The Southern Grey Huntsman Spider (Isopedella cerussata) is an arachnid in the Sparassidae family of common huntsman spiders. Sparassids are eight-eyed spiders.
The Southern Grey Huntsman Spider is grey with smooth furry hair. It has eight long, thin legs. It often has a faint leaf-shape on its abdomen, bordered by faint white spots.
It measures about 8 centimetres (3 inches) long.
It is found in the southern areas of Australia, such as South Australia and Victoria. It prefers semi-arid areas. It is the most common Sparassid in South Australia.
It feeds on insects, such as butterflies and moths, as well as other arachnids, such as scorpions. It does not spin a web. It catches its prey and injects it with venom (poison).
The Southern Grey Huntsman Spider has a painful bite on humans, causing swelling and sickness.
The female produces an egg sac, like a pea. She puts it under her body. It contains about 100-400 eggs. The hatched baby spiders are called spiderlings.
Location of photographs: Adelaide, South Australia
Photographer: Alison Powell
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM