Brown huntsman spider
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| Heteropoda venatoria Latreille, 1802 |
The Brown huntsman spider, Heteropoda venatoria, is found world-wide in tropical areas. It is also an able traveller, having shown up in places from Florida to Japan (except north Honshū and Hokkaidō). They are fairly large, some having a leg span of approximately five inches. Although they are rather fearsome in appearance, they are very easily alarmed by the approach of humans and will very rapidly flee.
These spiders are known to hunt by waiting quietly on a vertical surface (or even a ceiling) and then rushing forward when their prey gets within close range. However, they do make a simple kind of tangle web under suitable circumstances. It is almost impossible to see, but the silk fibers are both strong and also sticky. This web seems to serve to slow the prey down enough to make capture more likely.
The female carries her egg case with her, and will protect it from predators.
[edit] External links
- Pictures of H. venatoria (free for noncommercial use)
