Brown huntsman spider facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brown huntsman spider
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Family:	Sparassidae
Genus:	Heteropoda
Species:	H. venatoria
Binomial name
Heteropoda venatoria Latreille, 1802
Synonyms
Aranea venatoria Aranea regia Aranea pallens Thomisus leucosius Micrommata setulosa Ocypete setulosa Olios leucosius Olios antillianus Olios freycineti Olios colombianus Ocypete pallens Olius setulosus Ocypete murina Ocypete draco Olios albifrons Olios javensis Olios gabonensis Olios zonatus Olios lunula Sparassus ammanita Ocypete bruneiceps Olios leucosius Olius regius Sarotes regius Helicops maderiana Sarotes venatorius Palystes maderianus Olios maderianus Heteropoda ferina H. regia H. ocellata Palystes ledleyi H. squamacea Sinopoda pengi H. shimen Sinopoda venatoria

The brown huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria), also known as the giant crab spider or the cane spider, is a species of spider. found in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world, including Asia, Réunion Island, the Caribbean islands, the Southeastern US, and (especially) Australia.

Description

They have a flat type of body and only a small dorsal pattern. Adults can grow to be 2.2 to 2.8 cm, and have a leg span of 7 to 12 cm. Some have colors of brown, white and black.

Females have a larger abdomen than males but males have longer and thinner legs with a slim body. Both have a wide, yellow to cream clypeus band around the rest of the carapace. The female also has a strong body and often carries a pillow-like egg sac under her.

Food

Brown huntsman spiders do not use spider webs to feed on prey. These spiders are known to hunt by waiting and making no noise above their prey, and then rush forward when their prey get close. They are fast, agile and can move through tight spaces. They feed at night.

If you let them into your home, they will eat unwanted bugs and insects like cockroaches and silverfish.