''Heteropoda jugulans'', sometimes called the brown huntsman, is a species of spider endemic to parts of Eastern Australia. It is a member of the genus ''

Heteropoda ''Heteropoda'' is a genus of spiders in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. They are mainly distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, while at least one species, ''H. venatoria'', has a cosmopolitan distribution,Airamé, S. and P. ...

'' of

huntsman spider Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), 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 sometim ...

.Atkinson, Ron (21 January 2022)
"Huntsman"
''The Find-a-Spider Guide for the Spiders of Southern Queensland''. Retrieved 30 October 2022."Brown Huntsman Spider"
''Museum of Tropical Queensland''. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

Context

Australian ''Heteropoda'' species are often difficult to tell apart, with only slight differences in the markings found on their upper bodies; exact identification can only be made by examining the spider's genitals under a microscope. According to Valerie Davies, there are at least 37 Australian ''Heteropoda'' species.Davies, V. T. (1994). "The huntsman spiders ''Heteropoda'' Laetrille and ''Yiinthi'' gen.nov. (Araneae: Heteropodidae) in Australia". In ''Memoirs of the Queensland Museum'', 35. pp. 75–122.

Description

''H. jugulans'' has a brown body with various markings: a black X-shaped marking on the head, black chevrons on the body, and often a black V-shaped marking on the underside of the abdomen. The body and head are roughly the same size. Males and females are similar in size, although males have longer legs.

Behaviour

''H. jugulans'' is a nocturnal species, and is typically found in the wild beneath the bark of trees. It will also enter houses, outbuildings and letterboxes at night to hunt, and can climb walls and glass and move across ceilings. It is an insectivore, but does not eat most cockroaches.

Range

This is a common species of ''Heteropoda'' in South East Queensland, including the suburban Brisbane area. It can apparently be found as far north as

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...

and

Cape Tribulation Cape Tribulation is a headland and coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas in northern Queensland, Australia. In the , Cape Tribulation had a population of 118 people. Geography The locality is north of Cairns. It is within the Daintree Na ...

. It is also found in New South Wales, as far south as

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q744479 Spiders of Australia Fauna of Queensland Fauna of New South Wales Spiders described in 1876 Taxa named by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch Sparassidae