Brown Huntsman Spider

Heteropoda jugulans, family Sparassidae

Identification

Large brown spiders with crab-like legs; black X on head and black chevrons on body. Often with black V under abdomen.

Body and head of similar size. Often with black V under abdomen. Males and females of similar size but males with longer legs.

Able to climb wall, glass and run upside down on ceiling.

Huntsman spider, Sparassidae, Heteropoda jugulans, female

Web

Free-hunting, leaving only trailing safety web.

Diversity & distribution

Eastern Australia. In nature found under bark in trees, but accommodates well to houses where it hunts at night across the walls.

Many similar species in Eastern Australia.

Bite

Bites readily with strong bite and may hang on.

Venom usually produces only minor local pain and redness for about 30-40 minutes.

Asthmatics and allergy prone people can experience more.

Notes

Nocturnal. Eyes reflect torch light. 

Main prey: Insects, excluding most cockroaches.

Probably eaten by introduced geckos and Daddy-long-legs spiders (Pholcus phalangioides).

Egg sac a flattened white disc about the size of a 50cent coin and often build near water. 

Avoids windy locations.

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