Elizabeth Bream Contributing Writer I had always thought the only spider I ever had to fear was the black widow. Little did 1 know that North America’s third most venomous spider, after the black widow and the brown recluse, has colonized Vancouver, In July | was bitten one day while sitting on a sunny patio in West Vancouver. T felt nothing ar the time, and didn’t notice the bite until much later in the day, when my ankle brushed the floor as 1 did some exercises. Only when a sharp pain shot up my leg and down in my heel, did [examine myself'and tind the bite. In my ignorance, Esloughed this off as a mosquito bite. Four days larer my ankle and calf were swollen and ten- der, the wound was festering and forming pus, and the pain was increasing. Angry red streaks were trav- cling up my leg. Both venom and infection were spreading, and I urgently needed a doctor. My family physician diag- nosed the spider bite, took the infection very seriously, pre- scribed expensive antibiotics for 2 month, and insisted I see her every three days. She advised me to keep off my feet as much as possible and to clevate my swollen leg above my heart whenever | could. I also had to postpone ay August: vacation, and forgo swimming and walking for exercise until the healing was complete. Pthought maybe Phad been bitten be a brown recluse spi- der, but my first quick search of the Internet revealed that these spiders are found not in’ the Pacific Northwest, but in: the American south. However, a spider now endemic in the — Pacific Northwest is the hobo spider, originally called the “aggressive house” spider, and known for its serious bites. It has only recently been identified as poisonous and widespread in our area. Books published — earlier than 1995 are unlikely to con- tain any reference to the hobo spider, which now bears the sei- entific name of Téqenaria agrestis, often referred to as Th - aggre: The hobo belongs to the funnel weaver family of spiders fc favours damp areas, wet wood, window wells, base- ments or first floors, and is sel- dom found any higher. If your house has damp wood touching the ground, or if you have a woodpile stacked up in your yard, you could be harbouring a nest of hobos. The hobo spider is a sizable fellow, although not as large as a typical “daddy-long-legs.” Including its legs, it could fit on a silver dollar. Sunday, September 19, 1999 — North Shore News — 2% north shore news HEALTH Poisonous spider a dangerous newcomer NEWS photo Mike Wakefield ELIZABETH Bream (right) shows her friends Dianne Boyd (left), Joan Finch and Marion Appleton a recent poi- sonous spider bite on her foot that Bream believes occurred on this same sunny patio at the West Vancouver Seniors’ Centre. The average adult’s body is about 12-18 mm long. The legs are long, and the male anrennae, and look rather like The hobo will freeze when boxing gloves, are actually its male genitalia. exhibits two protuberances called — pedipaips, — which, although they appear to be See Hobo page 24 SE I PRR ARBRE Soto Sooo penny ey 2 TR or OO IR ener ae ats eto meal eekas obaamNeeAasa Ea CREASE Rene RiaaeaasaE SE aigpeak mene eS pat STORE HOURS MON TO FRI SAM TO 9PM SAT & SUN SAM TO 7PM TEL: MSR ERY Organic and Natural Food Store Effective Dates September 20-26 18999 ; R ee neat eh ery au reer oa) See ben : Organic ° Produce ° Gest -< Chicken * Niilk * Eggs ° Dal * Greads it Spring Lamb 3036 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver rax: 987-6155 987-GG644