Huntsman Spider
Often confused with the potentially deadly banana spider, the huntsman spider carries many similarities to his potent look alike but is in fact not related, nor is he deadly to humans. They do carry a poison on board, which is extremely useful against their larger prey, but a bite from this spider will cause a painful site reaction to the human and little else. The huntsman spider is indigenes to the Asian continent and other tropical regions, and migrated to the tropics of North America in much the same way as the banana spider did. He hides, flattened out and still, beneath the bark of trees and in bunches of fruit, for a safe ride to the free world.
The body length of the huntsmen spider is never longer than one inch, though the abdomen of the female adult is quite a bit denser than that of the male. The amazing leg span of these adult spiders can reach 5 inches, with the male adults adorning longer legs than those of the female. The huntsman spider does not reside in a common web, but chooses to nest and burrow in tight spaces, where one wouldn’t think that a spider of his size possibly could. He is extremely agile and flexible, using his ability to flatten as both a hunting and shelter technique.
The huntsman spider also has the distinct ability to maneuver his legs in a forward motion at the joints, a fete that no other spider and very few insects can accomplish. This gives him a great predatory advantage over his prey, and gives him the ability to hide with great stealth.
The huntsman spider is prized in his native regions for his swift and capable control of pests such as cockroaches and crop damaging locusts. He is a vagrant, and has become independent of human made structures in those climates which are not prone to frost. Florida, for example, is finding an ever increasing population of these spiders in the wider ranges of the country sides and dense swarm areas, as opposed to the cracks and crevices of residential buildings.
The huntsman spider will mate year round if the climactic environment allows, especially in the farthest southern points of North America. The female will create an egg sack which is no larger than 5/8 inch in diameter, which encases up to 200 spider eggs. These youngsters take about 3 to 6 weeks to hatch, and then begin a cycle of molting which will carry them into adulthood. By the fourth molt, these young spiders are expected to head out on their own and begin hunting and feeding for themselves. Have no fear of the useful and passive huntsman spider, as they have proven to do far more good than bad.