Woodlouse-predator
Guides
Dysdera
woodlouse hunter, sowbug killer, slater-eating spider, woodlouse spider, pillbug hunter
Dysdera is a genus of spiders in the family Dysderidae, first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. The genus originated from Central Asia to Central Europe and has since spread globally through human commerce. Members are specialized predators of woodlice (terrestrial isopods), using enlarged chelicerae and long fangs to pierce their armored prey. The genus exhibits remarkable adaptive radiation, particularly on oceanic islands—most notably the Canary Islands, where 48 endemic species occur. Dysdera crocata, the cosmopolitan woodlouse hunter, is the only widespread species outside its native range and the sole representative in North America.