Hobbies And Interests
Huntsman Spiders
These giants, belonging to the Sparassidae family, are often confused with tarantulas. Many of the 94 species of huntsman spiders live in Australia. With average female body lengths of 2 cm (males are slightly smaller) and leg spans of 15 cm, it can be a shock to see one of these spiders scurrying across your bedroom wall or the dashboard of your car. Most species are gray or brown, sometimes exhibiting striped legs. The easiest way to identify a huntsman is by the way its crab-like legs are bent forward, instead of downward, allowing them to scurry sideways like a crab. These spiders also rarely spin webs, preferring to ambush or hunt their prey. Huntsman spiders may bite humans, but the result is rarely worse than temporary localized pain.
Daddy Long-Legs Spider
The daddy long-legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides), also commonly called the cellar spider, live in many homes across Australia, usually in quiet, low-light areas such as cellars and attics. This spider is characterized by its thin, elongated body and long, skinny legs. Its semi-translucent body is typically a brownish-yellow color with gray patch on the cephalothorax. Daddy long-legs spiders build loose, flat webs, from which they hang upside-down, waiting for their prey (often, other spiders). While these spiders can bite humans, again the result is usually only temporary and localized pain, sometimes accompanied by mild swelling. At least two other types of bugs, the crane fly and harvestman, are commonly referred to as daddy long-legs.
Black House Spider/Gray House Spider
The black and gray house spiders are two closely related spiders of the Badumna family (B. insignis and B. longinquus, respectively). Commonly called window spiders, because of their propensity for building funnel-shaped webs in the corners of windows, these spiders live in many homes in eastern and southern Australia. The black house spider is mostly black or dark brown, with a dark gray abdomen that exhibits some white markings. Female black house spiders average 18 mm in length; males grow only to half that size. The gray house spider is mostly gray with brown stripes on its legs. The gray variants are slightly smaller than their black cousins, with females averaging 14 mm in length, and males averaging 7 mm. Though they are not very aggressive, bites from both species of house spider tend to be somewhat severe, often resulting in severe local pain and swelling, sweating, nausea and vomiting. Victims of multiple gray/black house spider bites, or those with persistent symptoms, should seek medical attention.