Tweeters in answer to Michelles question, I was bitten last year(about this
time of year, the last week in March, so I am recovered, except for a nasty
little scar. the hobo is a relative of the brown recluse, and a funnel spider;
is not a native, and comes from Europe(I have also read
before that this subspecies is native to Asia; so there may be a conflict on
this particular spider....We know this is a female due to size, and the 2 long
spinnerets which protrude from the abdomen. They are very dark in color the
abdomen being similar in size to the cephlathorax(main body).
The ab. has an unusual pattern of very dark(almost black, with tan spots,
middle stripe, and a larger spot of tan in the center. The cephlathorax
is predominately tan, with balckish again on either side of the center
stripe(its hard to describe the stripe, and tan again on the sides.Her
underbelly is simply striped; but you have to catch one to see that(we have
her in a jar, and she has already started another web. They will give chase,
and can run very fast; But I don't know if they actually lunge
or jump at you like the brown recluse. Their initial bite, is not noticeable;
and I thought I simply had a pimple that was getting out of
hand. Within two days I had a blister which broke; and a serious headache
and flu like symptoms which did not go away or get better. I feel this is
more than enough information to help someone decide to see a Doctor if they
think they have been bitten. In the paperwork I have from UW it says
that the hobo spider has not caused any deaths. However the Drs. who treated
me have a different insight into this.....hope this helps.
Vicki Biltz Bonney Lake
sawwhet85b at netscape.net

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