Dysdera Crocata

Dysdera crocata, commonly called the woodlouse spider, is a species of spider in the family Dysderidae. It has a tawny orange to dark red cephalothorax and legs, and a shiny pale beige to yellow brown abdomen, with disproportionately large chelicerae for its size, and adults measure 9 to 15 millimeters long. It preys mainly on woodlice, using its powerful jaws to pierce their tough exoskeletons, though laboratory observation shows it will also eat silverfish, earwigs, millipedes, beetles, and crickets. It lives under logs, rocks, bricks, plant pots, and in leaf litter in warm places, building silken retreats in wood crevices or rock cavities and hunting at night without spinning a web. Originally from the Mediterranean region, it now has a cosmopolitan range across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and is the only member of the family Dysderidae known in North America. It can bite humans if handled, but verified bites have caused no serious medical problems beyond localized itchiness in some cases.