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Huntsman spiders, members of the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometimes are referred to as wood spiders, because of their preference for woody places (forests, mine shafts, woodpiles, wooden shacks). In southern Africa the genus '' Palystes'' are known as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders. Commonly, they are confused with baboon spiders from the Mygalomorphae
infraorder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...
, which are not closely related. More than a thousand Sparassidae species occur in most warm temperate to tropical regions of the world, including much of
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologic ...
,
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, the
Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...
, and the
Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
. Several species of huntsman spider can use an unusual form of locomotion. The wheel spider (''Carparachne aureoflava'') from the
Namib The Namib ( ; pt, Namibe) is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. The name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Nami ...
uses a
cartwheeling A cartwheel is a sideways rotary movement of the body. It is performed by bringing the hands to the floor one at a time while the body inverts. The legs travel over the body trunk while one or both hands are on the floor, and then the feet ret ...
motion which gives it its name, while '' Cebrennus rechenbergi'' uses a
handspring Handspring may refer to: *Handspring (company), a company that made personal digital assistants *Handspring (gymnastics), a gymnastics move involving forward or backward rotation of the body *Rising handspring or nip-up A nip-up is an acrobatic ...
motion.


Description

Sparassids are eight-eyed
spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species di ...
. The eyes appear in two largely forward-facing rows of four on the anterior aspect of the
prosoma The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...
. Many species grow very large – in
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
, male giant huntsman spiders (''Heteropoda maxima'') attain a legspan of . Persons unfamiliar with spider taxonomy commonly confuse large species with
tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
s, but huntsman spiders can generally be identified by their legs, which, rather than being jointed vertically relative to the body, are twisted in such a way that in some attitudes the legs extend forward in a
crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...
-like fashion. On their upper surfaces the main colours of huntsman spiders are inconspicuous shades of brown or grey, but many species have undersides more or less aposematically marked in black-and-white, with reddish patches over the mouthparts. Their legs bear fairly prominent spines, but the rest of their bodies are smoothly furry. They tend to live under rocks, bark and similar shelters, but human encounters are common in sheds, garages and other infrequently-disturbed places. The banded huntsman (''Holconia'') is large, grey to brown with striped bands on its legs. The badge huntsman ('' Neosparassus'') is larger still, brown and hairy. The tropical or brown huntsman (''
Heteropoda ''Heteropoda'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, while at least one species, ''H. venatoria'', has a cosmopolitan distribution,Airamé, S. and P. ...
'') is also large and hairy, with mottled brown, white and black markings. The eyesight of these spiders is not nearly as good as that of the ''Salticidae'' (
jumping spider Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spi ...
s). Nevertheless, their vision is quite sufficient to detect approaching humans or other large animals from some distance. File:Sparassidae Palystes superciliosus Male Ventral Aspect 0110s.jpg, ''
Palystes superciliosus The common rain spider (''Palystes superciliosus''), formerly ''P. natalius'', is a species of huntsman spider native to Southern Africa. It is the most common and widespread species in the genus '' Palystes''. In South Africa its distribution r ...
'', ventral aspect, showing
aposematic Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste o ...
coloration, plus typically masculine
gracile Gracility is slenderness, the condition of being gracile, which means slender. It derives from the Latin adjective ''gracilis'' ( masculine or feminine), or ''gracile'' ( neuter), which in either form means slender, and when transferred for exa ...
build and clavate
pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") an ...
s armed with mating spurs File:Huntsman spider with meal.jpg, A huntsman spider consuming a small
beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
File:Huntsman Spider feeding Grasshopper.jpg, A female ''
Heteropoda venatoria ''Heteropoda venatoria'' is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the tropical regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an introduced species. Its common names include gi ...
'' consuming a
katydid Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America), or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, ...
File:Huntsman spider on log.jpg, Adult social huntsman '' Delena cancerides'' on the underside of a log in Victoria, Australia File:Olios argelasius MHNT.jpg, ''
Olios argelasius ''Olios argelasius'' is a species of huntsman spider found in the Mediterranean Basin. It was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer (25 December 1771 – 28 April 1852) was a French civil servant ...
''


Identification

They can be distinguished from other
spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
families by their appearance, as other spiders similar to them are smaller in size. They are often confused for
tarantulas Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
due to their hairy nature, but can easily be distinguished by their laterigrade legs, similar to those of
crabs Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
. Members of this family are also typically less bulky than tarantulas. They possess two
claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...
, as is the case for most spiders that actively hunt their prey. If this is not enough to fully identify them, they also possess eight eyes divided into two regular rows.


