''Heteropoda venatoria'' is a species of

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 d ...

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 spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived the ...

. Its common names include giant crab spider, or cane spider.Edwards, G. B
Huntsman Spider, ''Heteropoda venatoria'' (Linnaeus) (Arachnida: Araneae: Sparassidae).
EENY-160. Entomology and Nematology. Florida Cooperative Extension Service. University of Florida IFAS. Published 2000, revised 2009.

Description

The adult has a flat, brown body 2 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1 inch) long, 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) wide, including the legs. The female may be slightly larger than the male, particularly in the abdomen, but the male has longer legs and larger tips on its

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") a ...

s. The clypeus, the area just in front of the eyes, is cream or yellowish, and the

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the und ...

behind the eyes has a wide band which is usually tan in the female and cream in the male. The body is not very hairy, but the legs have erectile

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. T ...

e, each of which is marked with a black dot.

Biology

The female produces an egg sac up to about 2.5 centimeters wide and carries it with its pedipalps under its body.Ross, J., et al. (1982)
The life cycle of ''Heteropoda venatoria'' (Linnaeus) (Araneae: Heteropodidae).
''Psyche'' 89, 297-306. Egg sacs are variable in size, usually containing over 100 eggs, with larger ones holding over 400. The spiderlings undergo their first

molt In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body (often, but not always, an outer ...

while still in the sac. In one small laboratory sample, the life span of the male averaged 465 days, and that of the female was 580 days. As part of its

courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private ...

behavior, the male produces a sound by vibrating its abdomen while keeping its feet firmly planted. This is faintly audible to humans as a "buzz" or "hum". The spider is not considered dangerous, but it does deliver enough venom to give a painful bite.

Prey

The spider feeds on insects, which includes various species of butterflies and moths such as ''

Deilephila elpenor Deilephila elpenor, the elephant hawk moth or large elephant hawk moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. Its common name is derived from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk. It is most common in central Europe and is distribut ...

''. The spider captures them directly instead of spinning webs. After capturing its prey, the spider injects them with

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a ...

. The venom of this spider contains the toxin HpTX2, a

potassium channel blocker Potassium channel blockers are agents which interfere with conduction through potassium channels. Medical uses Arrhythmia Potassium channel blockers used in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia are classified as class III antiarrhythmic age ...

. In some tropical areas the spider is considered a useful resident of households because of its efficient consumption of pest insects. It commonly lives in houses and other structures such as

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen ...

s and sheds, especially in areas that experience cold temperatures. It is sensitive to cold and can live outdoors only in warmer climates. In

Bermuda ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , ...

, where they are mostly found indoors, they are generally called ''house spiders'' (which may cause its identity to be confused with the

Southern house spider The southern house spider is a species of large spider in the family Filistatidae. Currently given the scientific name ''Kukulcania hibernalis'', it was formerly known as ''Filistata hibernalis''. Found in the Americas, it exhibits strong sexual ...

), or sometimes ''wolf spiders''. Besides insects it has been known to prey on

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always endi ...

s and bats.

Gallery

Heteropoda venatoria 1.jpg, Male File:Brown Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) (6747996233).jpg, Female File:Brown Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) (6747997255).jpg, Mating Heteropoda fg02.jpg, Female with egg sac File:A female spider, possibly a Heteropoda venatoria, with egg sac.jpg, Female with egg sac, in India.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1147592 Sparassidae Spiders of Hawaii Spiders described in 1802 Pantropical spiders Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus