Desert Huntsman Spider

Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs SpidersAustralian Golden Orb Weaver Australian Huntsman Spiders (Sparassidae) Backobourkines Banded Garden Spider Beautiful Badge Huntsman (Neosparassus calligaster) Cytaea sp Desert Huntsman Spider Elegant Water Spider (Dolomedes facetus) Hackled Orb-weavers Hortophora sp Long-jawed Orb Weavers Long-tailed St. Andrew’s Cross Spider Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) Miturgidae (Elassoctenus spp) Red-headed Mouse Spider Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti) Wall Spider (Oecobius sp)

Known as the Desert Huntsman, the species Isopedella inola spider is part of the Australian Huntsman Spiders group belonging to the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae).

Huntsman Spiders are often found under the loose bark of trees, in crevices, under rocks and rock walls. With the urban sprawl, many have successfully adapted, especially where the homes have gardens. This Desert Huntsman (Isopedella inola) pictured here was photographed on the ceiling roof joist over a car space in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.

In the following series of photographs of the Isopedella inola huntsman spider, it was hiding among some yucca plant cuttings sitting in bins at the same location as pictured above. The lifespan of most Huntsman species is said to be about two years or more. The following photos of the Isopedella inola were taken approximately 16 months apart to those photos above, so it may be that they are the same spider.