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Sheila Smart | all galleries >> Galleries >> Australian wildlife > Huntsman spider.
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24-FEB-2001 Sheila

Huntsman spider.

As everyone outside Australia has this strange obsession that Australia is invested with spiders, this is the Sydney Huntsman spider. Yes it bites, but it is not aggressive like its relative, the funnel web spider. They are welcome, well almost welcome, in Sydney homes as they keep down mosquitoes and other unwelcome insects. The largest we have seen measured about 5 inches across.

Canon PowerShot S100 Digital ELPH
1/350s f/3.5 at 9.3mm (35mm equivalent: 64mm) full exif

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comment
Sheila Smart16-Nov-2003 22:41
We just call her Henrietta! Sorry...to us, its a huntsman which lives in most Sydneysider's homes but in this case, as long as they don't come into the bedroom, we are happy it exists to keep the mozzies down.
Cheers
Sheila
tony rodgers 16-Nov-2003 08:48
I have conflicting information abou this spider, some seem to describe it as Isopeda villosa, the "common huntsman" and some as "Holconia immanis" the "Sydney huntsman. Are these really different or have they changed the genus & species name.

I have a great picture of one...


tony