White Banded Fishing (Dolomedes albineus)

The white banded fishing spider is a cool member of the nursery web spider group. Guess where it’s from? The United States of America! Join us as we uncover exciting details about this unique spider!

Scientific Classification

• Family: Pisauridae
• Genus: Dolomedes
• Scientific name: Dolomedes albineus

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

• Size: Females measuring 23 mm (.90 inches) approximately are slightly larger than males who are 18 mm (.70 inches) long.
• Color: Their color is variable as some may be brown while a few are mossy green with dark markings. It has a white band in the area below its eyes, around the jaws, and even on its entire carapace at times apart from the center which has a black spot.

Eggs

The eggs are small and round remaining in the egg sac guarded by the female.

Spiderlings

The spiderlings disperse after their first molt outside the egg sac.

The Web

Though the white banded fishing spider builds webs, it is not used for catching prey since they hunt them down.

Are White Banded Fishing Spiders Venomous?

Yes, White Banded Fishing spiders have venom. But for most people, it isn’t very strong. They use it mainly to help catch their food.

Can White Banded Fishing Spiders Bite?

Like most other species of nursery web spiders, these spiders can bite, especially if disturbed. The bite might be a bit itchy or cause a small bump, but it’s typically not a big worry for most folks.

Quick Facts

Distribution	Found in the whole of the United States
Habitat	Aquatic areas particularly cypress swamps
Diet	Aquatic insects as well as small fish
Lifespan	Unknown

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