Spiders

  • The Beach Wolf Spider (Arctosa littoralis)
    The Beach wolf spider is common on Nantucket beaches.
  • Common wolf spider (Schizocosa avida)
    This common wolf spider is usually found in fields.
  • Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)
    The Black and Yellow Garden Spider gets very large but is harmless.
  • We collect spiders using nets and our hands!
  • The garden spider Argiope trifasciata, photographed on Muskeget Island.
    This large spider is a less common garden spider.
  • The Orchard Spider, Lecauge venusta, photographed on Nantucket Island.
    The Orchard Spider likes shady areas and is common in yards.

Maria Mitchell staff have been collecting spiders since 2006 and have accumulated more than 6,000 specimens representing about 250 species from Nantucket, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Islands (identifications are on-going). We try to answer several research questions: How many species live on the Islands? How does prescribed burning affect spiders? How do changes in Nantucket plant communities affect spider diversity?

In 2010, MMA scientists and volunteers began a new project to identify harvestmen (daddy-longlegs) on the island.  We found five species.

Scroll down to see a complete list of spider species.

 

Spider Species List for Nantucket

Agelenidae Funnelweb Spiders
 Number in Collection
1 Agelenopsis emertoni 24
2 Agelenopsis potteri 5
3 Tegenaria domestica 2
Amaurobiidae
4 Amaurobius ferox 5
Anyphaenidae
5 Arachosia cubana 1
6 Hibana gracilis 18
Araneidae Orbweavers
7 Acanthepeira stellata 148
8 Araneus alboventris 1
9 Araneus bivittatus 1
10 Araneus cornutus 5
11 Araneus diadematus 2
12 Araneus gadus 1
13 Araneus marmoreus 1
14 Araneus miniatus 5
15 Araneus partitus 1
16 Araneus pratensis 14
17 Araneus thaddeus 4
18 Araneus trifolium 4
19 Araniella displicata 1
20 Argiope aurantia 11
21 Argiope trifasciata 39
22 Cyclosa conica 2
23 Cyclosa turbinata 3
24 Eustala anastera 12
25 Eustala emertoni 2
26 Larinia borealis 1
27 Mangora maculata 4
28 Micrathena sagittata 20
29 Neoscona arabesca 133
30 Neoscona domiciliorum 1
31 Neoscona pratensis 17
Atypidae Purseweb Spiders
32 Sphodros niger 5
33 Sphodros rufipes 25
Clubionidae Sac Spiders
34 Clubiona abbotii 9
35 Clubiona johnsoni 25
36 Clubiona kastoni 1
37 Clubiona maritima 1
38 Clubiona obesa 1
39 Clubiona pikei 17
40 Elaver excepta 16
Corinnidae
41 Castianeira cingulata 1
42 Castianeira gertschi 1
43 Castianeira longipalpa 40
44 Castianeira trilineata 2
45 Meriola decepta 10
46 Phrurolithus similis 47
47 Phruronellus formica 16
48 Phrurotimpus alarius 26
49 Phrurotimpus borealis 9
50 Phrurotimpus minutus 59
51 Trachelas tranquillus 1
Dictynidae
52 Cicurina arcuata 3
53 Emblyna angulata 1
54 Emblyna annulipes 1
55 Emblyna cruciata 11
56 Lathys pallida 87
Dysderidae Pillbug Hunters
57 Dysdera crocata 3
Gnaphosidae
58 Callilepis pluto 1
59 Cesonia bilineata 29
60 Drassodes saccatus 3
61 Drassyllus aprilinus 2
62 Drassyllus creolus 56
63 Haplodrassus bicornis 1
64 Haplodrassus signifer 89
65 Micaria longispina 23
66 Sergiolus capulatus 2
67 Sergiolus decoratus 27
68 Sergiolus minutus 1
69 Zelotes duplex 19
70 Zelotes fratis 2
71 Zelotes hentzi 86
72 Zelotes laccus 80
Hahniidae
73 Hahnia cinerea 2
74 Neoantistea agilis 44
Linyphiidae Sheetweb Weavers
75 Agyneta fabra 6
76 Agyneta serrata 26
77 Barypharma longitarsum 1
78 Bathyphantes pallidus 11
79 Centromerus cornupalpis 7
80 Ceraticelus alticeps 57
81 Ceraticelus bryantae 2
82 Ceraticelus emertoni 5
83 Ceraticelus fissiceps 4
84 Ceratinella brunnea 1
85 Ceratinops crenatus 8
86 Ceratinopsis atolma 8
87 Ceratinopsis nigriceps 1
88 Eperigone maculata 32
89 Eridantes erigonoides 1
90 Erigone aletris 1
91 Erigone autumnalis 11
92 Erigone dentosa 1
93 Grammonota capitata 10
94 Grammonota inornata 2
95 Grammonota maculata 28
96 Grammonota ornata 11
97 Grammonota pallipes 14
98 Grammonota pictilis 12
99 Grammonota trivittata 38
100 Halorates plumosus 7
101 Hypselistes florens 15
102 Idionella sclerata 3
103 Lepthyphantes leprosus 2
104 Lepthyphantes sabulosus 3
105 Lepthyphantes zebra 1
106 Maso sundevallii 7
107 Masoncus pogonophilus 3
108 Meioneta micaria 1
