thromboembolic phenomena (that cause microclotting in the blood system and hence, death of tissues) and many others. \*emphasis mine Just out of curiosity, why does Rick cite herpes as a form of fungal infection? Was that a typo, or can herpes be classified as something other than a virus? I grew up about 10 miles east of Seattle, and I can tell you, giant creepy spiders abound. It’s good to know that, despite my inclinations toward arachnophobia, I was never in any real danger. I still won’t ever forgive them for scuttling across my bedroom ceiling, though. Never. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/4 "2001-10-18T20:32:07Z")
A number of years ago I awoke to a crawly feeling on my hand and slapped at it. Didn’t find much, but within a couple hours my hand was itchy and swollen in that area. I went to a doctor, but being temporarily in a new area on work study, it wasn’t one I had a history with. I ended up getting some steroids for it which seemed to work. I can’t confirm it was a spider, but I do live in an area with brown recluses and I do recall a crawly feeling on my hand waking me up, though being half groggy I didn’t do much. Nice little pointless anecdote. ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/5 "2001-10-18T20:38:20Z")
It seems spider bites fall into at least two categories. The hot, hurts like hell sort, such as from the black widow family, and the ‘I never even noticed it’ variety. The black widow variety doesn’t usually cause ulceration. The other variety can cause ulceration in a few percent of people. (By the way, the medical term is ‘necrotising arachnidism’! ) I was recently treated for a spider bite and the determatologist said that post bite ulceration/necrosis was an immune reaction that occurred in a small percentage of people. The poison itself does not cause the ulceration, just your body’s reaction turing into an auto-immune catastrophe. There is no immediate treatment for the non-hurting type of bite. The treatment for the ulceration includes cortisone, and mechanical debridment. Yuk! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/6 "2001-10-19T01:33:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beadalin \* > > > [@](#): > > > > **fungal infections (herpes),**\* viral infections, > > \*emphasis mine > > Just out of curiosity, why does Rick cite herpes as a form of fungal infection? Was that a typo, or can herpes be classified as something other than a virus? I notice the same thing. I think Rick must have put the “(herpes)” after the wrong item. It should have gone after the “viral infections”. Either that or someone’s made a really dramatic biological discovery that we haven’t heard about. ---
**Author:** ![dp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@dp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dp)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/7 "2001-10-19T04:32:28Z")
some years ago , i was bitten by a black widow spider. there are lots of them where i live (alabama). i was in a barn stacking hay bales, black widows are always in barns or under houses or in sheltered places. I thought that a wasp had stung me on my back just below my neck. i realized that it was inside my shirt and i slapped it and killed it. i pulled out my shirttail and shook it out, i then saw what it was. it felt just like a wasp sting except for a bit more intense and the intense part lasted longer than a wasp sting. a wasp sting really hurts for about 15 seconds then it tapers off, this bite really hurt for about a full minute , maybe a little bit longer and it tapered off more slowly. i went home and took my shirt off and looked at the bite in the mirror. there was a round swollen place around the bite that was probably 6" across. a wasp sting leaves a place like this maybe 1" across. it gave me a medium headache and slight nausea( the nausea might have been caused by me worrying). i never did go to the doctor. i think that i took some asperin for the headache. it quit hurting after about an hour. the bite place was sore to the touch for a day or 2. at the time i was in my mid 20’s and in excellent condition. if a small child or someone old were to get bitten by a black widow , they definitely need to see a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Zaphod\_Beeblebrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/0ea827/32.png) [@Zaphod\_Beeblebrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zaphod_Beeblebrox)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/8 "2001-10-19T12:34:50Z")
**dp**. Are you sure it was a Black Widow? I always thought that this type of spider’s bite was almost always fatal. Isn’t it a neurotoxic venom? Usually, anything that affects your nervous system will cause more than headaches and nausea. Besides, the ulceration of the skin you describe, IIRC, does not usually occur following a BW’s bite. I’m no expert, and I don’t even have a “cite” to provide to support my points, but maybe someone else here will either confirm or reject what I just wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/9 "2001-10-19T14:07:39Z")
I liked the report, too, but I’m sure I’ll still get the willies next time I inadvertently propel my face into a big spider’s web when I’m out walking in the woods. Regarding the black widow bite, dt is right–usually not fatal, but can be if you’re really young or old. Or, I suppose, especially allergic to the venom or otherwise immuno-compromised. Check it out: [http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du\_bwindow.html](http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du_bwindow.html) Still, probably not something to play with or keep as a pet. ---
**Author:** ![dp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@dp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dp)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/10 "2001-10-20T06:13:47Z")
the spider that bit me was definitely a black widow. i see them all of the time w/ the red hourglass. i killed it and looked at it. like the above poster said: the bite was “hot”. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/11 "2001-10-21T05:45:04Z")
Speaking of Black Widows, they can indeed be found in British Colombia, and, I think , in Washington State. My cousin used to catch them in Lillooet and I have heard of them in South Surrey/White Rock, which is just minutes from the border. Last year we aquired a hobo at the Zoo. It had been found in a local grocery store and donated to us. This was in the Vancouver area. She laid three egg-sacs while we had her, but they must have been infertile as they never hatched. We have raised Black Widows, however, and despite having more than forty at a time, we haven’t had a bite incident. I don’t find them particularly aggressive, but we are of course quite cautious with them. I also wouldn’t recommend them as pets! ---
