Sparassidae Spider

Description:

A plain sunlight orange spider...

Habitat:

Family: Sparassidae Size: 2.2 to 2.8 cm Distribution: All over India, Pantropical Habitat: In warm weather, it may be found in and about human habitations; in cold weather it will be found indoors, under furniture or cabinets, behind wall hangings, and in closets and garages. The huntsman spider, Heteropoda venatoria (L.), sometimes called the giant crab spider or the banana spider (due to its occasional appearance in marketed bananas), is a cosmotropical species introduced into most countries by man. It is presumed to have been introduced from Asia, where many of its closest relatives live. Heteropoda venatoria is a large brown spider with a flattened body structure. Both sexes have a yellow to cream clypeus and a wide marginal band encircling the rest of the carapace, chocolate in females and cream in males. Males have distinct black lateral patches on carapace. Females of H. venatoria make flattened, disc-like egg sacs about 1.5 cm in diameter which contain over 200 eggs. This and similar species are highly valued in tropical countries because they capture and feed on cockroaches and other domestic insect pests. The flattened body enables this large spider to fit into surprisingly small cracks and crevices. This ability, along with its adaptability to human habitations, helps explain its frequent occurrence in houses, barns, sheds, under boards on the ground, and in other sheltered areas. Being cold-sensitive, these spiders cannot exist outdoors in areas with freezing winter temperatures. It is not a dangerous spider, but a locally painful bite can be delivered to any human who carelessly handles a huntsman spider.

Notes:

Sparassidae