Huntsman spider
Huntsman spider is a name given to the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae). They are also known as the giant crab spiders, due to the way they look. Larger ones, are also sometimes referred to as wood spiders, because they live in woody places (forest, mine shafts, woodpiles).
| Huntsman spider | |
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| Huntsman spider | |
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| Superfamily: | Sparassoidea
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| Family: | Sparassidae
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| Diversity | |
| 82 genera, 1009 species | |
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They are found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, Florida, and Hawaii, and possibly in many other tropical and semi-tropical regions. They can be found as far north as England, Sweden and Wales.
Huntsman spiders do not build webs, but hunt for food.[1] They eat insects and other invertebrates.
The average huntsman spider is about 1 inch long with a leg span of up to 5 inches. The giant huntsman spider, however, has a leg span of up to 12 inches, making it the largest spider by diameter; it is often described as being "the size of a dinner plate."[2]
Huntsman Spider Media
Isopeda villosa (lower) extricating itself from its old exoskeleton (upper).
A huntsman spider consuming a small beetle
A female Heteropoda venatoria consuming a katydid
Adult social huntsman Delena cancerides on the underside of a log in Victoria, Australia
Male specimen
Australian sparassid egg sac hatching
Palystes castaneus egg purse
References
- ↑ Olsen, Alan (1995). Fundamentals of Microanalytical Entomology: A Practical Guide to Detecting and Identifying Filth in Foods. CRC Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8493-8925-2.
- ↑ Szalay, Jessie (November 11, 2014). "Giant Huntsman Spider: World's Largest Spider". Live Science. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
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Wikispecies has information on: Sparassidae. |