Please let me make this clear. I am not an entomologist. I am not an expert. I am not licensed and do not have a degree. I am simply someone who started a blog called Michigan Spiders and in the four years of looking up spiders and posting about them and helping others identify them, I have become somewhat knowledgeable on the subject. The only 100% guarantee of getting a correct ID is to have a real expert dissect the spider. .... With that said.... I can usually identify a spider by its eyes and markings as well as shape, colors and size or web. If I cannot ID it, or am not sure of what it is, I will say so. If I learn later what it is, I will try to let you know. In four years of Michigan Spiders, I have had very few mistakes pointed out and have gone back to rectify those mistakes and I have had hundreds if not into the thousands of happy customers. I am not an expert, but I can usually help if the picture shows me what I need to see.
If you would like to have your spider ID'ed, these are the rules I prefer you to follow.
1) Send the picture as an attached .Jpeg or .Bmp. Please do NOT paste the picture into the body of the email unless there is no other choice. If it is in the body, I cannot open it and zoom in to see what I need to see. As an attached file, I can save it to my PC, and most times can zoom in some more before it becomes pixilated.
2) Send me original images. Please do not crop them and save them before sending them. Often the original size is a larger file that will allow me3 to zoom in more. IF you crop it and save it, you will often lose the quality for zooming in without pixilating.
3) Try to get a good view of the top of the spider that shows the markings and colors on the abdomen, cephalothorax, and legs. IF possible, it is often extremely helpful if you can get a picture of the front of the spider where the eyes are visible. Other than dissecting or looking at genitalia under a microscope, the eyes are the surest way to ID a spider. Yet, any picture is usually more helpful then no picture. If it is of bad quality, and I cannot ID it, I will only tell you I cant see it good enough. No harm is done. High quality is much better, but not always necessary.
4) When you email me, think of me as a friend. Do not just send the picture with no text and expect me to know what you need. I get people sending me pictures just because they think I might like to see them or want them for my blog, book or records. If they are good quality, I am always glad to get them. I also get emails with pictures of spiders they wish to have identified. If you are just sending me a picture because you think I might want it, let me know that. If you want the spider ID, let me know that.
5) Keep in mind that if you send me a picture, I reserve the right to use the picture how I see fit, be it in another blog, website, book, or app. If you do NOT wish me to use it, please state that and make it clear you do not give me the right to use it. If you ever see me using a picture you sent to me and do not want me to use it, let me know and I will take it down.
6) Please leave your full name, state/country, and town you found the spider. Just to warn you though, if you do not wish me to use any certain info in conjunction with how I use the picture, please make it clear and be specific with what info you want me to use or do not wish me to use. However, even if you do not wish me to use any of it, please still include it so I can keep my own records of where the spider has been found.
7) ... will leave this open in case I think of something else later. lol
I will get an email set up soon for this blog. For now please send requests to MichiganSpiders@hotmail.com.