Size, venom, and aggression

On average, a huntsman spider's leg-span can reach up to , while their bodies measure about long. Like most spiders, Sparassidae use venom to immobilize prey. They have been known to inflict serious defensive bites on humans. There have been reports of members of various genera such as '' Palystes'', '' Neosparassus'' and several others, inflicting severe bites. The effects vary, including local swelling and pain, nausea, headache, vomiting, irregular pulse rate, and heart palpitations, indicating some systemic neurological toxin effects, especially when the bites were severe or repeated. However, the formal study of spider bites is fraught with complications, including unpredictable infections,
dry bite A dry bite is a bite by a venomous animal in which no venom is released. Dry snake bites are called "venomous snake bite without envenoming". A dry bite from a snake can still be painful, and be accompanied by bleeding, inflammation, swelling and/o ...
s, shock,
nocebo A nocebo effect is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have. For example, when a patient anticipates a side effect of a medicatio ...
effects, and even bite misdiagnosis by medical professionals and specimen misidentification by the general public. It is not always clear what provokes Sparassidae to attack and bite humans and animals, but it is known that female members of this family will aggressively defend their egg-sacs and young against perceived threats. Bites from sparassids usually do not require hospital treatment.


Sound-production in mating-rituals

Males of ''
Heteropoda venatoria ''Heteropoda venatoria'' is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the tropical regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an introduced species. Its common names include gi ...
'', one of the huntsman spiders that seems to easily find its way around the world, have recently been found to deliberately make a substrate-borne sound when they detect a chemical (
pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
) left by a nearby female of their species. The males anchor themselves firmly to the surface onto which they have crawled and then use their legs to transmit vibrations from their bodies to the surface. Most of the sound emitted is produced by strong vibrations of the abdomen. The characteristic frequency of vibration and the pattern of bursts of sound identify them to females of their species, who will approach if they are interested in mating. This sound can often be heard as a rhythmic ticking, somewhat like a quartz clock, which fades in and out and can be heard by human ears in a relatively quiet environment.


