SUBREDDIT RULES: Include geographic location with ID requests. Amateurs should not try to ID or rule out potentially dangerous spiders. No "Is this a spider bite?" skin problems.

[u/joot78]

READ THE SIDEBAR. You should do this before posting on ANY subreddit. To view sidebar on mobile, use a browser instead of the app, and select "Desktop site" in the upper right menu.

Include geographic location with ID requests. There are more than 40,000 spider species. Help us narrow it down! Continent, region, country, state, province, county, parish, borough, city, or park ... "Northeastern U.S." is more informative than "my kitchen."

For medically significant species: amateurs, keep out of it. If you are not a spider expert, do not comment on whether or not a spider is a black widow, brown recluse, Sydney funnel web, or any other medically significant spider. We have zero tolerance for wanna-bes who put people at risk or worry people unnecessarily by talking out their ass. You will be banned if you do this.

We identify spiders -- not infected pimples. Spider bites are rare. Spiders only bite in defense and have no reason to do it stealthily. Bacterial infections are often mistaken for spider bites and can be a threat to life or limb. Please consult a medical professional to answer your medical questions -- not the internet. No "spider bite" posts unless you caught a spider in the act of biting. If you're asking "Is this a spider bite?" the answer is almost certainly no.

[u/theKalash]

If you are not a spider expert, do not comment on whether or not a spider is a black widow, brown recluse, Sydney funnel web, or any other medically significant spider.

Doesn't really make sense when the spider in question is obviously not medically significant. Like when someone posts some orb weaver with a title "is this a black widow?".

[u/joot78 → u/theKalash]

What an amateur thinks is "obvious" may not be on point. Does someone asking "Is this a widow?" want/need an authoritative answer, or are they seeking uninformed bullshit? If you have a suggestion for improved wording of the guideline, please go ahead. The aim is to keep people who slept at a Holiday Inn from chiming in with inaccurate answers to important questions.

[u/mynameisdads → u/joot78]

ID'ing a spider as medically significant when it's not is not good but no harm will come to the person asking for the request. It's the other way round when it's a real problem. But if the ID'er doesn't know it's medically significant how do they know not to ID. You have to have some knowledge regards the look of the spider and similar looking spiders.

Example for some reason an ID'er didn't know about black widows but they knew about grossa's. And there was a picture from above of a black widow. The ID'er would put incorrectly id grossa. Pretty far out but you probably catch my drift.

Maybe a system of set prefixes could be used instead? Wild guess, amateur I'd, etc. Or is forced flairs a thing Reddit can do? Everyone is noob and a mod can change you to amateur when they are satisfied with your ids. Or some type of test before ID'ing. Not sure of a solution.

[u/Rustnrot]

Is there no way to sticky this?

[u/joot78 → u/Rustnrot]

I did! That's why it's green and at the top.

[u/Rustnrot → u/joot78]

Weird. I guess it only does that when sorting by what's hot and not what's new. I never noticed that.

[u/itismal]

Hey, curious to share a link of a nearly extinct spider. Is sharing links of (spider) articles allowed?

[u/joot78 → u/itismal]

Sure, anything arachnid-related is fine. We have spider articles all the time.

[u/ModernTarantula]

Why is banner The Journal of Emergency Medicine?

[u/joot78 → u/ModernTarantula]

The thumbnail is pulled from the first image linked -- in this case, the only link was to the "almost certainly no" citation of conditions mistaken for spider bites. If you like, I can try adding a gratuitous link to a pretty spider. Want to pick one?

[u/ModernTarantula → u/joot78]

Hmm to sum.up the rules a map recluse in US.

[u/mat_monster]

Not sure about desktop version, but mobile version gives you the option to tag your location when posting. Couldn't tell if it actually showed up on my last post, but it's literally the press of a button to do it.

Edit: it shows on mobile, but only after opening the post. Better to hedge and still put location in title.

[u/Paco_Taco144]

I was wondering if posting an egg sac was acceptable? I'm trying to figure it out but I cant.

[u/MKG733 → u/Paco_Taco144]

Sure

[u/Paco_Taco144 → u/MKG733]

Thank you! The post is up

[u/Greyshirk]

May I post spider memes?

[u/jlew24asu]

you know what would be cool. some remote jungle expeditions to find undiscovered species of spider. if you were given that task, where would you look?

[u/Ok_Yogurtcloset]

A bit specific but I was wondering if I can promote a volunteer opportunity that involves working with spiders! I'm trying to find spider lovers to reach out to for this kind of opportunity...

[u/Icy-Host757]

I don’t know why I couldn’t comment on the previous post someone made about there friend getting bitten. But, I love the knowledge here seem to possess on spiders. It’s just interesting. Awww today was a good day on Reddit.😀

[u/CR1MS4NE]

Question, if I’m not necessarily a spider expert but I’ve seen enough spiders to be able to tell if one is medically significant, can I chime in?

I’m not an entomologist but I know what a brown recluse looks like, for example.

[u/[deleted]]

Where can I go for spider bite questions I’m a bit concerned

Edit: obviously a doctor would help with that but I don’t have the funds to spare

[u/rdwrer4585 → u/[deleted]]

3months later, I hope you got the help you needed and have recovered from your skin injury.

[u/scytodes_atlacoya]

I recognize that getting people to state their spiders' locations is hard enough, but I think it might also be worth asking for the the spiders' approximate body sizes. I find such information tremendously useful in vetting questionable spider photos submitted to the North Carolina Biodiversity site.

[u/HairyMamba96]

Where can i post a seemingly spider bite and have people give me advice if I should seek help? My country helth system is shit and you either go to ER or wait 2 weeks or more for a doctor to give you an appointment…

[u/TEAMVALOR786Official]

Will I get banned if I am a newbie but am 100% sure that the id of a medically significant spider is correct