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What Was That Giant Spider in the Kansas Statehouse?

A large spider found in the Kansas Statehouse, likely a Carolina wolf spider. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
A large spider found in the Kansas Statehouse, likely a Carolina wolf spider. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)

A creepy, crawling Statehouse visitor had people on social media joking about burning down the historic Kansas Capitol to be rid of the arachnid.

A large spider, measuring around three inches from end-to-end, parked itself in a hallway outside the media area in the basement of the Kansas Statehouse. A picture posted on Twitter elicited responses such as “ Oh hell no.”

“Time to burn the place down and build a new one,” William Joy said in a tweet.

“Found a reason to be thankful that my 2016 (Kansas) House bid was unsuccessful,” wrote former candidate for office Leesa Gable.

Hank Guarisco is a freelance biologist from Lawrence who has studied spiders for decades and wrote a pamphlet on many common Kansas spiders. After looking at the photo, Guarisco identified the Statehouse spider as likely a Carolina wolf spider.

While its size makes it eye-catching, it’s mostly harmless. Bites would typically only result in redness and swelling that fades quickly.

“If you grab them,” he said, “they’ll probably bite you. It won’t be a pleasant experience, but it’s nothing to really worry about unless you’re allergic to the venom.”

The Carolina wolf spider is found throughout Kansas and is adapted to many different habitats. It’s one of the largest wolf spiders in the state, Guarisco said.

It’s a hunting spider, meaning it ambushes prey or scavenges rather than catching insects in a web. That can frequently bring the wolf spiders into contact with humans.

“They’re often found in houses,” he said. “They wander in and they’re very noticeable because they’re so large.”

Guarisco said this spider can live several years. A female of the species can carry baby spiders around on her back after the young spiders hatch.

The Carolina wolf spider eats a wide range of food, from insects to other spiders.

“It’s very beneficial,” Guarisco said. “It eats a lot of pest species.”

The spider disappeared not long after it was spotted in the Statehouse. Some people joked that perhaps the arachnid had political ambitions.

“Kansas Spider for Senate,” author Sarah Smarsh said in a tweet.

Stephen Koranda is KPR's Statehouse reporter.