Lichen huntsman spider | |
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Cairns, Queensland, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Sparassidae |
Genus: | Pandercetes |
Species: | P. gracilis |
Binomial name | |
Pandercetes gracilis C.L. Koch, 1875 | |
Pandercetes gracilis, also called the lichen huntsman spider and the lichen spider, [1] is a huntsman spider found on New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, Sulawesi, and in Queensland, Australia. [2] Individuals can vary in color and many color forms exist, but unlike squids and certain reptiles, color is fixed at its previous molt. It hunts by hiding among moss and lichen, then ambushing prey that comes into range by pouncing on it.
Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae, are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometimes are referred to as wood spiders, because of their preference for woody places. In southern Africa the genus Palystes are known as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders. Commonly they are confused with baboon spiders from the Mygalomorphae infraorder, which are not closely related.
Delena cancerides, the flat huntsman or social huntsman or Avondale spider, is a large, brown huntsman spider native to Australia. It has been introduced to New Zealand, where it is sometimes known as the Avondale spider as they are commonly found in the suburb of Avondale, Auckland. This was the species used in the beginning of the 2002 movie Spider-Man, a part in Australian movie Napoleon and widely in Arachnophobia, and all films depict them as having a deadly venomous bite, but they are generally considered harmless to humans in real-life. It was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837.
The Goliath birdeater belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass – 175 g (6.2 oz) – and body length – up to 13 cm (5.1 in) – but it is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span. It is also called the Goliath bird-eating spider; the practice of calling theraphosids "bird-eating" derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird. Despite the spider's name, it only rarely preys on birds.
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States to Russia from 2017 to 2019, to China from 2009 to 2011, and to Singapore from 1992 to 1993.
Huntsman Corporation is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of chemical products for consumers and industrial customers. Huntsman manufactures assorted polyurethanes, performance products, and adhesives for customers like BMW, GE, Chevron, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. With headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas and executive offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, they operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in over 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates across four business divisions. Huntsman Corporation had 2019 revenues of approximately $7 billion.
Micrathena gracilis is a spider in the family Araneidae (orb-weavers), commonly known as the spined micrathena or castleback orbweaver. This spider spins a moderately large and very tightly coiled web. The spiders themselves are small and can be found to be anywhere from 4.2 mm to 10.8 mm long. Its venom is not medically significant to humans, making it completely harmless. M. gracilis is unique in appearance due to its large spiky abdomen and black and white bodies. Certain spiders of this species can also display a yellow color on the sides of their bodies. These spiders can be seen most active during the end of the summer and beginning of fall. M. gracilis is diurnal and are rarely ever seen active at night.
Micrommata virescens, common name green huntsman spider, is a species of huntsman spiders belonging to the family Sparassidae.
Bilins, bilanes or bile pigments are biological pigments formed in many organisms as a metabolic product of certain porphyrins. Bilin was named as a bile pigment of mammals, but can also be found in lower vertebrates, invertebrates, as well as red algae, green plants and cyanobacteria. Bilins can range in color from red, orange, yellow or brown to blue or green.
The giant huntsman spider, found in Laos, is a species of huntsman spider (Sparassidae), a family of large, fast spiders that actively hunt down prey. It is considered the world's largest spider by leg span, which can reach up to 30 cm (1 ft).
Heteropoda davidbowie is a species of huntsman spider of the genus Heteropoda. It was described from the Cameron Highlands District in peninsular Malaysia and named in honour of singer David Bowie.
P. gracilis may refer to:
David B. Hirst is an arachnologist previously based at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide. He left the Museum on 22 February 2011. He has described more than 40 species and genera in the huntsman spider family, Sparassidae, and was regularly called on by New Zealand authorities to identify huntsman spiders that entered their country.
Pandercetes is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in his 1875 treatise on Australian spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, and are known for their cryptic coloration that matches local moss and lichen. Their legs have lateral hairs, giving them a feathery appearance, further masking their outline against tree trunks. Their head is somewhat elevated and the carapace has the thoracic region low and flat.
Pandercetes decipiens, is a species of spider of the genus Pandercetes. It is native to India and Sri Lanka.
Pandercetes plumipes, is a species of spider of the genus Pandercetes. It is native to Ambon Islands, Sri Lanka and New Guinea.
Keilira is a genus of Australian huntsman spiders that was first described by D. B. Hirst in 1989. As of September 2019 it contains two species, found in South Australia and Victoria: K. sokoli and K. sparsomaculata.
Prychia is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1875.
Stasinoides is a monotypic genus of Ethiopian huntsman spiders containing the single species, Stasinoides aethiopica. It was first described by Lucien Berland in 1922, and is found in Ethiopia. It has only been recorded twice, and is probably misplaced in this family.