Spider - Ask Extension
What kind of spider is this?
Story:
About a month ago, my husband got bit by a spider in the butt cheek and was really sick for about a week. He had...
Knowledgebase
Spider #471178
Asked July 17, 2018, 3:08 PM EDT
What kind of spider is this?
Story:
About a month ago, my husband got bit by a spider in the butt cheek and was really sick for about a week. He had to go into urgent care twice and was treated with antibiotics and a shot. He did not know he was bitten until he swelled up and the pain was unbearable. The doctor was very confident it was a spider bite.
All summer long he has been working on building a wood shed in an area where he has wood piles and long grass. Of course we thought he got bit out there.
Yesterday my son saw this spider in our basement hallway and caught it. I am freaking out knowing that spider was in our house. I need to find out more about this spider.
We live near Avon, MN, in St. Wendel Township.
Stearns County Minnesota
Expert Response
Is there some way that you can give me a size gauge?
My son said it was about the diameter of a 1 1/2 to 2 inch circle with its legs.
I believe the top left area where it is shiny may have been a part of the body that got smashed when he put a glass over it and it tried to escape.
I have heard back from the entomologist from the U. This is what he said.
1) This spider looks like a wolf spider or fishing spider. However, it is hard to be certain from the picture. Both are native spiders and are large enough to bite but only do so to protect themselves. If someone is bitten by one of these spiders, there would be some mild temporary pain, like a bee sting, but then it would go away on its own.
2) I am skeptical that the resident was bitten by a spider originally. It would be unusual to be bitten and not know it. Even, if that were the case, we do not have any dangerous spiders in Minnesota. Even doctors can not identify the cause of the problem by just examining the lesion.
Clearly something happened and it was fortunate that the resident was able to get the proper medical attention. However, to blame it on spiders, especially without any evidence that one bit the person, is a poor and unfortunate diagnosis.