109 Mermessus trilobatus 1
110 Metopobactrus prominulus 1
111 Neriene clathrata 34
112 Neriene variabilis 2
113 Pocadicnemis americana 10
114 Scotinotylus vernalis 1
115 Scylaceus pallidus 2
116 Tennesseellum formicum 31
117 Walckenaeria atrotibialis 2
118 Walckenaeria brevicornis 4
119 Walckenaeria digitata 7
120 Walckenaeria directa 2
121 Walckenaeria minuta 3
122 Walckenaeria pallida 1
Liocranidae
123 Agroeca ornata 2
124 Agroeca pratensis 20
Lycosidae Wolf Spiders
125 Allocosa absoluta 1
126 Allocosa funerea 10
127 Arctosa littoralis 9
128 Arctosa rubicunda 7
129 Geolycosa pikei 26
130 Hogna carolinensis 3
131 Hogna frondicola 25
132 Hogna helluo 61
133 Pardosa distincta 197
134 Pardosa floridana 4
135 Pardosa milvina 1
136 Pardosa moesta 21
137 Pardosa saxatilis 272
138 Pirata insularis 9
139 Pirata piraticus 1
140 Pirata sedentarius 1
141 Rabidosa punctulata 4
142 Rabidosa rabida 21
143 Schizocosa avida 145
144 Schizocosa bilineata 151
145 Schizocosa ocreata 3
146 Schizocosa saltatrix 2
147 Trabeops aurantiacus 20
148 Trebacosa marxi 8
149 Trochosa ruricola 1
150 Trochosa terricola 7
151 Varacosa shenandoa 8
Mimetidae Pirate Spiders
152 Mimetus notius 3
153 Cheiracanthium inclusum 8
154 Cheiracanthium mildei 2
Oxyopidae Lynx Spiders
155 Oxyopes salticus 18
156 Oxyopes scalaris 9
Philodromidae
157 Ebo latithorax 4
158 Philodromus imbecillus 7
159 Philodromus marxi 1
160 Philodromus placidus 14
161 Thanatus formicinus 24
162 Tibellus duttoni 7
163 Tibellus oblongus 34
Pholcidae Cellar Spiders
164 Pholcus phalangioides 16
Salticidae Jumping Spiders
165 Admestina tibialis 2
166 Admestina wheeleri 1
167 Eris militaris 8
168 Evarcha hoyi 1
169 Habronattus borealis 1
170 Habronattus decorus 1
171 Habronattus viridipes 15
172 Hentzia palmarum 73
173 Maevia inclemens 5
174 Maevia vittata 2
175 Marpissa lineata 29
176 Marpissa pikei 3
177 Neon nellii 3
178 Peckhamia picata 1
179 Pelegrina flavipes 7
180 Pelegrina galathea 17
181 Pelegrina proterva 30
182 Phidippus audax 2
183 Phidippus cardinalis 4
184 Phidippus clarus 8
185 Phidippus princeps 2
186 Phidippus whitmanii 5
187 Platycryptus undatus 3
188 Salticus scenicus 3
189 Synageles noxiosus 3
190 Synemosyna formica 4
191 Talavera minuta 11
192 Zygoballus rufipes 13
Scytodidae
193 Scytodes thoracica 2
Segestriidae
194 Ariadna bicolor 2
Tetragnathidae Long-jawed Orbweavers
195 Leucauge venusta 20
196 Pachygnatha autumnalis 4
197 Pachygnatha tristriata 12
198 Tetragnatha caudata 14
199 Tetragnatha elongata 1
200 Tetragnatha guatemalensis 1
201 Tetragnatha laboriosa 35
202 Tetragnatha seneca 1
203 Tetragnatha vermiformis 2
204 Tetragnatha versicolor 1
205 Tetragnatha viridis 12
Theridiidae Cobweb Spiders
206 Achaearanea globosa 3
207 Achaearanea tepidariorum 20
208 Argyrodes trigonum 2
209 Crustulina sticta 1
210 Dipoena nigra 3
211 Emertonella emertoni 1
212 Emertonella gertschi 8
213 Enoplognatha ovata 4
214 Euryopis argentea 1
215 Euryopis emertoni 11
216 Euryopis funebris 17
217 Euryopis gertschi 203
218 Euryopis quinquemaculata 4
219 Latrodectus mactans 1
220 Latrodectus variolus 6
221 Phoroncidia americana 2
222 Robertus frontatus 1
223 Robertus pumulis 3
224 Spintharus flavidus 2
225 Steatoda albomaculata 1
226 Steatoda americana 4
227 Steatoda borealis 2
228 Takayus lyricus 7
229 Theonoe stridula 1
230 Theridion albidum 8
231 Theridion differens 9
232 Theridion frondeum 1
233 Theridion glaucescens 1
234 Theridion murarium 1
235 Theridula emertoni 1
236 Thymoites marxi 11
237 Thymoites unimaculatus 12
238 Wamba congener 1
239 Wamba crispulus 3
Theridiosomatidae
240 Theridiosoma gemmosum 1
Thomisidae Crab Spiders
241 Misumenoides formosipes 11
242 Misumenops asperatus 1
243 Misumenops oblongus 1
244 Ozyptila americana 37
245 Ozyptila conspurcata 12
246 Ozyptila practicola 1
247 “Ozyptila sincer oraria, ssp” 46
248 Tmarus rubromaculatus 2
249 Xysticus alboniger 14
250 Xysticus bicuspis 12
251 Xysticus discursans 1
252 Xysticus ferox 75
253 Xysticus fraternus 6
254 Xysticus funestus 15
255 Xysticus gulosus 3
256 Xysticus luctans 48
257 Xysticus pellax 5
258 Xysticus triguttatus 3
Uloboridae
259 Hyptiotes cavatus 1

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