For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Lesser Baboon Spider (Harpactirella overdijki)

Family Theraphosidae
Males are slightly smaller than females and this one was slightly smaller than my open hand.

They are ground dwellers and construct burrows, silk-lined of various depths.

The egg-sac is deposited in the bottom of a j-shaped burrow which might have a hollow space on the side which is used for storage.

They feed on beetles, grasshoppers, millipedes and other spiders.
Info: Spiders of the Kalahari (Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman)