2 posts tagged “huntsman”
since we're heading out tomorrow on a four-week trip to the states, i'll feature a nice big spider today - just in case i can't keep up with the regular weekly dose of arachnids while we're away. this is the 'avondale' spider (in new zealand; or 'flat huntsman' in australia, where it's native), Delena cancerides. believed to have arrived in new zealand in the mid-1920s after hitching a ride over in railroad sleepers, it became established in avondale (and became a local icon) but has not spread much further.
avondales are interesting for several reasons, other than their impressive size (full legspan to 15+ cm). they're among the 1% of spiders that live in groups, perhaps because their preferred daytime habitat (under dry bark) is limited. they don't build webs, but hunt nocturnally. they were featured in the film arachnophobia (though i'm not sure how enjoyable it was for them) - interestingly, the ones that starred were from new zealand, since they're protected in australia and couldn't be exported. i believe i also heard that due to strict biosecurity regulations, those spiders (once exported) weren't allowed back in, and so were cared for in a kind of spider retirement colony once their acting careers were over.
once again i have to pilfer photos from the interweb this week, having never come across a live avondale myself. (someday, i hope!) the one above is from wikipedia, (c) b. macquillan. some more nice pics can be seen here (especially this one - with bonus spiderlings!), here, and also here. sweet dreams. >:)
once again i find myself out of town on webnesday, and this time i didn't quite make it to the interweb punctually enough. hopefully i can compensate in future weeks - i'm in wellington visiting the national museum, and chances of me scuttling into the spider collections for a side tour are high!
in the meantime i will carry on the australian theme from last week - tomboy sent me these photos of a lovely huntsman (family Sparassidae) she encountered some time during her early weeks. looks like this one had seen some tough times - it's missing two legs ('just an insect now' was the wry comment from te papa's spider man).
