Question

My wife has seen this spider in a shower in Texas: What kind of spider is it? I could not identify it by comparing it to pictures of common spiders in Texas. Size: It is sitting on corrugated sheet iron in the picture. The legs span from the "top of one wave to the next". The body is "between" the waves. This is a fishing spider, Dolomedes genus, from the tenebrossus group (i.e. not Dolmedes Triton). The picture is not clear enough to reliably choose a species, but it is probably Dolomedes tenebrosus (dark fishing spider) or Dolomedes vittatus (banded fishing spider), both of which are in Texas.

Answer 1

The diving bell spider lives underwater and uses a unique adaptation of gills to breathe, storing air in silk structures called 'diving bells.' Spiders are classified in biology as arachnids, not insects, and show incredible adaptability across different environments. Despite fears, only a small number of spider species pose a threat to humans with their bites.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diving bell spider, an aquatic spider found in the ponds of northern Europe, leads a fascinating life entirely underwater. Unlike their terrestrial cousins that breathe air directly, these spiders do not possess book lungs to breathe under water. Instead, they've adapted to their aquatic environment by developing gills. Interestingly, these spiders gather air from the surface and store it in their silk-made air tanks called 'diving bells' which function as gills, allowing them to extract oxygen from the water. This adaptation enables diving bell spiders to stay submerged for up to 24 hours.

Spiders are also prominent in other contexts, such as literature, where they often symbolize various concepts, and in medical research, where spider venom holds potential for developing new treatments. It's intriguing to note that while spiders are typically associated with weaving webs and predation, their image and behavior can symbolize different meanings across cultures and disciplines.

Biology classifies a spider not as an insect, but as an arachnid due to its eight legs. Spiders are diverse and found everywhere, from the tropics to the Arctic, engaging in behaviors that are crucial for their survival, such as producing silk for various purposes and injecting venom to subdue prey or deter predators. Only a small fraction of spider species have bites that are harmful to humans.