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Species Heteropoda venatoria - Huntsman Spider

Here she is - Heteropoda venatoria - female Heteropoda venatoria - male confirm Heteropoda venatoria - Huntsman Spider? - Heteropoda venatoria - female large spider - Heteropoda venatoria Huntsman - Heteropoda venatoria Heteropoda venatoria Pantropical Huntsman  - Heteropoda venatoria ST - Heteropoda venatoria - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Entelegynae)
Family Sparassidae (Huntsmen Spiders)
Genus Heteropoda
Species venatoria (Huntsman Spider)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Explanation of Names
Heteropoda (Greek) venatoria (Latin) translates to 'hunter with unequal legs.'
Size
Body length of adults ranges from 22-28 millimeters. The long legs add considerable size; leg spans can reach 3-5 inches.
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.
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
~ entomology.ifas.ufl.edu - Images and information.
~ nathistoc.bio.uci.edu - Images and information.