Heteropoda venatoria
(Huntsman Spider)

Picture ID 7801

Comments & ID Thoughts

I have no idea! Please help.

Submitted by:
derek
Submitted: Mar 26, 2018
Photographed: Mar 23, 2018
Spider: Heteropoda venatoria (Huntsman Spider)
Location: Kauai Kilauea, Hawaii, United States
Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.)
Found in web?: No
Attributes: Dorsal

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ItsyBitsy

Moderator

March 26, 2018 10:48 am

Hi, welcome to Spider ID. 🙂 This is a Huntsman/Cane Spider, going by location should be Heteropoda ventaoria.

-1

onespideysense

Reply to ItsyBitsy

January 25, 2020 8:47 am

Nope. Has a little similarity, but no. I’ve seen literally hundreds of males and females of different ages. The abdomen on this one is not at all right in color and shape. The web it is tacking down too, I have never seen one with any webbing. Our Hawaiian cane spiders roam and hunt, and the females carry the flat round egg sack around with them underneath, until hatch time when they drop them (and what seem hundreds, but are likely dozens, of tiny speck baby spiders emerge!)

ItsyBitsy

Moderator

Reply to onespideysense

January 25, 2020 8:57 pm

Many things could account for the off color of the abdomen such as the result of eating something green, a recent molt, being very gravid (this could explain the webbing), poor lighting, or having a parasite. Heteropoda venatoria is the only option for Hawaii in that genus (I don’t think the genus is in question), without more information indicating it could be an accidental adventive this is the most likely option. I agree with you though that it looks atypical, which is why I said “going by location should be Heteropoda venatoria” instead of “this is Heteropoda venatoria“.

onespideysense

Reply to ItsyBitsy

January 25, 2020 8:49 am

Do you think it’s a variety that came in on a shipment from another region? I see the ones in Florida are quite different. And the one tagged as rhode Island too. They look similar but also different.