Sparassidae
Guides
Curicaberis abnormis
Curicaberis abnormis is a species of huntsman spider (Sparassidae) native to North America. Originally described by Keyserling in 1884 as Olios abnormis, it was transferred to the newly established genus Curicaberis in 2015 based on morphological revision. The species is one of nine former Olios species reclassified into Curicaberis, a genus endemic to North and Central America. Like other sparassids, it is characterized by laterigrade legs and flattened body form adapted for living in narrow spaces.
Curicaberis ferrugineus
Curicaberis ferrugineus is a species of huntsman spider (family Sparassidae) native to North and Central America. It was originally described by C. L. Koch in 1836 under the genus Olios and later designated as the type species of the newly erected genus Curicaberis in 2015. The male was described and illustrated for the first time in the 2015 taxonomic revision. The species is one of nine transferred from Olios to Curicaberis, part of a broader reorganization of Sparassidae systematics in the Americas.
Curicaberis peninsulanus
Peninsular Huntsman Spider
Curicaberis peninsulanus is a huntsman spider in the family Sparassidae, originally described by Banks in 1898 from Olios and transferred to the genus Curicaberis in 2015. The species is distributed across Mexico and the southwestern United States. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to the subfamily Sparassinae and exhibits typical sparassid morphology.
Heteropoda
Giant Huntsman Spiders
Heteropoda is a genus of huntsman spiders (family Sparassidae) comprising approximately 189 species, primarily distributed across tropical Asia and Australia. The genus includes some of the largest living spiders, with H. maxima reaching legspans up to 30 cm. H. venatoria, the pantropical huntsman spider, has achieved cosmopolitan distribution through human transport and is frequently encountered in international cargo, particularly banana shipments.
Sparassidae
Huntsman spiders, Giant crab spiders, Wood spiders
Sparassidae, commonly known as huntsman spiders or giant crab spiders, comprises a family of large, fast-moving araneomorph spiders distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Members are characterized by laterigrade legs—oriented horizontally to the body—that enable them to navigate narrow crevices and vertical surfaces with ease. The family includes both solitary and social species, with some genera exhibiting prolonged subsociality where females share retreats with multiple generations of offspring for extended periods. Several species are known to occasionally appear in temperate regions through human commerce, particularly in banana shipments.