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We fear their bite, get tangled in their webs and are inclined to squish them when they crawl inside our house.

Still, spiders are beneficial and perhaps a bit more complex, not to mention interesting. Each week, we’ll join Misericordia University assistant biology professor Dr. Larry Corpus, who has studied entomology at universities in California, Washington and Kansas.

We’ll join Corpus in the field in Luzerne County to delve into the world of spider species that likely inhabit your backyard, basement and any forgotten corner where they can weave a web. Visit us each week to see what species we found next and check out a video on each spider.

Spiders of the week

Common name: Black widow and brown recluse

Family: Theridiidae (black widow), Loxoscellidae (brown recluse)

Size: 1/2-inch to 1-inch

We finish up the last installment of the spider series with two of the most well-known, feared a misunderstood spiders. While we didn’t capture live specimens of the black widow and brown recluse, Dr. Larry Corpus provided specimens he collected. Black widow spiders and the brown recluse are relatively uncommon in Pennsylvania, but they are still two of the most well-known species. It’s commonly believed that the black widow and brown recluse are highly venomous and dangerous, but Corpus said that isn’t entirely the case. Neither spider is aggressive and they only bite out of defense. They use their venom to capture and kill prey – small insects, and the bite of a brown recluse can impact skin and tissue cells, while black widow venom affects muscles. Black widows can be found in cluttered places, such as basements and barns. Brown recluse spiders do make a web, but it is used to hide. They primarily come out in the evening to hunt.

Note – Next spring we’ll join Dr. Larry Corpus for another insect adventure of the stinging variety as we search for wasp and bee species throughout the area.

Brown recluse spider
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_recluse1A1.jpg.optimal.jpgBrown recluse spider Dr. Larry Corpus

Black widow spider
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_black-widow1A1.jpg.optimal.jpgBlack widow spider Dr. Larry Corpus

By Tom Venesky

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Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky