6 legged spider?

Not sure if this should be here... if mods think it would be better suited somewhere else then please move it ^_^

Anyway, to get straight to the point, I just caught a 6 legged spider :S I never thought to take a photo before I chucked it out, but I guess if I had someone might have said I'd pulled it's legs off (which I would never do, because 1- it's cruel 2- I HATE them, hence my haistyness to put it outside). Both the same legs where missing, the first back legs. I'm not sure what kind of spider it was, it was about the same size as a UK house spider but it was a slightly milkier colour and 'bald' - I think UK house spiders are a bit hairy.

I like in the UK - any ideas what this might have been? I'm sure it wasn't a bug, because it looked like a spider - and I've never heard of a bug that looks like a spider :|

Sure it's not a Daddy long-leg?

I know I've seen other spider-like insects with 6 legs as well, but the Daddy long-leg came to mind first since I saw a ton when I lived in Arkansas.

No, like I said - it was like a UK house spider, Harvestmen spiders are tiny in body size compared to them. I've looked at some UK spiders, and it doesn't seem to be any of them :\... had a browny/milky back without any pattern, very smooth but not shiny...

I found an image of a 7 legged spider whilst trying to find what it was, so I guess extra and missing legs aren't uncommon, still very strange though ^_^

Here's the 7 legged spider


And heres a 6 legged spider



Neither of these are the spider I saw, but I thought they where intresting ^_^

Try googling Cave cricket, or camel cricket.

Is this what you saw. They are new to the north east area of the US, but recently have been finding these nasty suckers every where I go.

maybe that in itself is some kind of conspiracy.

I guess it is possible for 6 legged spiders to be born, like 6 fingered humans. Freaks of nature in the arachnid kingdom

I am pretty sure spiders need to have 8 legs, and two body sections. If it had six legs than it is not a spider, but just a insect. There are some insects that look like spiders, but pretty much if it does not have 8 legs it is not a spider. Unless you riped two legs off.

It was definatly a spider, it had 8 eyes! It had either been in the wars (but it was weird that the same legs where missing, although it looked like there was room for them), or it was born that way I think.

It was definatly a spider, it had 8 eyes! It had either been in the wars (but it was weird that the same legs where missing, although it looked like there was room for them), or it was born that way I think.

Spiders by definition have eight legs. They can lose legs due to injury or bad molts. Eight eyes does not necessarily make it a spider. Spiders can have two, four, or eight eyes. Chances are it wasn't a true spider and actually was an insect. A photo would have helped.

Can't spiders have like 4 to 8 legs?;p And it doesn't always have 8 eyes, they sometimes only have 2^^

After much hunting, I think this is the spider I saw




A 'tube web' spider. I'm 100% sure it wasn't an insect, but if you know an insect that looks like that, only with 4 legs let me know.

Dude, a spider is an insect;p If it's not an insect then what is it?^^

A spider isn't an insect, it's an arachnid. By definition, insects have 6 legs and 3 body sections whereas spiders have 8 legs and 2 body segments. Look it up if you don't believe me ^_^

Edit:\ ha! If you search 6 legs spider in google this thread comes up ^_^ *feels famous* '-_-

[edit on 16/8/07 by FudgeStix]

A spider is not an insect... I only know this because I did a report on insects in the 4th grade...

Theres also the famed 4 legged 3 mile island spider:
www.tmia.com...

Supposedly caused by the 3 mile island incident...

And a spider can have less than 8 legs, due to deformation. It doesn't make it not a spider, just a deformed one...


Oh yeah, I also remember seeing something on one of those nature shows about a spider who tries to mimic ants as to blend in with ant colonies & protect themselves from predators (I don't believe the species eats the ants). It does this by lifting 2 of its legs in the air to mimic the ants 6 legs & 2 antenna...

[edit on 8/27/2007 by bobbyt]

Originally posted by bobbyt

Theres also the famed 4 legged 3 mile island spider:
www.tmia.com...

Ha! Thats actually really quite freaky looking... Mind you, I think daddy long legs are pretty freaky full stop! Although it's funny to watch them get cross when you blow on their web

Those are spiders you posted pics of. They simply lost a few of their legs.
As another poster mentioned they can loose legs though injury.

Spiders can have less than eight eyes also. For instance the Brown Recluse Spider has six eyes.
ohioline.osu.edu...





Those pics you posted are spiders they look very simular to the orb wevers around here.

Raist

As already stated, spiders are arachnids, not insects.

As for the 6 legged thing. Spiders do not have to be injured or deformed to have fewer than 8 legs. Some species of spider have the ability to detach legs if they feel threatened and one is caught. Similar to how some reptiles can detach part of their tail to get away from a predator.

In the spider's case the detached limb doesn't grow back. It's not that unusual to see adult spiders with fewer than 8 legs out in the wild.

reply to post by tebyen


I am unaware of any species of spider that can voluntarily detach its legs. What variety are you talking about specifically? I may be wrong and would honestly like to know. Spiders are a hobby of mine. From what I understand of them, anything that would break off would grow back, maybe not fully right away, during a molt.

All arachnids have four pairs of legs. This includes ticks and scorpions as well.

Spiders, while molting or shedding their exoskeletons or whatever it is they do, can't remember now, often will lose limbs in the process, specifically the long-legged ones. It's quite common. The usually grow back, if I remember right, but I'm not sure.

Here's your ant mimicking spider. Probably not what you saw, but these are spiffy.

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