Genera

, the
World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...
accepted the following genera: *'' Adcatomus'' Karsch, 1880 — Venezuela, Peru *''
Anaptomecus ''Anaptomecus'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1903. Species it contains six species, found in Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia: *'' Anaptomecus levyi'' Jäger, Rheims & Labarque, 2 ...
'' Simon, 1903 — Central America, South America *''
Anchonastus ''Anchonastus'' is a genus of African huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1898. Species it contains four species, found in Africa: *'' Anchonastus caudatus'' Simon, 1898 ( type) – Cameroon *''Anchonastus ger ...
'' Simon, 1898 — Cameroon, Congo *''
Arandisa ''Arandisa'' is a monotypic genus of Namibian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Arandisa deserticola''. It was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1938, and is found in Namibia. See also * List of Sparassidae species This page ...
'' Lawrence, 1938 — Namibia *''
Barylestis ''Barylestis'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1910. Species it contains ten species, all found in Africa, except ''B. saaristoi'', from Thailand and Myanmar: *'' Barylestis blaisei'' (Simon, 1 ...
'' Simon, 1910 — Africa, Asia, Europe *''
Beregama ''Beregama'' is a genus of South Pacific huntsman spiders that was first described by D. B. Hirst in 1990. Species it contains four species, found in Papua New Guinea and Australia: *''Beregama aurea ''Beregama aurea'', sometimes called ...
'' Hirst, 1990 — Australia, Papua New Guinea *''
Berlandia ''Berlandia'' is a genus of East African huntsman spiders that was first described by R. de Lessert in 1921. it contains two species, found in Africa: '' B. longipes'' and '' B. tenebricola''. See also * List of Sparassidae species This page ...
'' Lessert, 1921 — East Africa *''
Bhutaniella ''Bhutaniella'' is a genus of Asian huntsman spiders that was first described by Peter Jäger in 2000. Species it contains ten species, found in Asia: *'' Bhutaniella dunlopi'' Jäger, 2001 – Bhutan *'' Bhutaniella gruberi'' Jäger, 2001 – ...
'' Jäger, 2000 — Asia *''Borniella'' Grall & Jäger, 2022 — Borneo *''
Caayguara ''Caayguara'' is a genus of Brazilian huntsman spiders that was first described by C. A. Rheims in 2010. Species it contains twelve species, found in Brazil: *'' Caayguara ajuba'' Rheims, 2010 – Brazil *'' Caayguara album'' (Mello-Leitão, ...
'' Rheims, 2010 — Brazil *''
Carparachne ''Carparachne'' is a genus of Namibian huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1962. it contains two species, found in Namibia: '' C. alba'' and '' C. aureoflava''. The golden wheel spider (''C. aureoflava'') uses cartwhee ...
'' Lawrence, 1962 — Namibia *''
Cebrennus ''Cebrennus'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1880. It is considered a senior synonym of ''Cerbalopsis''. The Moroccan flic-flac spider (''C. rechenbergi''), that uses a flic-flac motion to esc ...
'' Simon, 1880 — Africa, Asia, Malta *''
Cerbalus ''Cerbalus'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. It is considered a senior synonym of ''Marmarica''. Species it contains eight species, found in Africa, Israel, Jordan, and on the Canary Isl ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Israel, Jordan, Egypt *''
Chrosioderma ''Chrosioderma'' is a genus of Malagasy huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. Species it contains nine species, found on Madagascar: *'' Chrosioderma albidum'' Simon, 1897 ( type) – Madagascar *'' Chrosio ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Madagascar *''
Clastes ''Clastes'' is a monotypic genus of huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Clastes freycineti''. It was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837, and is found in Papua New Guinea and on the Moluccas. See also * List of S ...
'' Walckenaer, 1837 — Indonesia, Papua New Guinea *'' Curicaberis'' Rheims, 2015 — North America, Central America, Brazil *'' Damastes'' Simon, 1880 — Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles *''
Decaphora ''Decaphora'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by P. Franganillo B. in 1931. Species it contains five species, found in Central America, Cuba, the Bahamas, Mexico, the United States, and Colombia: *'' Decaphora cubana'' ...
'' Franganillo, 1931 — North America, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia *''Deelemanikara'' Jäger, 2021 — Madagascar *''
Defectrix ''Defectrix'' is a monotypic genus of Panamanian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Defectrix defectrix''. It was first described by Alexander Ivanovitch Petrunkevitch in 1925, and is found in Panama. See also * List of Sparassid ...
'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 — Panama *'' Delena'' Walckenaer, 1837 — Australia, New Zealand *''
Dermochrosia ''Dermochrosia'' is a monotypic genus of Brazilian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Dermochrosia maculatissima''. It was first described by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão in 1940, and is found in Brazil. See also * List of S ...
'' Mello-Leitão, 1940 — Brazil *''
Diminutella ''Diminutella'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae. It was first described in 2018 by Rheims and Alayón. It is a monotypic genus with one described species, ''Diminutella cortina''. It is endemic to Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Etymology ...
'' Rheims & Alayón, 2018 — Cuba *''
Eusparassus ''Eusparassus'' is a genus of huntsman spiders, known as the stone huntsman spiders, it was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1903. Description They are medium to large huntsman spiders, their bodies measuring from 10mm to 30mm. Their ...
