#lichen huntsman

[onenicebugperday]

Giant huntsman spider, Heteropoda? Pandercetes?, Sparassidae

Photo by muir

[birdblues]

Lichen Huntsman Spider

[rattyexplores]

20/09/23 - Photo 1 - juvenile camouflaged against the bark

We've had lichen spiders on this tree for years. Recently I saw an adult guarding an egg sac, and I was excited for them to hatch. Sadly I was away when the hatch occurred. But! I still managed to find a juvenile on the tree.

24/08/23 - Photos 2-3 - adult guarding the egg sac by sitting on top of it

The adult lichen spiders are already well-hidden, but trying to find juveniles is almost impossible. I may have missed this hatching, but I have recorded a previous hatch:

(link)

24/08-20/09/23 - Pandercetes gracilis

QLD:WET

[crevicedwelling]

cradle thieves:

a dramatic scene on a tree trunk in Singapore; Leptogenys ants carry away a nestful of newborn scolopendrid centipedes. Scolopendrid mothers guard their young fiercely, so it’s likely these ants had to fight her off to steal the brood, if they didn’t kill her too.

Leptogenys are often specialist feeders on isopods or millipedes, but have occasionally been known to hunt easy prey usually not on the menu. a brooding centipede and her offspring would be highly vulnerable to attack, so it’s no surprise to me they went after a defenseless meal.

as the ants streamed down the trunk, a lichen huntsman spider wisely ignored them and their venomous stings.

[elixir]

Lichen Huntsman(left), Filistada Insidiatrix(right)

[sherisensb]

𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜? 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒.

this forest, known to its denizens as the verdant sanctum, sprawled over rolling hills and nestled in the embrace of towering mountains, its emerald canopy kissed by the sun’s golden rays and caressed by the moon’s silvery light.

the verdant sanctum is a place where magic thrived in every leaf and stone, a sanctuary where the elements danced in harmonious symphony. here, the trees were sentinels of time, their bark etched with the runes of forgotten eras, their branches whispering tales of yore. streams wove through the forest like veins of liquid crystal, their waters imbued with the laughter of nymphs and the secrets of the deep earth. hidden glades, where the grass shimmered with the dew of dawn’s first light, served as havens for the mystical beings that called this forest home.

within this enchanted domain, neera's cottage stood as a solitary beacon of rustic charm, its walls entwined with creeping ivy and adorned with the fragrant blossoms of wildflowers. the dwelling, though modest, exuded an aura of welcoming warmth, its hearth forever aglow with the flicker of enchanted flames. nearby, an ancient oak spread its boughs wide, its hollow trunk serving as the entrance to the hidden library — a repository of boundless knowledge and arcane power, guarded by spirits both mischievous and wise.

the inhabitants of the verdant sanctum were as diverse as the flora and fauna that flourished under its verdant canopy. pixies flitted through the air on iridescent wings, their laughter like the tinkling of silver bells. fairies, with their delicate forms and luminous auras, danced in moonlit clearings, weaving spells of protection and enchantment. majestic stags roamed the forest’s depths, their antlers crowned with the lichen of centuries, while wise old owls perched in the highest branches, their eyes reflecting the wisdom of the ages.

at the heart of this mystical realm, the elemental forces held sway. the wind was a capricious spirit, rustling leaves and bending branches to its will, whispering secrets to those who would listen. fire, both a source of warmth and a symbol of destruction, crackled with life, its flames a vibrant dance of red and gold. water flowed with a serene grace, nurturing the land and its creatures, while the earth, steadfast and enduring, cradled the forest in its ancient embrace.

MAIN INSPOS: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN, THE TWO TOWERS,

[shopcrawlys]

The new Lichen Huntsmans are in stock! 🕷️ Get them quickly before they're gone. Limited supply! #LichenHuntsman #LimitedStock

[ardentguilt]

Came across this very cool little spider this afternoon while mowing when it dropped out of a tree right in front of me.

Initially thought it was a young huntsman but got a closer look and realised it’s something different.

As you can see it’s a master of camouflage with not only the color and pattern mimicking the lichen growth in the tree but also the actual texturing of the spider matches up too.

Compared to spiders I usually see around here the eyes are something that has my interest. Notice how the eyes are positioned on a small mound on the head. Kinda reminds me of a mudskipper.

This is Stephanopis Altifrons the Hi-Browed Crab Spider (AKA Knobbly Crab Spider)

Found in Australia this spider grows between 6mm - 10mm in size so this one here is pretty much full grown. Their primary food source is other spiders and they come in a variety of colors like browns, greys and occassionally blacks.

[ogallchoir]

Ages of mingling about this world had taught Fionn many things. Certainly, that his sort had become awfully uncommon. It was a rare and joyous thing, truly, when the song of fae presence left him goosefleshed, hackles raised like a huntsman's dog on the trail. On an especially good day, he might say - honestly, of course - that the anticipation made a catch all the sweeter. Not if he was hungry, though.

Most days, he was hungry.

But not today. Frankly, he couldn't recall a time he'd been so well-fed, since his exile began; already, he'd found more fae things in this blessed fog, this lovely little town, these woods so dark and deep, than he had in centuries. And he had feasted. So, really, he was just making the most of another mist-cloaked morning, simply enjoying a wander, no designs or quarry in mind. It was his curiosity - as insatiable as any other hunger - rather than his appetite that set his ears twitching to what sounded, splendidly, like another stray. So many! He should see their face, shouldn't he? Learn their name. All the better to find them with, later. When he got peckish again.

