New Genus of Huntsman Spider Discovered in Southern Africa
Posted on September 19, 2015
A new genus of huntsman spiders has been discovered in the deserts of South Africa and Namibia. Four species of the new genus were also discovered. The discovery was led by arachnologist Dr Peter Jager of the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt.
Discovery the new spiders was not easy as the spiders blend in with the desert sand. They are also fast, nocturnal and build inconspicuous tunnels in the sand.
Dr. Jager says in a statement, "The spiders of one species were collected in the year 2004 by my doctoral student at the time, Dirk Kunz, and I now described them together scientifically as May bruno."
The desert spiders have a leg span of 8 to 10 centimeters (3.1 to 3.9 inches). Their legs have tufts of setae with feathered tips to keep them from sinking into the sand. Jager also found unique bite marks on the female spiders he inspected.
Dr. Jager says, "It is quite possible that these injuries were sustained during mating. We were unable to find these marks on the males of the 'Love Bite Spider.'"
The image below shows the desert tunnels in the sand that the spiders use as home. A research paper on the spiders was published here in the journal, African Invertebrates.
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