Meet Legs and Co.

What we stumbled across was a 3 year old 'Huntsman' or 'Banana Spider'. Latin name Heteropadidae Venatoria. It was particularly aggressive as it was carrying an egg sack and could have given a mildly poisonous bite to anyone not in its favor. This type of spider, which has a leg span of about 10 centimetres and a very 'juicy' body is common in the tropical areas of the world. Despite being mildly poisonous it is welcome in its normal habitat of houses and other buildings thanks to its very convenient , (but disgusting), appetite for cockroaches.

Typically prey is dropped onto from above, bitten, injected with enzymes and the entrails 'sucked out'. The Huntsman, like all spiders, is equipped with spinnerets but rather than using them to spin a web it only uses them for the construction of the egg sack and the equivalent of arachnid absailing!

The spider, which has been christened 'Legs and Co' by the Leeds University Department of Biology should live for at least another two years, sustained on a diet of live crickets and maggots. During this period it will be used extensively in the education of under graduate students at the University. Apparently vivisection is not on the menu!

We would like to thank Leeds City Council's 'Tropical World' and Dr. Dean Waters of the Department Of Biology at the University Of Leeds for their assistance in identifying 'Legs & Co', providing it with a home, and us with the data with which to write this article.

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