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Woodlouse Spider

Dysdera crocata

Family: Dysderidae
Order: Araneae
Class: Arachnida
Phylum / Division: Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

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Description: Medium-sized spider. It has an intense red-colored cephalothorax, orange legs, and a whitish abdomen. A notable feature is the large chelicerae, which can be seen with the naked eye. They can produce a painful bite if handled but do not possess venom dangerous to humans.

Sexual Dimorphism: Slightly noticeable, males have longer legs and a smaller abdomen compared to females. The male pedipalps are long, and the reproductive structures are quite noticeable.

Habitat: Under logs, rocks, or other objects on the ground, primarily in wooded areas. Common in urban gardens.

Geographical Distribution: Native species from Europe, now has a cosmopolitan distribution as a result of unintentional human introduction. Abundant in the city of Buenos Aires and surrounding areas.

Behavior: Nocturnal, they take refuge during the day in a silk sack they create under an object on the ground. At night, they emerge from their shelters to hunt. They are active hunters that do not build webs or use silk to capture prey. They capture their food using their chelicerae.

Feeding: They feed exclusively on terrestrial isopods (pill bugs), which they capture using their long, curved chelicerae to pierce the soft parts of their prey´s abdomen.

Author of this description: Nicolás Olejnik




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Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 15707
  Juvenile

Reserva Natural del Pilar
Buenos Aires
Argentina
09/14/2012
Nicolas Olejnik



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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
145241626/08/2021ArgentinaBuenos AiresReserva Natural Laguna de RochaNicolas Olejnik
95248927/07/2019ArgentinaBuenos AiresSan Antonio de PaduaNicolas Olejnik
77867614/07/2018ArgentinaBuenos AiresParque y Reserva Natural Municipal Los Robles, Área Natural Protegida Dique Ingeniero RoggeroNicolas Olejnik
63935111/11/2017ArgentinaBuenos AiresParque y Reserva Natural Municipal Los Robles, Área Natural Protegida Dique Ingeniero RoggeroNicolas Olejnik
51273108/12/2016ArgentinaBuenos AiresRamos MejíaNicolas Olejnik
4124814/09/2012ArgentinaBuenos AiresReserva Natural del PilarNicolas Olejnik
17150913/05/2011ArgentinaBuenos AiresReserva Natural del PilarNicolas Olejnik
2194207/03/2010ArgentinaBuenos AiresEl Moro, Marcos PazNicolas Olejnik
17151011/07/2009ArgentinaBuenos AiresSierra de los PadresNicolas Olejnik
Page 1

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Citation recommended:

EcoRegistros. 2026. Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera crocata) - Species sheet. Acceded from https://www.ecoregistros.org on 11/04/2026.