Known for their crab-like legs and impressive speed, huntsman spiders are a fascinating family of arachnids.
Despite their fearsome appearance, these spiders are mostly harmless to humans — and full of curious behaviours, from vibrating mating calls to their gruesome encounters with spider wasps, which transform them into living 'zombie' hosts for their young.
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What is a huntsman spider – and how many species are there?
Although we only tend to refer to them collectively, there are in fact 1,207 known species of huntsman spiders. They are sometimes also called giant crab spiders, due to their large size and long legs, which spread out in a crab-like fashion with twisted joints.
Why are they called huntsman spiders?
Huntsman spiders are so-called because of their ability to catch their prey by hunting – rather than catching it in webs. They are able to move very quickly (some species can run up to a metre per second), sometimes jumping while running, which helps them catch prey. Their crab-like legs allow them to move sideways, which gives them great mobility.
Where are huntsman spiders found?
Most species of huntsman spider are found in warmer and tropical regions of the world, including Australia, Africa, Asia and the Americas – although some are native to colder climates, such as the green huntsman spider, which is native to Northern and Central Europe.
They are often found living under rocks or bark on trees, in crevices and in foliage. In warmer climates like Australia, they also find their way into houses and are often found hiding under furniture.
Are there huntsman spiders in the UK?
The UK has its own native huntsman spider: the green huntsman spider. They're smaller than those found in warmer climates, and its population is considered to be declining. Habitats include woodland, parks, gardens, heaths and moorland – although they're more likely to be found in southern England.
What do they look like?
Huntsman spiders are usually grey or brown in colour, and some species have banded legs. When they are young, they will be very pale in colour, eventually darkening as they mature. Their bodies are smooth and furry, which often means they get confused with tarantulas.
But they can be easily distinguished due to their laterigrade legs, which are directed outwards rather than forwards – and give them a crab-like appearance. Like all spiders, huntsmans will moult, shedding its exoskeleton to allow for growth.
They have eight eyes, arranged in two rows of four – but their eyesight is limited, relying instead on vibrations and touch.
What do they eat?
A huntsman spider’s diet consists of insects and other invertebrates.
The life cycle of a huntsman spider
The female huntsman spider produces an egg sac containing up to 200 eggs. She then hides it under a rock and guards it (without eating) for about three weeks. She will be particularly volatile and aggressive during this time, protecting the sac. When the spiderlings emerge, the mother will stay with them for several weeks.
Mating rituals
When they detect a pheromone from a nearby female, male huntsman spiders will root themselves to a surface and transmit vibrations from their abdomen by drumming his palps – which creates a sound, identifying them to their potential female mate. To human ears, it sounds like a rhythmic ticking clock.
The male will then insert his palps into the female to fertilise her eggs.
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Life expectancy of a huntsman spider
The lifespan of most species of huntsman spider is about two years.
What is the largest huntsman spider?
The largest huntsman spider is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima). With a 30cm leg span, this Laos native is among the biggest spiders in the world.
The spider wasp vs the huntsman spider
Curiously, huntsman spiders are used by spider wasps as a nest to lay their eggs. The spider wasp will injure a huntsman to the point of paralysis, before laying an egg on the huntsman’s stomach and hiding it in a burrow to protect it until it hatches. The wasp larva subsequently feeds on the paralysed spider. We included this in our round-up of the weirdest ways animals give birth.
Can they harm humans?
While huntsman spiders do have venom, they are more likely to try and escape humans than bite them. As a result, they’re not considered dangerous to humans. If they do bite, this will usually result in localised pain, swelling and redness.
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Top image credit: Getty Images