WOODLOUSE SPIDER

The 'woodlouse spider' ('''Dysdera crocata''') is a species of spider that lives exclusively on woodlice.

Contents

Appearance

Distribution

Behavior

References

External links

Appearance

Female specimens are 11-15 mm long whilst males are 9-10 mm.
They have a dark-red thorax and legs, and a yellow-brown abdomen. Notably, they have disproportionately large jaws.

Distribution

''D. crocata'' has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Behavior

They are usually to be found under logs in warm places, often close to woodlice. They have been found in houses. They spend the day in a silk cocoon and hunt at night without the use of a web. Their diet comprises exclusively of woodlice which — despite their tough exoskeleton — are pierced easily by the spider's large jaws.
The reproduction of these spiders is typically aggressive. They risk injury from each other's jaws. The female lays her eggs in a silk cocoon and is thought to look after her young after hatching.
They have been known to bite humans if handled, and their venom is dangerous and can be fatal as a result of an allergic reaction if medical attention is not administered.

References

★ Cytogenetic heterogeneity in common haplogyne spiders from Argentina (Arachnida, Araneae), Rodriguez Gil, S. G., L. M. Mola, A. G. Papeschi & C. L. Scioscia, , , Journal of Arachnology, 2002

External links

★ Images of ''D. crocata''

★ Pictures of ''Dysdera crocata'' (free for noncommercial use)