My Spider Pets in 2 Parts: Wolsey Spider and Jumping Spider on my Web

My Spider Pets
     Part 1 - Wolsey Spider - the friendly house spider
     Part 2 - Spider on my Web

Photos by Dr Abe V Rotor

 
Wolsey Spider photos AVRotor

Tegenaria parietina is is sometimes known as the cardinal spider because of the legend that Cardinal Wolsey was terrified by this species at Hampton Court during the reign of Henry VIII. In fact Cardinal Wolsey was once the most trusted man of the king, being highly knowledgeable in managing the affairs of the kingdom, and that he was 20 years older which was ideal as the king's adviser. But Wolsey got the displeasure of the king for the abuse of his power and was vanished. He died before serving punishment for his crime.

Females grow up to 20 mm, males up to 17 mm. Legs are approximately three times longer, although some specimens have legs as large as 7.5 cm with a span between front and rear legs of 14 cm. They are reddish brown. Females can live for up to eight years, while males die shortly after mating. These spiders live mostly in buildings or walls. They look rather similar to T ferruginea.

Wolsey Spider is actually harmless, it is not poisonous and does not attack or show aggression. Which makes it "friendly" to be in the house. When we find a Wolsey spider usually carrying an egg case, we simply catch her with a wide mouth bottle and release her where she does her trade - to kill and eat young cockroaches, flies and other insects.

Part 2 - Jumping Spider on my Web


 Jumping spider (Plexippus petersi) Family Salticidae AVRotor

Arachnida, Greek goddess of the loom,

descended from Mt Olympus with us to live;

your masterpiece, tapestry sans compare,

while mine, dream catcher in make-believe.

As I search the unknown on cyberspace,

simply you wait some prey fall into your web;

we may differ but common is our cunning,

with our own web in its unending ebb. 

Plexippus petersi is a house spider, living indoors, and admired for the skilful way it hunts and catches mosquitoes, flies and other invertebrates. It has also been found living in crops in the Philippines, in one instance in a rice field infested with the armyworm Spodoptera mauritia, and in another, in a corn field attacked by the northern armyworm Mythimna separata. This spider has been investigated as a control agent for houseflies and showed potential as a bio-control agent. Internet info and photo.