Explanation of Names
Author of name: Carl Linnaeus. First year published: 1767.
Heteropoda (Greek) venatoria (Latin) translates to 'hunter with unequal legs.'
Size
Body length of adult females approx. 23mm
Body length of adult males approx. 20mm
(the long legs add considerable size)
Identification
Adult male (black on carapace and longer legs):
Adult female (no black on carapace):
Juvenile specimens may have a mottled pattern:
Range
Pantropical: Gulf states (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, TX) as well as California.
Season
Year-round in warm temperatures.
Food
Insects, including cockroaches.
Life Cycle
Females carry their egg sac beneath their body.
Remarks
Non-native, introduced from Central America, possibly on banana shipments. Apparently spreading into the USA from warmest areas.
Can be swift and sometimes aggressive but not considered dangerously venomous to humans. May bite in self-defense if roughly handled; mildly painful bite (can be likened to a bee sting if spider injects venom).
Internet References
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entomology.ifas.ufl.edu - Images and information.
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nathistoc.bio.uci.edu - Images and information.
