Scianna Family

Spider Update

A few months ago, we posted a video on the blog of the most humongous disgusting spider we'd ever seen inside a house that was not a pet. A few weeks after that, we found ANOTHER one! I was getting scared that we were being invaded by something like the huge killer spider in the movie Arachnophobia. 

Then, I got really freaked out when people said that the spider we found was a brown recluse! Well, as usual, Mark did some research on the subject. It turns out that the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco has actually been doing research on spiders in the Bay Area for years, and welcome pictures or actual (dead or alive) specimen for their research. He found what he thought was our spider (Zoropsis Spinimana, which is NOT a brown recluse and is actually harmless), and then sent some pictures to the Cal Academy for confirmation. Here was their response:

Dear Mark,

Thank you very much for your participation in the Bay Area’s Most Wanted Spider project. The photo you sent confirms that you have found a Zoropsis spinimana. Can you let me know the address where you found the spider, so we can add your sighting to our database?

The Zoropsis is native to the Mediterranean and recently became established in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first California reports of Zoropsis spinimana were found in the Sunnyvale area in Santa Clara County in 1992. Since then the spider has mostly spread north and east around the San Francisco Bay area with specimens found throughout Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda Counties.

Despite the fact that this spider is large enough to be intimidating, Zoropsis spinimana is harmless. It is a hunting spider (like wolf spiders), meaning it does not spin a web or use silk to subdue prey. Its silk is used primarily by the female to cover her egg sac. Like other spiders, its diet is primarily insects. Little information is available about the biology of this spider.

Most specimens that have been submitted for identification are mature males and females; this means that people are finding wandering spiders that are searching for mates, roaming in search of food or for other reasons. Mature spiders have been found from September to May and are commonly encountered throughout the winter. It is not known where the immature spiders spend the summers or if this spider requires more than one season to mature.

Thank you and we hope you will participate on the project again!

Thanks,
Alison

Alison Young
Citizen Science Educator
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Dr.
San Francisco, CA 94118

www.calacademy.org

 

Awesome! Even though it looks like it's going to jump out and bite my neck off, I guess I have nothing to worry about on my next hairy spider encounter. :) 

PS - I can't believe that some people actually WANT to spend most of their day researching spiders! Haha.

Go fly a kite!

We bought the kiddos kites for Christmas, and I've been really excited
to take them out for a test flight! I guess this was one of those
gifts you get for someone else that you secretly want for yourself.
Talia had some studying to do, so she went off and did responsible
things, and told us to go fly a kite.

We walked to the school down the street. Aubrina really liked it;
Robby watched a bit, but then went back to exploring the dirt (you can
see him in the bottom right corner of the picture).

More to come, we're just getting started with kites!

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Aubrina

My father in law recently sent this to me because he was cleaning out his old messages in his inbox. Happy feelings! :)


Subject: Aubrina

Aubrina Jo Scianna was born yesterday at 3:07 am. Baby and mom are doing
great. She is 7.14 lbs and 20"
Proud Papa


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