Species information
Scientific name: Heteropoda venatoria
Japanese name: アシダカグモ
Chinese name: 白額高腳蛛
English name: Pantropical huntsman spider
Origin: Tropical regions
Ecology and description
Pantropical huntsman spider is a large nocturnal spider. Females measure 28–33mm in body length and males 23–28mm, with a leg span of about 10cm. At night it is active both inside and outside houses, quickly seizing any prey it finds, and it particularly favors cockroaches.
Females lay eggs twice a year, from mid-May to early June and from early July to early August. The egg sac is white and disc-shaped. The female carries it with her pedipalps and third pair of legs, and attaches it to a wall or similar surface only 2–3 days before hatching. The spider molts about 13 times in its life and becomes capable of reproduction after the 10th molt.
Reference: Kotobank (Sekai Daihyakka Jiten and Nihon Daihyakka Zensho encyclopedias)
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
There is a high chance of seeing this species on our 【Herping】 tours.
