There are around 500 species of spiders that call the Badger State home. And unless you go looking for the dangerous ones, there is no real threat to humans.
PJ Liesch, director of insect diagnostic lab at the University of Wisconsin, said spiders often get a bad rap, but they really aren’t going to bite humans. Humans aren’t food to them, so they’d really only ever do it in self defense.
“There are arachnologists that handle spiders for their entire care and are never bitten,” he said.
What are the largest spiders in Wisconsin?
Fisher spider: Liesch said he gets calls from people saying they have seen the biggest spider of their life. That spider is usually the fisher spider.
The fisher spider does exactly as the name implies — it catches fish. It isn’t angling for bass or musky like you or me, but it goes after some of the smaller aquatic species, like a minnow or tadpole. The fisher spider ambushes its prey. It may have its legs in the water and waits for vibrations before pouncing, Liesch said.
Nursery web spider: The nursery web spider is found farther from the water. These spiders are usually found on plants, and they use webs to weave together plant leaves. This creates a sheltered spot for young spiders to hang out.
“It’s pretty unique because that is essentially a form of parental care provided by the mother spider,” Liesch said.
What are the most common spiders in Wisconsin?
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These are the biggest and most common spiders in Wisconsin
Reporting by Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
