Spiders

[Malapuaao]

Are they called Crab spiders? They look like little sharp rocks? I have a face full of scars from walking into their webs and getting bitten. They first showed up here a year ago and now they are everywhere.

How can I get rid of these things?

aloha

[terracore]

Crab spider is a generic term that means different spiders in different parts of the country. In some areas a "crab spider" is any spider that moves sideways. I think the Hawaii "crab spider" is more accurately described as a spiny-backed spider or spiny-backed orb weaver, or spiny orb weaver. I've never been bitten by one but I understand their bite is painful.

We only see them around our place during times of drought. When the rains return, the spiders disappear.

[bananahead]

like terracore said, because we have native 'Crab Spiders' its better to use Spiny Backed Spider as a common name for these... there are at least 2 species in the state, we have the ugly one. Oahu and Kauai has a pretty one... I used to catch them as a kid in Kaneohe
they are slightly poisonous but rarely bite.. certain times of yr, the pop explodes.. I hate them, fwiw, kill as many as you can, they are not native...
aloha
our kine here in Puna Asian Spiny Backed Spider / Gasteracantha mammosa
image http://www.biopix.com/photos/gdr-gastera...-02522.jpg

Oahu/Kauai kine Spiny Backed Orbweaver Spider / Gasteracantha cancriformis
image of Oahu kine
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736...ece3dd.jpg



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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[Malapuaao]

"gasteracantha mammosa" ... that's it!

Thanks for this info, I was able to find a poison for them:

http://www.hawaiigrowerproducts.com/hgp1...b-spiders/

I read there that these spiders were introduced to Hawaii back in 1985?

aloha

[Mr nice guy]

I've ran into tons of them on a riding lawnmower and have never been bitten.

In my more mindful moments I'd bring them down with a long stick pretty easily before mowing.

Seems they like to make webs between trees and wait for whatever flies by.

[Kelena]

Kill all spiders. Not native.

[TomK]

When I first moved into my property many years ago, those spiny backed spiders were everywhere, well, their webs were. I couldn't walk far without getting caught in their particularly sticky webs. From the lanai, I used to watch them fight their neighbors for territory, often cutting the line that kept the other spider in business. It was fascinating to watch.

Since the coquis moved in, those webs and spiders have vanished. I assumed the frogs ate them all and they were gone, so am surprised to learn they're still around. Same with the large black and yellow garden spiders that spread webs around the lanai. They disappeared at the same time.

[Malapuaao]

Since I started looking into this closer a few days ago I noticed 3 other distinct but smaller species of spiders all in the same area as the big stones (g mammosa).

One spider is brown/gray, thin and has long legs in front and behind it.
Another one is white/gray, short, fat, short legs.

The other one I found was very small and kind of pretty iridescent yellow white but it had legs going sideways only.

I'm not sure which is the biter...I'm mostly concerned about keiki getting bitten. I never noticed any bite, just the welts that appear and stay there for weeks or more.

aloha

[terracore]

And you're sure the welts aren't LFA stings?

[Midnight Rambler]

Yeah, that sounds just like LFA. Contrary to the name I rarely notice when they sting me - instead that evening a welt swells up about an inch and a half in diameter, with a burning itch. It stays for week or so, often with the itch subsiding during the day and getting worse at night. I thought it was something like a kissing bug until I actually saw the ants fall on me and then had stings in the same place later.

Try putting peanut butter baits around. It's possible the ants could even be walking out on the spider webs, and stinging you when you walk into them. You would probably notice a spinyback spider walking on your face, and if it did bite I expect the bite itself would hurt.