New Mexico Fishing Spider
Dolomedes gertschi
This record describes Dolomedes gertschi (species). Recorded family: Dolomedidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Dolomedes gertschi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolomedes gertschi.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae (Spiders)
- Family
- Dolomedidae (Fishing Spiders)
- Genus
- Dolomedes (Fishing Spiders)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
D. gertschi is restricted to the mesic parts of the Gila River drainage in Arizona and New Mexico.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Dolomedes gertschi Carico, 1973 Patronym for Willis J. Gertsch.
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Dolomedes gertschi. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of New Mexico Fishing Spider (2)
Photo credits: (c) Aidan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Aidan | Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , kschnei , Nathaniel Green , chuuuuung