'' Simon, 1903 — Asia, Africa, Europe, Peru *''
Exopalystes ''Exopalystes'' is a monotypic genus of Papuan huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Exopalystes pulchellus''. It was first described by Henry Roughton Hogg in 1914, and is found in Papua New Guinea. See also * List of Sparassidae sp ...
'' Hogg, 1914 — Papua New Guinea *''Extraordinarius'' Rheims, 2019 — Brazil *''
Geminia ''Geminia'' is a monotypic genus of Burmese huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Geminia sulphurea''. It was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1897, and is found in Myanmar. See also * List of Sparassidae species This page li ...
'' Thorell, 1897 — Myanmar *''
Gnathopalystes ''Gnathopalystes'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by William Joseph Rainbow in 1899. Species it contains ten species, found in Oceania and Asia: *'' Gnathopalystes aureolus'' (He & Hu, 2000) – China (Hainan) *'' Gna ...
'' Rainbow, 1899 — Asia, Oceania *''
Guadana ''Guadana'' is a genus of South American huntsman spiders that was first described by C. A. Rheims in 2010. Species it contains twelve species, found in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and French Guiana: *'' Guadana alpahuayo'' Rheims, 2021 – Peru *'' ...
'' Rheims, 2010 — Brazil, Peru, Ecuador *''
Heteropoda ''Heteropoda'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, while at least one species, ''H. venatoria'', has a cosmopolitan distribution,Airamé, S. and P. ...
'' Latreille, 1804 — Oceania, Asia, South America, Greece *''
Holconia ''Holconia'' is a genus of Southern Pacific huntsman spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Dahls Thorell in 1877. It was branched from ''Isopeda'' in 1990. List of species , it contains nine species that are found widespread in We ...
'' Thorell, 1877 — Australia *''
Irileka ''Irileka'' is a monotypic genus of Western Australian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Irileka iridescens''. It was first described by D. B. Hirst in 1998, and is found in Western Australia. See also * List of Sparassidae speci ...
'' Hirst, 1998 — Australia *'' Isopeda'' L. Koch, 1875 — Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea *''
Isopedella ''Isopedella'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by D. B. Hirst in 1990. Species it contains eighteen species, all from Australia except for ''Isopedella terangana'', found on the Aru Islands of eastern Indone ...
'' Hirst, 1990 — Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia *''
Keilira ''Keilira'' is a genus of Australian huntsman spiders that was first described by D. B. Hirst in 1989. it contains two species, found in South Australia and Victoria: '' K. sokoli'' and '' K. sparsomaculata''. See also * List of Sparassidae sp ...
'' Hirst, 1989 — Australia *''
Leucorchestris ''Leucorchestris'' is a genus of African huntsman spiders that was first described in 1962 by R. F. Lawrence, who described all of the species in the genus between 1962 and 1966. ''Leucorchestris'' species, also known as a "dancing white lady sp ...
'' Lawrence, 1962 — Angola, Namibia *'' Macrinus'' Simon, 1887 — South America, Tobago, United States *''
Martensopoda ''Martensopoda'' is a genus of Indian huntsman spiders that was first described by Peter Jäger in 2006. it contains three species, found in India: '' M. minuscula'', '' M. sanctor'', and '' M. transversa''. See also * List of Sparassidae spec ...
'' Jäger, 2006 — India *'' May'' Jäger & Krehenwinkel, 2015 — Namibia, South Africa *''
Megaloremmius ''Megaloremmius'' (sometimes called the “lion spider”) is a monotypic taxon, monotypic genus of Malagasy Sparassidae, huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Megaloremmius leo''. It was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis ...
'' Simon, 1903 — Madagascar *''Menarik'' Grall & Jäger, 2022 — Borneo *''Meri'' Rheims & Jäger, 2022 — South America *''
Micrommata ''Micrommata'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. Species it contains six species and one subspecies, all with a palaearctic distribution except ''M. darlingi'', endemic to South Africa: ...
'' Latreille, 1804 — Spain, Africa, Asia *''Micropoda'' Grall & Jäger, 2022 — Papua New Guinea *''
Microrchestris ''Microrchestris'' is a genus of Namibian huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1962. it contains two species, found in Namibia: '' M. melanogaster'' and '' M. scutatus''. See also * List of Sparassidae species This p ...
'' Lawrence, 1962 — Namibia *'' Neosparassus'' Hogg, 1903 — Australia *''
Neostasina ''Neostasina'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab ...
'' Rheims & Alayón, 2016 — Caribbean *''
Nolavia ''Nolavia'' is a genus of huntsman spiders containing 8 species. It was first described by C. F. Kammerer in 2006. Species it contains 8 species. *'' Nolavia antiguensis'' (Keyserling, 1880) – Caribbean **'' Nolavia antiguensis columbiensis' ...
'' Kammerer, 2006 — Brazil *''
Nungara ''Nungara'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae. It was first described in 2016 by Pinto & Rheims. , it contains four species from Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially th ...
'' Pinto & Rheims, 2016 — Brazil, Ecuador *''
Olios ''Olios'' is the largest genus of huntsman spiders, containing 166 species. They are found throughout the world, with most species occurring in hot countries. The genus was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837. Description Th ...
