Virtual Creature Festival: Yellow Sac Spider

During the month of October, we will explore the world of NJ’s creepy-crawly fauna and flora and things that go bump, squawk, grunt, (or even stay silent) in the night and day! Also, remember to check out Duke Farms Eventbrite for a wide array of virtual programs to learn more about NJ’s best bears, bats, bobcats, beautiful amphibians, reptiles, as well as other important oozy critters and the concern about climate change’s already negative impact on their future.

As we open the door to October…

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many and quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more.”

Remember this poem? Maybe this is who is knocking at your door to welcome you to the Duke Farms Virtual Creature Fest!

We've covered a fair amount of spiders in our resources - what have we learned? No matter how terrifying they may come across, often our native arachnids are misunderstood and post no immediate harm to humans. When it comes to scary spiders, the yellow sac spider crawls under the radar. It's an innocuous little critter that blends into the background, never taking center stage in Halloween flicks. But like the black widow and brown recluse, these little ones can still deliver a bite, so stay cautious during your bouts of spring cleaning.

Download the full PDF here.

Cover image credit: "2009.05.28_08.18.05_Cheiracanthium_Inclusum_1" by Andrey Zharkikh CC BY 2.0

This resource was created by Joanne Vogel and Kate Reilly.