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| Giant huntsman spider | |
|---|---|
| |
| Heteropoda maxima | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Suborder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Heteropoda |
| Species: | H. maxima |
| Binomial name | |
| Heteropoda maxima Jaeger, 2001 | |
The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima, from maximus, meaning “the largest”) is a spider of the Heteropoda genus.
It is considered in a December 2008 WWF report as "the world's largest Huntsman spider".
Appearance
The coloration is yellowish-brown with several irregularly distributed dark spots on the rear half. 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 fashion.
Apart from its size, the H. maxima can be distinguished from other species of Heteropoda (also known as Huntsman spiders) by genital characteristics: On males, the cymbium is much longer than usual, at least three times longer than the tegulum. The female is distinguished by a characteristically shaped epigyneal field with two anterior directed bands, and the course of their internal ducts.
The giant huntsman spider is considered by Peter Jaeger to be a primitive species of Heteropoda.
The giant huntsman spider is the largest member of the Sparassidae, boasting a 30 centimeter (12 inches) leg-span, and 4.6 centimeter body-length. 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.
Distribution and habitat
The giant huntsman spider is found in Laos, and is probably a cave dweller because of its pale colour, long legs and special hairs on the second foot of the male. There is no apparent reduction of the eyes, however. This may be because the species lives by the opening of caves as well as inside them.
Discovery
The giant huntsman spider was discovered in northern Laos in 2001. During the past ten years, over a thousand new species have been found in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
A representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature quipped that "Some of these species really have no business being recently discovered," suggesting that it is surprising for a species this large to go undiscovered for so long.
See also
- Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), considered to be the largest spider in the world.
References
- ^ Jaeger P. 2001. A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest huntsman spider? Zoosystema 23 (3): 461-465.
- "New species discoveries". World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ^ "Sparassidae (Family)". zipcodezoo.com. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- "The Find-a-spider Guide: Beregama Aurea". University of South Queensland. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest hunstman spider? by Peter Jaeger
- "New Species Alert!Hot Pink Millipede, Collosal Spider, and Tiny Deer Emerge". http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - "New species discoveries". World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- "PHOTOS: Cyanide Millipede, Huge Spider Among New Species". National Geographic. Retrieved 17 December 2008.