Huntsman

Fact Box Species: Heteropoda jugulans (D. Hirst) or a related species Family: Sparassidae formerly Heteropodidae Body length: female: 22 mm male: 19 mm Habitat: Under loose bark in eucalypt forests and occasionally on inside walls of sheds Toxicity: Uncertain; may cause mild illness and necrotising arachnidism

Male, close up Underside

Being a nocturnal hunter, this species is readily caught in pit traps made by burying 10 litre cylinders into the ground in a bush setting. The legs of this spider are comparatively long for a huntsman and are not always seen to be curved forwards in typical huntsman fashion.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Heteropoda cervina and several other huntsman spider species, although few of these have the mottled appearance of this species.