huntsman spider?

[Tormentil]

Is this a huntsman spider? I've trawled though the spiders Gallery and think this may be a huntsman spider....am I right ??

[Oy]

I think you are.

[jezlee]

And I agree ....

[GRH]

This is Pisaura mirabilis, sometimes called the Nursery-web spider, sometimes the Huntsman spider, sometimes Wolf spider!

I'm all for common names, but I think this website will be a much more useful tool, especially internationally, if people would use scientific names where possible as well (he says, trying not to sound pompous!)

Greg

[Alan]

Originally Posted by GRH

This is Pisaura mirabilis, sometimes called the Nursery-web spider, sometimes the Huntsman spider, sometimes Wolf spider!

I'm all for common names, but I think this website will be a much more useful tool, especially internationally, if people would use scientific names where possible as well (he says, trying not to sound pompous!)

Greg

Good point, but I think the members of this site are pretty good on the whole at this. If fact some drive me mad sometimes!.............Jez

Alan - smartus arsus

[Julian C]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

Is this a huntsman spider? I've trawled though the spiders Gallery and think this may be a huntsman spider....am I right ??

[Quote= Julian C;[No, I agree with the identification as being a nursery web species.In the picture you can see several spiderlings in the nursery web.The Huntsman is generally recognisable by its resting posture which is much the same as crab spiders where the legs are drawn together on each side.I live in Malaysia and we have huntsmen here.These are very big, handful size but quite innocuous spiders which create no web merely some diffuse strands around themselves.I had two very large females living in my house and they ate cockroaches.I am not aware of the existence of these spiders in the UK.

[Geoff F]

That is a rather pale specimen but, like so many spiders, they do vary in colouration. I assume that photo was taken last summer.

As others have remarked, common names can be variable and just specific to certain countries or counties. Previously, I had no idea that P. mirabilis was also called Huntsman Spider.