Question

Cocoon Spiders   Can you identify these spiders found in an apartment near Ft. Collins, CO.

The largest cocoon is about the size of a mans thumb. Each of the cocoons contains a single spider and has a thin web window on the top.

Answer
Bob,

I can't see the spiders clearly enough to id (in fact spiders are very difficult to id from pictures alone) but these are not cocoons but rather webs. They appear to be a type of funnel web but there are many different funnel-web spiders. Could be one of the Tegenaria species such as the giant house spider but there are other species that make this sort of web too.

There is an excellent entomology department at CSU in Ft. Collins. You might want to contact Dr. Whitney Cranshaw at 970-491-6781 (I'm sure he will be happy that I've posted his office phone number :).

Sorry I can't be more specific.

Jack DeAngelis