'' Walckenaer, 1837 — Asia, South America, Oceania, Africa, Central America, North America, Caribbean *''
Orchestrella ''Orchestrella'' is a genus of Namibian huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1965. it contains two species, found in Namibia: '' O. caroli'' and '' O. longipes''. See also * List of Sparassidae species This page lis ...
'' Lawrence, 1965 — Namibia *''
Origes ''Origes'' is a genus of South American Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. it contains three species, found in Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina: ''Origes chloroticus, O. chloroticus'' ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Argentina, Peru, Ecuador *'' Paenula'' Simon, 1897 — Ecuador *''
Palystella ''Palystella'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1928. Species it contains four species, all endemic to Namibia: *'' Palystella browni'' Lawrence, 1962 *'' Palystella namaquensis'' Lawrence, 1938 – N ...
'' Lawrence, 1928 — Namibia *'' Palystes'' L. Koch, 1875 — Africa, India, Australia *''
Panaretella ''Panaretella'' is a genus of South African huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1937. Species it contains five species, found in South Africa: *'' Panaretella distincta'' (Pocock, 1896) ( type) – South Africa *'' Pa ...
'' Lawrence, 1937 — South Africa *''
Pandercetes ''Pandercetes'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in his 1875 treatise on Australian spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropics, tropical Asia and Australia, and are known for t ...
'' L. Koch, 1875 — Asia, Oceania *''
Parapalystes ''Parapalystes'' is a genus of South African huntsman spiders that was first described by P. M. C. Croeser in 1996. Species it contains five species, found in South Africa: *'' Parapalystes cultrifer'' ( Pocock, 1900) – South Africa *'' Para ...
'' Croeser, 1996 — South Africa *''
Pediana ''Pediana'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis Simon in 1880. Species it contains nine species, found in Australia and on Java: *''Pediana horni'' (Henry Roughton Hogg, Hogg, 1896 ...
'' Simon, 1880 — Indonesia, Australia *''Platnickopoda'' Jäger, 2020 — East Africa *''
Pleorotus ''Pleorotus'' was a monotypic genus of Seychelloise huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Pleorotus braueri''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1898, and was endemic to the Seychelles. The description was based on a ...
'' Simon, 1898 — Seychelles *''
Polybetes ''Polybetes'' is a genus of South American huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. It is a senior synonym of ''Leptosparassus'' and ''Streptaedoea''. They are commonly found in tall grass and on the bark or br ...
'' Simon, 1897 — South America *'' Prusias'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892 — Brazil, Mexico, Panama *''
Prychia ''Prychia'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1875. Species it contains five species, found on Fiji, in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and on the Polynesian Islands: *'' Prychia gracili ...
'' L. Koch, 1875 — Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Philippines *''
Pseudomicrommata ''Pseudomicrommata'' (commonly known as grass huntsman spiders) is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by T. H. Järvi in 1914. Species it contains four species, found in Africa: *'' Pseudomicrommata longipes'' (Bösenberg & L ...
'' Järvi, 1914 — Africa *''
Pseudopoda ''Pseudopoda'' is a genus of Asian Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Peter Jäger in 2000. Species it contains 247 species, found in Asia: *''Pseudopoda abnormis'' Jäger, 2001 – India *''Pseudopoda acris'' Zhang, Jäg ...
'' Jäger, 2000 — Asia *''
Quemedice ''Quemedice'' is a genus of South American huntsman spiders that was first described by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão in 1942. it contains two species, found in Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil: '' Q. enigmaticus'' and '' Q. piracuruca''. ...
'' Mello-Leitão, 1942 — Brazil, Argentina *''
Remmius ''Remmius'' is a genus of African huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. Species it contains five species, found in Africa: *'' Remmius badius'' Roewer, 1961 – Senegal *'' Remmius praecalvus'' Simon, 19 ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Africa *''
Rhacocnemis ''Rhacocnemis'' is a monotypic genus of Seychelloise huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Rhacocnemis guttatus''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897, and is endemic to the Seychelles. See also * List of Sparassid ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Seychelles *''
Rhitymna ''Rhitymna'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders described in 1897 by Eugène Simon. Members of this genus can be distinguished by a number of characteristics, but it is most often confused with Olios species, many of which also have t ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Asia, Africa *''Sadala'' Simon, 1880 — South America *''
Sagellula ''Sagellula'' is a genus of east Asian huntsman spiders that was first described by Embrik Strand in 1942. It was originally described under the name "''Sagella''", but this was changed to ''Sagellula'' when a senior homonym was discovered. it ...
'' Strand, 1942 — Japan, China *''
Sarotesius ''Sarotesius'' is a monotypic genus of East African huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Sarotesius melanognathus''. It was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1898, and is found in Africa. See also * List of Sparassidae spe ...
'' Pocock, 1898 — East Africa *''
