Bring it to the light

What is this bug?

Photograph what you found. We’ll name the species, tell you plainly whether it can hurt you, and show what it’s commonly mistaken for.

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Three ways in, below
A worked example

Every identification reads like a record, not a guess

Species where the photograph supports it, genus where it doesn’t — and we say which. A confident wrong answer is worse than an honest maybe.

Giant House Spider

Eratigena atrica
Harmless
Not dangerous

It has fangs but rarely bites, and a bite is comparable to a nettle sting. It's indoors looking for a mate, not for you.

Size12–18 mm body, up to 75 mm leg span
MarkingsChevron pattern on the abdomen, uniformly hairy legs
WhereBathrooms, garages, along skirting boards
SeasonPeaks September–October
CertaintyHigh — species level, from clear abdominal markings
Commonly confused with
Hobo SpiderWolf SpiderFalse WidowCardinal Spider
Examples

A few of the species you’ll find here

Once the identifier is live, this becomes the species people are actually photographing that week — drawn from real identifications, not a guess at what’s in season.

Giant House SpiderEratigena atricaHarmlessWoolly BearPyrrharctia isabellaHarmlessCarpet BeetleAnthrenus verbasciPestFalse WidowSteatoda nobilisCan bitePolyphemus MothAntheraea polyphemusHarmlessPavement AntTetramorium immigransHarmless
The collection

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Spiders
Beetles
Moths
Caterpillars
Mantises
Ants & wasps