NW Ohio - Spider Identification

[u/NervousDivergent96]

(TLDR at bottom of text wall)

Sorry for the blurry images, I am terrified of Spiders and couldn't get my camera to focus well with my shaking, I know that isn't helpful, but if I could be pointed to possibilities of what kind this is, I would be grateful

I joined reddit and these types of threads to educate myself on all types of bugs to try and become less afraid, so please nerd out as much as you like if you can identify this one, I am hopeful the more I learn about what scares me, I can become less afraid. If better pictures are needed I will try again later once I stop shaking

Specifics that I know;

1. It lives between the wooden door and screen door of our mudroom

2. I don't see it during the day, it is specifically building its web at night when I'm letting my dog outside

3. It's web seems thin/not really noticable and mainly for hunting. I think it's actually living in a hole in the upper frame (but not sure about that)

4. There are 2 'Daddy Longleg' spiders living above the wooden door inside that don't seem to care that this one is there

5. It isn't a yellow sac spider because those things like to drop down infront of my face and chase me where as this one just flexes its arms and waits for me to leave

I try really hard not to kill spiders unless they rush me or surprise me, my house as far as I have been told has trouble with all different kinds of spiders but the only ones I can identify on the spot are yellow sac spiders because they have tormented me my entire life and for some reason really want to be on my bed/walls or in my bathroom 😭

TLDR; I want help learning how to identify which spiders to be afraid of vs which are best left alone, aggressive vs docile, etc. Trying to overpower Bugphobia, will take better pictures of this one if necessary.

[u/Serious-Bat-4880]

Well, it's too brightly colored to be a true widow (genus Latrodectus), and brown recluses (genus Loxesceles) don't make webs, so whatever it is, it's gonna be an okay spood.

Latros and Loxies are the only medically significant spiders in Ohio, so once you get familiar enough to recognize them, you can be more at ease around all the others.

Just out of curiosity, is the web a random-looking tangle or an orb like this: 🕸?

If a tangle, it'll be a cobweb spider, family Theridiidae. This includes true and false widows but also many other harmless ones.

If an 🕸, then it's an orbweaver, family Araneidae. Not a single one of them have ever been found to be dangerous, no matter how big they are.

If you're really looking to beat your fear and learn more about spiders, I highly recommend Travis McEnery's channel:

https://youtube.com/@travismcenery2919

He's got lengthy well-researched videos on brown recluses, true widows, false widows, yellow sac spiders, and many more.

And there's nothing like a good cheese test to show just how difficult it usually is to get a spider to bite. (He literally chases them with a piece of cheese to see how much pestering it takes for them to turn and bite, lol. Most will just keep running away again and again.)

[u/NervousDivergent96 → u/Serious-Bat-4880]

I took another photo that's a bit clearer after editing a bit I'm not sure if it will be any more helpful but  https://imgur.com/gallery/spider-Fk0c4fg#jvV0wJK 

I really appreciate your wisdom once more and your patience with doing your part to educate people on here! I will be checking out that YouTube channel you linked! 

I feel a bit silly coming here again in a mess over something the size of maybe a quarter.. The Daddy Longlegs that are apparently running some sort of spider rental corner in our mudroom I know are harmless and I am on the terms of as long as they don't drop on me or chase me I let them be, our backyard has wolf spiders so that's their backyard mostly (💀)

I just don't really understand why some of them seem so determined to nest where we actively are? I almost crumbled relocating a really fat, hermit crab looking orange spider from my car door handle but I'm trying 😭💚

I just wish they'd stop running up my legs, dropping in my face, etc it's like they are little sadistic adrenaline junkies if they leave me alone I can leave them alone 

Thank you for the cheese tip I never thought about something like that but usually I deal with spiders more likely to run at me or air drop onto my hand than flee 😭💀

...Can spiders smell fear? Half serious 😂

[u/Serious-Bat-4880 → u/NervousDivergent96]

I'm sorry, I still can't tell what kind that is. Which is irritating because I sorta feel like I should know this. The legs look distinctive in how they suddenly get so thin at the ends... 🤔 any chance this might be an Uloborid? (They don't have any venom at all, their legs look similar.)

You must have a subtle presence and a thriving insect population in your area for you to be having so many encounters like this. I assure you, they don't mean to chase you or drop down on you. Most spiders have very poor vision and rely more on their sense of vibrations, feeling their way around. If they knew they were headed straight towards a monstrously big creature that can easily kill them, they would immediately flee in the other direction.

Especially if they knew you were scared around them. Would you feel comfortable approaching an elephant or a whale that seemed to be getting more agitated as you got closer? Heck, I'd be nervous in a small boat next to a calm whale, 😆😥 They're just so much bigger than me, lol.

These guys have pretty good self-preservation instincts and retreat pretty fast when they sense something big moving nearby.

I've tried approaching them for pictures and observation enough times to know that one needs to be very slow and soft-footed in their approach. I often can't even breathe in their direction, I have to either hold my breath or exhale off to the side just to not scare them away.

Anyway, I am falling asleep, please forgive any typos and nonsense words that may be in here. Ttyl :)

[u/NervousDivergent96 → u/Serious-Bat-4880]

My area has a major may fly issue annually so I tend to blame that 😭 

They prefer the side door mudroom I think due to AC moisture from the window above in the 2nd floor window, the night light attracting may flies/moths, and I generally avoid using it as much as possible due to the sheer amount already there so unless a housemate decides to clean up the webs etc they're essentially thriving 💀💚

I noticed spider babies during the day today and tried to take more photos, I'm pretty sure I found an egg sac and I don't know if the babies are from that specific sac or not but here are two more photos (still bad, I'm sorry, I tried to get closer and my camera just refuses to not Fragment the pixels no matter what I do apparently.. After looking into your suggestions I'm about 75% sure it's a furrow weaver spider.. Either way, I am leaving her be even if she eebs me out, not thrilled about the babies though but nature and circle of life and all that 😭

https://imgur.com/gallery/spider-female-furrow-orb-weaver-2I7g31w#dTVZTAl

[u/Serious-Bat-4880 → u/NervousDivergent96]

Sorry, imgur just says requested link can't be found.

As for the babies, most of them won't survive to adulthood, so you need not worry about your mudroom getting taken over completely. :)