Sinopoda ''Sinopoda'' is a genus of Asian Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Peter Jäger in 1999. Species it contains 138 species, found in Asia: *''Sinopoda abstrusa, S. abstrusa'' Zhong, Jäger, Chen & Liu, 2019 – China *''Si ...
'' Jäger, 1999 — Asia *''
Sivalicus ''Sivalicus'' is a monotypic genus of Indian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Sivalicus viridis''. It was first described by S. Dyal in 1957, and is found in India. See also * List of Sparassidae species This page lists all de ...
'' Dyal, 1957 — India *''
Sparianthina ''Sparianthina'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Nathan Banks in 1929. Species it contains eleven species, found in Central America, Guyana, Colombia, Venezuela, and on Trinidad and Tobago: *''Sparianthina ...
'' Banks, 1929 — South America, Tobago, Central America *''
Sparianthis ''Sparianthis'' is a genus of Colombian huntsman spiders, first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1880. Species it contains the following thirteen species: * '' Sparianthis accentuata'' (Caporiacco, 1955) — Venezuela * '' Sparianthis be ...
'' Simon, 1880 — Colombia *'' Spariolenus'' Simon, 1880 — Asia *''
Staianus ''Staianus'' is a monotypic genus of Malagasy huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Staianus acuminatus''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1889, and is found on Madagascar. See also * List of Sparassidae species T ...
'' Simon, 1889 — Madagascar *''
Stasina ''Stasina'' is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1877. Many former species have been transferred to ''Thelcticopis'' and '' Neostasina''. Species it contains nine species, found in Asia, Venezuela, ...
'' Simon, 1877 — South America, Gabon, Asia, Cuba *''
Stasinoides ''Stasinoides'' is a monotypic genus of Ethiopian huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Stasinoides aethiopica''. It was first described by Lucien Berland in 1922, and is found in Ethiopia. It has only been recorded twice, and is pro ...
'' Berland, 1922 — Ethiopia *''
Stipax ''Stipax'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, with a single species, ''Stipax triangulifer'', first described in 1898. The description was based on a male collected in 1894. No specimens have been found since and the species has be ...
'' Simon, 1898 — Seychelles *''
Strandiellum ''Strandiellum'' is a monotypic genus of Papuan huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Strandiellum wilhelmshafeni''. It was first described by G. Kolosváry in 1934, and is found in Papua New Guinea. See also * List of Sparassidae sp ...
'' Kolosváry, 1934 — Papua New Guinea *''
Thelcticopis ''Thelcticopis'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that occurs almost exclusively in the area India to Japan to New Guinea and Fiji. However, one species (''Thelcticopis pestai, T. pestai'') occurs in Costa Rica, and another (''Thelctic ...
'' Karsch, 1884 — Asia, Oceania, Africa *''
Thomasettia ''Thomasettia'' a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, with a single species, ''Thomasettia seychellana'', first described in 1911. It has not been found since, and has been declared extinct. It was endemic to Mahe Island and Silhouette Is ...
'' Hirst, 1911 — Seychelles *''
Thunberga ''Thunberga'' is a genus of east African huntsman spiders. The genus was first described by Peter Jäger in 2020, and it has only been found on Madagascar and on Mayotte. It is named after the environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Species it c ...
'' Jäger, 2020 — Madagascar *''
Tibellomma ''Tibellomma'' is a monotypic genus of Venezuelan huntsman spiders containing the single species, ''Tibellomma chazaliae''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1903, and is found in Venezuela. The single species, ''T. chazaliae'' ...
'' Simon, 1903 — Venezuela *''Tiomaniella'' Grall & Jäger, 2022 — Malaysia *''
Tychicus Tychicus Τυχικός/was an Asiatic Christian who, with Trophimus, accompanied the Apostle Paul on a part of his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem. He is also alluded to have been with Paul in Rome, where the apostle sent him to Ephesus, pr ...
'' Simon, 1880 — Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia *''
Typostola ''Typostola'' is a genus of South Pacific huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1897. Species it contains four species, found in Papua New Guinea and Australia: *'' Typostola barbata'' (L. Koch, 1875) ( type) – ...
'' Simon, 1897 — Australia, Papua New Guinea *''
Uaiuara ''Uaiuara'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by C. Rheims in 2013. Species it contains seven species, found in South America and Panama: *''Uaiuara amazonica'' (Simon, 1880) (Type_species, type) – Northern S ...
'' Rheims, 2013 — Panama, South America *''
Vindullus ''Vindullus'' is a genus of Sparassidae, huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis Simon in 1880. Though often considered a synonym of ''Olios'', it has been validated as its own genus. Species it contains eight s ...
'' Simon, 1880 — South America, Guatemala *''
Yiinthi ''Yiinthi'' is a genus of South Pacific huntsman spiders that was first described by V. T. Davies in 1994. '' Y. lycodes'' was transferred from '' Heteropoda''. Species it contains eight species, found in Papua New Guinea and Australia: *'' Y ...
'' Davies, 1994 — Australia, Papua New Guinea *''
Zachria ''Zachria'' is a genus of Australian huntsman spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1875. it contains two species, found in New South Wales and Western Australia: '' Z. flavicoma'' and '' Z. oblonga''. It is not a sen ...
'' L. Koch, 1875 — Australia


