Woodlouse Spider

The Woodlouse spider is found throughout the world.

They live in Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. This spider is named for the woodlice it hunts in its habitat. These spiders don’t make a web. Instead, they capture prey with their fangs, then deliver a dose of venom. The lifespan of this spider is two to five years.

5 Incredible Woodlouse Spider Facts!

• This spider gets its name from its primary diet of woodlice.
• While most spiders have eight eyes, these spiders have six.
• They don’t build a web to catch their food.
• A female spider makes a sac out of silken threads to shelter her eggs.
• Baby spiders or spiderlings may be with their mother for up to one year before becoming independent.

Woodlouse Spider Species, Types, and Scientific Name

Dysdera crocata is the scientific name of the woodlouse spider. This spider belongs to the Dysderidae family and is in the order of Araneae. There are more than 500 species of woodlouse spider.

Some other spiders in the Dysderidae family are:

• Dysdera verneaui
• Dysdera erythina
• Dysdera aurgitana
• Dysdera ancora

Appearance: How to Identify Woodlouse Spiders

Woodlouse spiders have a red, orange, or brown cephalothorax along with a bulbous, off-white abdomen. They have eight legs and two rounded, black fangs. This spider has six eyes.

Females are bigger than male woodlouse spiders. This is a common fact in the world of spiders. Males are 0.3 to 0.4 inches long. Females grow to a size of 0.4 to 0.5 inches.

Woodlouse spiders are sometimes mistaken for brown recluse spiders. They are similar in color and size. A brown recluse spider is between 0.3 and 0.4 inches in length. In addition, both spiders can bite a human, but the venom of a brown recluse is more dangerous and can cause serious health issues.

Woodlouse spiders are known to be aggressive. This is especially true when it’s a female spider defending her egg sac. Their sharp, black fangs are effective when this arachnid is defending itself.

One of the most incredible facts about this spider is its fangs are capable of breaking through the exoskeleton of an insect. However, though they are aggressive toward other animals, they are most likely to hide or run away if it sees a human.

In addition, the brownish-red color of this arachnid helps it to blend into a dark habitat. This can help it to hide from predators in the vicinity.

Woodlouse spiders are solitary except when it’s time to find a mate.

Habitat: Where to Find Woodlouse Spiders

Woodlouse spiders live on several continents including North America, South America, Australia, Africa, and Europe.

They seek out a damp, dark habitat. This could be a pile of old logs, a basement, a cellar, or in the wall of a home. Their wall habitat most likely contains damp or rotting wood where woodlice are present.

Diet: What Do Woodlouse Spiders Eat?

Like lots of other spiders, woodlouse spiders are carnivores. They are sometimes called woodlouse hunter spiders because of their stealth when hunting woodlice. These arachnids use speed and their sharp fangs to capture woodlice and other insects. They do their hunting at night which makes them even more difficult to see.

What does a woodlouse spider eat?

Take one look at this spider’s name and you’ll find the main component of its diet. Woodlice! They also eat beetles, millipedes, and other insects.

One of the most intriguing facts about this spider is it doesn’t make a web. It sneaks up on its prey and using its sharp fangs it bites into the insect’s abdomen. This is when the spider delivers venom into its prey.

What eats woodlouse spiders?

Woodlouse spiders have a lot of the same predators as other types of spiders. They are hunted by birds, mice, and snakes.

Prevention: How to Get Rid of Woodlouse Spiders

Woodlice are a big part of the diet of a woodlouse spider. So, getting rid of woodlice is going to get rid of the woodlouse spiders in a house.

Getting rid of woodlice is done by removing their preferred habitat. This means removing rotting wood in a home’s structure or moving a woodpile off the patio and away from a home’s walls. Any damp, dark area is going to be an inviting habitat for both woodlice and woodlouse spiders.

Blocking cracks and crevices in a home’s brick walls can be helpful in preventing woodlouse spiders from coming in.