**Author:** ![sford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@sford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sford)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/12 "2001-10-22T14:21:45Z")
I’m surprised nobody complimented Mikey on his question. Unlike most of us lazy sloths, he did some good research before asking. My father used to complain about spider bites all the time. Then again, he also insisted that ladybugs inflicted painful bites too. Funny - he didn’t _look_ like an afid. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/13 "2001-10-22T23:07:25Z")
Yes, Bead, thanks for finding that. It was an editing/transcribing error, should have read: (viral infections (herpes) and fungal infections (ringworm) We’ll fix 'er. Thanks for the catch. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/14 "2001-10-24T08:21:45Z")
It was an excellent article. I recently moved to Seattle and have been dreading my first face-to-face encounter with a Hobo Spider; now I feel less overmatched. I wanted to correct/clarify Rick Vetter’s statement regarding mycosis fungoidies, however. He says: > [@](#): > > I just finished a study on the misdiagnosis of lymphomatoid papulosis, a rare, low-grade cutaneous T-cell lymphoma that is non-fatal and causes either single or multiple eruptions that regress. Although it is non-fatal, people who have lymphomatoid papulosis have a 5 to 20% chance of developing **fatal** lymphomas like mycosis fungoides Emphasis mine. While this disease is serious and certainly requires treatment, characterizing it as fatal is misleading. From [skinsite.com:](http://www.skinsite.com/info_mycosis_fungoides.htm) > [@](#): > > **Prognosis:** > > Must people who have mycosis fungoides have it for years. It can cause death but this is unusual. Most people who have this condition live a normal life span and die of something else. He would have done better to characterize MF as “potentially fatal” or “serious.” ---
**Author:** ![jbloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@jbloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbloyd)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/15 "2002-11-29T22:05:14Z")
As a teenager in east Texas I reached down to move a cardboard box and felt a sharp sting on one finger. I lifted the flap of the box and there was a green spider with a large silken egg sac under it (it was being carried by the spider). The spider seemed to be in a defensive posture (front legs raised toward me). My finger had two small puncture wounds like a miniature snake bite. The sting stopped quickly and may have been caused by the punctures rather than venom. I coaxed the spider onto a twig and set her in another part of the shed so I could move the box. No problems from the bite. ---
**Author:** ![boomvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@boomvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boomvark)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/16 "2002-11-30T00:13:09Z")
> [@](#): > > **jbloyd:** > […] I reached down to move a cardboard box and felt a sharp sting on one finger. I lifted the flap of the box and there was a green spider with a large silken egg sac under it (it was being carried by the spider). The spider seemed to be in a defensive posture (front legs raised toward me). Sounds like a [lynx spider](http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm) (scroll about 1/3 of the way down the page for photos). These can grow to fairly respectable size, and while they’re not necessarily aggressive towards humans, they have certainly been known to bite. One nailed my mom as she attempted to evict it from her bathtub (in central Florida). She described the bite almost exactly the same way you did. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a mama spider toting an egg sac would be even more prone to bite. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/17 "2002-12-03T17:10:26Z")
a buddy of mine was playing with and bitten by a black widow when he was a kid. Lots of stomach pain and nausea, which eventually faded. The australian red back spider resembles a black widow. I suppose they’re cousins. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/18 "2002-12-10T18:20:24Z")
Like one of the previous posters, I was under the impression that the black widow’s bite REQUIRES medical attention. I saw a thing on the Discovery Channel, about a woman who got bit in the foot as she put her shoe on. She damn near died, and it was a horrific ordeal. Did anyone else see that??? Anyhoo, spiders freak me out. I know a guy who was bitten by a brown recluse, and had to walk around with an IV attached to him for a couple weeks. I believe it was going into his chest hear his heart, and the IV was some kind of super antibiotic. Very freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Maximino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mighty\_Maximino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Maximino)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/19 "2002-12-10T21:56:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*Like one of the previous posters, I was under the impression that the black widow’s bite REQUIRES medical attention. I saw a thing on the Discovery Channel, about a woman who got bit in the foot as she put her shoe on. She damn near died, and it was a horrific ordeal. Did anyone else see that??? > > Anyhoo, spiders freak me out. I know a guy who was bitten by a brown recluse, and had to walk around with an IV attached to him for a couple weeks. I believe it was going into his chest hear his heart, and the IV was some kind of super antibiotic. Very freaky. \*\* I think the problem with recluse bites is that they cause tissue to become necrotic. I found [this site](http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du_bwindow.html) about black widows, which seems to confirm the stories of people that have been bitten. One of my great-uncles was bitten by a widow and didn’t get medical attention either; he came out all right. It seems that if you’re healthy and don’t have an allergic reaction that you don’t necessarily _need_ to get to a hospital, but it can’t hurt at all. And the Australian red back spider is related. Learn something new every day, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207/20 "2002-12-10T22:39:14Z")
The black widow is certainly _potentially_ deadly, and even if you live through it, it’s not going to be much fun. But it’s not a guaranteed death sentence to be bitten by one, even without medical aid. By mass, it’s much more deadly than most snake venoms, but on the other hand, a spider will inject much less poison than will a snake, so it works out about the same. Brown recluses, however, are much more dangerous, to humans at least. You probably will need medical attention to save you from a recluse bite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobo-spiders-and-more/88207.md?page=2)