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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Synspermiata » Dysderidae » Dysdera » Woodlouse Hunter (Dysdera crocata)

Species Dysdera crocata - Woodlouse Hunter

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

Another CT spider - Dysdera crocata - Dysdera crocata

Spider with spiderlings - Dysdera crocata - female

spider in Sundale Neighborhood 2023 April 13 - Dysdera crocata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Synspermiata)

Family Dysderidae

Genus Dysdera

Species crocata (Woodlouse Hunter)

Other Common Names

Sow Bug Hunter, Pill Bug Hunter, Stiletto spider

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Explanation of Names

The genus name originates from the 2nd century B.C. poet Nicander.

Greek adjective: 'hard to fight against'. Cameron(2005)(1)

Numbers

The only member of the family in NA.

Identification

Females

Males

Fighting pair

Eye Arrangement

Range

Introduced to North America and widely distributed in the Nearctic.(1). Originally from the Mediterranean area.

Food

Primary prey is isopods; hence the large chelicerae and fangs.

Life Cycle

This species is reported to take up to a year and half to mature, and live an additional two to three years in captivity.(1)

Remarks

A six-eyed spider.

Regarding the bite of this spider:

"Bites by the woodlouse spider, Dysdera crocata, are virtually innocuous. The main symptom is minor pain, typically lasting less than 1 hr, probably due mostly to the mechanical puncture of the skin."

- Vetter, R. & Isbister, G. 2006. Verified bites by the woodlouse spider, Dysdera crocata. Toxicon 47 (2006) 826-829.

See Also

Similar coloring to genus Trachelas

Internet References

Penn State University

Pub.Med. Verified bites by the woodlouse spider, Dysdera crocata. Vetter, RS, Isbister, GK.

Spiders.US

Wikipedia

Works Cited

1.	Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing and V. Roth (eds). 2005. American Arachnological Society.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 13 April, 2004 - 6:23pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Lynette Elliott, Christopher C Wirth, Jeff Hollenbeck, cheins, Chuck Entz, Graham M, jsloan, metrioptera
Last updated 4 August, 2017 - 8:15am

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