are smiley face spiders poisonous
Additionally, Theridion grallator is polymorphic and may exhibit one of several variant appearances depending upon such factors where it lives and what it eats, so not every happy face spider necessarily bears happy face markings: Last updated: 20 September 2015. Often found around houses in areas lit by artificial lighting at night, cat-faced spiders may look somewhat creepy but they’re not poisonous. (image via: Tocayo750) Cat-Faced Spiders are rather small; only about 1/5 of an inch wide, and the females are much larger than the males. These are small spiders, about a quarter of an inch long, who prefer to live on the underside of leaves at elevations from 1,000 to 6,000 feet. Theridion grallator's common name comes from the interesting pattern on its abdomen, which closely resembles a 'smiley face'. Origins: The creature pictured above is the Theridion grallator, more commonly known as the “happy face spider.” The colorful arachnid is native to four of the Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii), where it is known in the local language as nananana makaki’i, or the. Quick Answer. The Hawaiian happy face spider, Theridion grallator, is not poisonous. While the arachnid belongs to the same family as the feared black widow, it lacks the toxic venom. The species is named for the array of color patterns across the abdomen, some of which resemble a smiling face. Continue Reading. (images via: The Nature Conservancy and Corral.net Forums) Spiders don’t make most people feel all warm & fuzzy.. maybe because they’re just too warm & fuzzy, but not in a good way. Not so the Happy Face Spider (Theridion grallator), found in the Hawaiian islands. The happy-face spider exhibits an array of color patterns on the back of its abdomen, sometimes resembles a smiling face. These spiders blend in with the undersides of leaves where they build their flimsy webs and catch prey. You should be glad of those scientific names because this spider goes by a huge number of common names, many of which equally refer to all sorts of other spiders. Names like Crab Spider, Spiny-backed Orbweaver, Jewel Spider, Smiley Face Spider and other variants. The happy-face spiders. The happy-face spider is endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago but is only found on four of the islands: Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii. The spider populations on these four islands show off a variety of happy-face patterns. Such a variation in form is referred to as a polymorphism — many forms (also known as morphs). Theridion grallator, The Hawaiian Happy Faced Spider. The Happy-Faced Spider is a charismatic arachnid endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. T. grallator belongs to the comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae), a family which also includes the famous Black Widow. Happy-Faced Spiders are highly derived members of this group but do not share the venom toxicity of their more feared relatives.
No, the Hawaiian happy face spider, Theridion grallator, is not poisonous.