Huntsman spider fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are huntsman spiders?

Huntsman spiders are large, fast-moving spiders with long legs that spread out sideways. They are arachnids, not insects, and belong to a group of spiders called Sparassidae.

Huntsman spiders are often seen on tree trunks, under loose bark, beneath rocks and sometimes inside houses. Their flat bodies help many species squeeze into narrow spaces during the day.

Unlike orb-weaving spiders, huntsman spiders do not build sticky webs to catch their prey. They are active hunters that use speed, sensitive hairs and venom to catch insects and other small animals.

A huntsman spider.

Where do huntsman spiders live?

Huntsman spiders occur across Australia in many different habitats. In bushland they can be found on tree trunks, under loose bark, in rock crevices, beneath stones and among vegetation.

Many huntsman spiders shelter during the day and become more active at night. Their flat bodies help them hide in tight spaces where predators may find it harder to reach them.

Some huntsman spiders also enter houses, sheds and cars. They are usually looking for shelter or prey such as cockroaches and other insects.

Huntsman spiders live on tree trunks and under bark.

What do huntsman spiders eat?

Huntsman spiders are carnivores. They mostly eat insects and other invertebrates, including cockroaches, moths, crickets and other small animals they can overpower.

They do not use a web to trap prey. Instead, they stalk, chase and grab their prey using their long legs. Their fangs inject venom that helps immobilise the animal before the spider feeds.

Large huntsman spiders may also eat small lizards or frogs if they can catch them.

Huntsman spiders hunt prey such as cockroaches at night. This huntsman spider was found at Field of Mars Reserve.

What is the life cycle of a huntsman spider?

Huntsman spiders hatch from eggs. After mating, a female makes a flat silk egg sac and places it in a protected place such as under bark, beneath a rock or inside a silken retreat.

The female often guards the egg sac. This helps protect the eggs from predators and damage. Some female huntsman spiders can become more defensive while guarding their eggs.

When the spiderlings hatch, they are small and pale. They moult several times as they grow. After each moult their new outer covering hardens and they become larger.

A female huntsman spider guards her egg sac as spiderlings hatch.

What adaptations do huntsman spiders have to help them survive?

Huntsman spiders have flat bodies that help them squeeze under bark, into rock crevices and other narrow hiding places. This provides shelter from predators, weather and drying out.

Their long sideways-facing legs help them move quickly forwards and sideways. This speed helps them chase prey and escape danger.

Huntsman spiders have sensitive hairs on their legs and body. These hairs help them detect movement, vibrations and air currents made by nearby prey or predators.

Their fangs and venom help them catch and immobilise prey. Their pedipalps help them touch, sense and handle food. Their spinnerets produce silk, which is used for egg sacs, retreats and movement, rather than for building large prey-catching webs.

Huntsman spiders have eight eyes. The mouthparts are called chelicerae. The leg hairs sense vibrations.

The abdomen, or back body part, of a huntsman spider has no legs and only tiny spinnerets.

Why are huntsman spiders important?

Huntsman spiders are important predators. They help control populations of insects and other invertebrates, including some animals that people may consider pests.

They are also part of the food web. Huntsman spiders may be eaten by birds, reptiles, mammals, larger spiders and spider wasps.

In bushland, huntsman spiders show why bark, logs, rocks and tree trunks are important habitats. These places provide shelter for many small animals, not just spiders.

Huntsman spiders are part of the food web. Some spider wasps hunt spiders to feed their young.

How can you help huntsman spiders?

You can help huntsman spiders by protecting bushland habitat. Fallen logs, loose bark, rocks, leaf litter and old trees provide shelter for spiders and many other invertebrates.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use, especially around gardens and outdoor areas where spiders and other small animals live. Pesticides can harm predators as well as the insects they eat.

If you see a huntsman spider, observe it from a safe distance and do not try to handle it. If one enters a building, ask an adult to help move it outside safely rather than squashing it.

Protecting eucalypt forest helps keep the bark, trunks, leaf litter and shelter used by huntsman spiders and other small animals.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Arachnids fact sheet – explains spiders, mites and other arachnids.
• St Andrew’s Cross spider fact sheet – orb-web builder with a different web style.
• Trapdoor spider fact sheet – compares huntsman spiders with burrow-dwelling ambush hunters.
• Golden orb weaving spider fact sheet – large web-building spider for comparison.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Tree habitats fact sheet – trunks, bark and branches provide shelter for many small animals.
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – fallen logs, bark and rocks provide invertebrate habitat.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the local bushland habitats that support native plants and animals.

Learn with us