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Woodlouse Hunter
Dysdera erythrina
47.3224, -122.144
Field Notes
Description:
These spiders can be up to 2 cm long, Females are, on average, larger, 1.1 to 1.5 cm, while males are generally 0.9 to 1 cm. Both have a reddish-brown color. Their six eyes are close together, in an oval shape, with reddish legs, a pale abdomen, and a brown cephalothorax. The spider has 8 legs, 3 pairs(6) of legs facing forward and one pair(2) facing backwards.(Wikipedia)
Habitat:
Spotted in a survey monument casing. When I took the lid off it crawled out. The range is central and southern Europe to Northern Africa. (A fairly rare find here in Western Washington).
Notes:
Dysdera are one of the few known arthropods to hunt and prey on woodlice, which is their main food source. Their wide jaws and large fangs help to overcome woodlice hard armor like shells, as well as their ability to release chemicals to keep them out of harm's way. These adaptations also enable them to prey on other common ground-dwelling invertebrates such as silverfish, earwigs, millipedes, and small burying beetles. Dysdera spiders' huge, sharp fangs make them very powerful predators for their size, allowing them to dominate, and sometimes kill, competitors such as centipedes and other spiders.(wikipedia)
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