Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus 1767)

Jäger, Peter, 2007, Spiders from Laos with descriptions of new species (Arachnida: Araneae), Acta Arachnologica 56 (1), pp. 29-58 : 55

Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus 1767)

Material examined. 1 female ( SMF 56639 ), L1, toilet in guest house, at night, by hand, PJ 2364, SD 119 . 1 male ( SMF 56647 ), L3, by night, by hand, 6.XI. 2004, PJ 2499, SD 128 . 1 male ( SMF 56652 ), L5, by hand, 7.XI. 2004, PJ 2489, SD 133 . 1 male ( SMF 56662 ), L8, jungle close to Tham Phun, in cavity of tree, by hand, PJ 2638, SD 138 . 1 male ( SMF 56659 , PJ 2361, SD 139) , 1 female ( SMF 56660 , PJ 2362, SD 140), L10, by night, by hand, 12.XI.2006. 1 female ( SMF 56679 ), L13, by night, by hand, 5.111.2006, PJ 2502, SD 503 . 1 male ( SMF 56668 ), L22, adult: V.2005, dead: 14.VI.2005, PJ 2514, SD 195, fotos 8351-8388 (fotos 8454-8472) . 1 female ( SMF 56670 ), L21, PJ 2388 . 1 male ( SMF 56673 ), L34, cave, by hand, 8.XII.2005, PJ 2496 . 1 female ( PJ 2491), 1 juvenile female ( SMF 56631 ), L29, by hand, 24.11.2003 .

This species occurs likewise in natural and man-made habitats. In natural habitats it is found together with the similarly sized H. tetrica (s. above). Both species exibit a clear sexual colour dimorphism with males having a highcontrast pattern on their dorsal shield of prosoma, whereas females are almost uniformly brown. H. venatoria tends to be a bit brighter than H. tetrica , especially in females, but due to variation in both species the examination of copulatory organs is recommended for proper identification.