Giant huntsman spider
The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima, from maximus, meaning “the largest”) is a spider of the Heteropoda genus. It is found in Laos, where it was discovered in 2001. The spider lives in caves.
| Giant huntsman spider | |
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| Heteropoda maxima | |
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| Heteropoda maxima | |
In December 2008, a World Wide Fund for Nature report states that it is "the world's largest huntsman spider".[1][2]
Appearance
changeThis spider is yellowish-brown with many dark spots on the rear half, in no order. The legs have wide dark bands before the first bend. Like all huntsman spiders, the legs of the giant huntsman spider are long compared to the body, and twist forward in a crab-like way.[3]
It is the largest member of the Sparassidae, with a 30 centimeter (12 inches) leg-span, and 4.6 centimeter body-length.[2] The largest known member of the Sparassidae known prior to the discovery of H. maxima was the Australian Beregama aurea (L. Koch, 1875) with a body length of about 4 centimeters.[4]
References
change- ↑ "New species discoveries". World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jaeger P. 2001. A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest huntsman spider? Archived 2008-12-30 at the Wayback Machine Zoosystema 23 (3): 461-465.
- ↑ "Sparassidae (Family)". zipcodezoo.com. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ↑ "The Find-a-spider Guide: Beregama Aurea". University of South Queensland. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2008.