Distribution and habitat

Members of the Sparassidae are native to tropical and warm temperate regions worldwide. A few species are native to colder climates, like the green huntsman spider ('' Micrommata virescens'') which is native to
Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...
and
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
. Some tropical species like ''
Heteropoda venatoria ''Heteropoda venatoria'' is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the tropical regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an introduced species. Its common names include gi ...
'' (Cane huntsman) and '' Delena cancerides'' (Social huntsman) have been accidentally introduced to many subtropical parts of the world, including
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
(which has no native sparassid species). The huntsman spiders found in southern parts of Florida are of the ''Heteropoda venatoria'' species and considered an invasive species transplanted from Asia. Because of their speed, they commonly hunt and eat cockroaches and are found in many homes. As adults, huntsman spiders do not build webs, but hunt and forage for food: their diet consists primarily of insects and other
invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chorda ...
s, and occasionally small skinks and geckos. They live in the crevices of tree bark, but will frequently wander into homes and vehicles. They are able to travel extremely quickly, often using a springing jump while running, and walk on walls and even on ceilings. They also tend to exhibit a "cling" reflex if picked up, making them difficult to shake off and much more likely to bite. The females are fierce defenders of their egg sacs and young. They will generally make a threat display if provoked, and if the warning is ignored they may attack and bite. The egg sacs differ fairly widely among the various genera. For example, in ''
Heteropoda ''Heteropoda'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, while at least one species, ''H. venatoria'', has a cosmopolitan distribution,Airamé, S. and P. ...
'' spp. egg sacs are carried underneath the female's body, while in other species like '' Palystes'' and ''
Pseudomicrommata ''Pseudomicrommata'' (commonly known as grass huntsman spiders) is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by T. H. Järvi in 1914. Species it contains four species, found in Africa: *'' Pseudomicrommata longipes'' (Bösenberg & L ...
'' spp., females generally attach egg sacs to vegetation. File:Huntsman Spider egg sac hatching 23 Jan 11.JPG, Australian sparassid egg sac hatching File:Palystes castaneus (Sparassidae egg purse IMG 2662.jpg, '' Palystes castaneus'' egg purse


See also

* Cultural depictions of spiders (section: Modern myths and urban legends) * List of Sparassidae species *
Spider wasp Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...
* Table of spider families


References


Inline citations


General references

*


External links


Images and information on Australian Huntsman Spiders
Minibeast Wildlife
Information page on Huntsman Spiders
from the Australian Museum
Badge Huntsman Spider
at Victorian Museum

University of Southern Queensland – pictures & descriptions

a
American Arachnological Society


at
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governmen ...

Video of Olios sp. from Costa Rica
{{Taxonbar, from=Q11721 * Taxa named by Philipp Bertkau