Latin name: Dolomedes tenebrosus
Nancy found this huge spider on a stone in a creek where we were exploring. The creek flowed through a protected river gorge, providing a great environment for rather large insects to thrive. This is a female Dark Fishing Spider, one of three species of Fishing Spider I've come across in Ontario. It lives in North America east of the Rockies.
Although this individual was large (about 5cm), Nancy soon found an even larger one (about 7cm). I had not expected such large spiders to be found in Ontario outside of a zoo.
Note the missing leg on this spider's left side.