So he walked slowly. Softly. Listening. Small talk with the trees, was it? Good for gossip, trees were; nosy things. He'd wondered, more than once, if they only grew taller to spy a little better on their neighbours. Certainly seemed the case for those childish forests that had hardly seen a human generation or three. So many of the truly old ones, with the best teachings and tales, had been torn down long ago. Or kept their secrets for others, clutched close as their lichen. They were slow teachers and tellers, anyway.

But this little faeling - dressed in a human glamour, shimmering at her edges even in his damaged Sight - seemed to be learning, all the same. Keeping his own glamour about him, Fionn interrupted with a foxish bound onto and along the nearest fallen trunk, sure-footed, magic coursing thick as sap and bright as amber. Oh, he could wring lightning from the clouds - again. At last. No need, though. Instead, he offered a flourishing bow and a glad grin. "Welcome, fellow stranger! Such a pleasure. You've arrived lately, I imagine? I do hope this world has been treating you well, so far." He did, of course. Lest her magic become haggard, run thin. Less appetizing.

For: Open to all Raven’s Peak Location: Stygian Woodlands

Niamh wandered through the trees, breathing in the smells of home which still clung to the fog. She enjoyed her stay in the mortal world, playing the mortal with her job and house and little hobbies. There’d been a few times when she’d helped some of the citizens find their way through the fog, and she knew her father would like that. Granted, she’d also made her mother proud by scaring some others with sparks, flares, and little nuisance fires. Overall, her time here was proving to be quite a bit of fun.

But part of her still wondered over what power had forced them into this world.

It kept her from going home, and she hadn’t seen her parents since that odd night that landed her in Raven’s Peak. Were they trapped in their world as she was trapped here? Or had they been transported somewhere far from here? She knew they’d be looking for her. As she hadn’t quite passed her first century yet, they still considered her too young to be on her own.

“Though really, I’m not doing too bad for myself,” she announced to the trees, chuckling as they seemed to sigh in reply. She still worked to learn their language – they could tell her mother all kinds of stories, but Niamh had to concentrate to hear them.

She patted the nearest trunk. “Don’t worry, I’m all right and I’m sure you could find a way to pass that on to my mother.”

[the-summer-sun-au]

The lichen huntsman spider is a huntsman spider found on New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, Sulawesi, and in Queensland, Australia. Individuals can vary in color and many color forms exist, but unlike squids and certain reptiles, color is fixed at its previous molt. It hunts by hiding among moss and lichen, then ambushing prey that comes into range by pouncing on it. - Wikipedia.

Photo From Facebook.

[onenicebugperday]

Malaysian Green Huntsman Spider aka Lichen Huntsman  (Heteropoda boiei, Sparassidae) Photos 1-3 by Bernard DuPont Photos 4-6 by Art Anker Posted with permission; do not remove credit.

[thecreatureawaits]

The Creature Awaits #94:

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry.  Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

Welcome back to Green Month!

(Amazing photograph by Jeremy Squire. Be sure to check out his absolutely fantastic gallery. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0))

The Lichen Huntsman Spider

Scientific Name: Heteropoda boiei

Region: Malaysia and the islands of Borneo, Java and Sumatra in Indonesia

Size: About a 5" (12.7cm) leg span

Interesting Note:  It was once thought that huntsman spiders (family Sparassidae) actively chased people, but it turns out that they are actually of a completely non-aggressive and timid demeanor - preferring running away over biting, and if they do bite, they only have a very mild venom (though the bite itself can hurt a bit at first due to their size.)  The misconception seems to have stemmed from their apparent inability to discern the shape of a human from far away.  Though the feeling of being chased by one of these relatively large arachnids may be intimidating, it's best to just let these gentle giants scurry past and find their next little cozy spot to nestle into. : )

[rattyexplores]

Two Lichen Spider Specimens on this Walk

Pandercetes gracilis

19/07/22

[crevicedwelling]

hello! i love your content and your cool little dudes so much/

i was curious if you had a favorite spider or arachnid in general?

I do not have a favorite spider, although Liphistius & other trapdoors are probably the spiders I like best. there are some very pretty lichen mimic huntsman spiders out there too,

personal arachnid ranking is

Amblypygi

Uropygi incl. Schizomida & Solifugae

Pseudoscorpiones & Palpigradi & Opiliones

Scorpiones

Acari

Araneae

[earthstory]

The Art of Camouflage

As Monty Python pointed out so wisely way back when, the objective of practicing this art is not to be seen (don't hide behind a bush is my suggestion), usually by having the type of coloration or patterning that allows the critter in question to blend into the background in such a way that both predators or prey don't notice their presence (until it's too late in the later). In the case of the fingernail sized lichen huntsman spider of New Guinea and Australia its background is tree bark covered in the eponymous alliance of fungi and algae.

Individuals vary in colour (and can change each time they molt into a larger chitinous exoskeleton), but all resemble one of the species of lichen endemic to these shores. How they detect the colour remains unknown, since spiders are known for a poor sense of vision. They lie in ambush and hunt, leaping onto any prey unfortunate enough to come within range (displaying one of the fastest movements in the Arachnid world), mostly feeding on insects. They are not aggressive to larger creatures, unless you are blundering around a female's eggsacks, but unlike most Australian fauna their venom is mild, resulting in localised swelling and discomfort. However they are remarkably beautiful. When you can see them.

Loz

Image credit: Greg Anderson

http://bit.ly/2Bhl7Wp

[accidentalcamouflage]

The Lichen Huntsman spider - AccidentalCamouflage.tumblr.com [ https://i.redd.it/n153tqro11861.jpg ]