Bug Wiki
Sticker of Madagascar hermit spider
Bug card No. 2711 of 4,939

Madagascar hermit spider

Nephilingis livida
Name means: “from a Latin word that can mean both bluish and mean-tempered”
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsSpidersHouses and farms8 legsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The Madagascar hermit spider lives on the island of Madagascar and on small islands nearby. The female is big and can have a cream, brown, blue or even purple body. The male is tiny next to her.

Fun fact: spiders are not insects. Insects have six legs, spiders have eight. Everyone calls them bugs anyway!
Lives in
Madagascar and nearby islands like the Comoros and Seychelles, often in and around houses
Length
0.3 to 2.4 cm (0.12 to 0.94 in)
females are much bigger than males
Top speed
about 1.9 km/h (1.2 mph)
On foot, estimate
What does it eat?
Like all spiders, it catches insects and other small creatures.
For real!Photo of Madagascar hermit spider
Picture by Sarefo. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

Madagascar hermit spider about 2.4 cm long (0.94 in)A grain of rice about 6 mm (0.24 in)A toy building brick about 3.2 cm (1.3 in)A crayon about 9 cm (3.5 in)
as long as 4 grains of rice in a rowcould run across a dinner table in 1.9 secondsmoves 22 times its own body length every second

How big is Madagascar hermit spider compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

A female can be up to 24 millimetres long, while a male is only 3 to 5 millimetres.

2

The male has a grey body with little white dots.

3

In Madagascar it is often found living in people's houses.

4

Until 2011 scientists thought it was the same kind as a cousin spider. Then they found out it is its own species.

you asked

Most asked questions about Madagascar hermit spider

?How big is the Madagascar hermit spider?

Females are about 15 to 24 millimetres long. Males are much smaller, only 3 to 5 millimetres.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Nephilingis livida
Group
Spiders
Family
Nephilidae
Classification
Arachnida > Araneae > Nephilidae
Lives on
Africa

Where the facts come from

  1. Nephilingis livida (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Sarefo. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip

More from the same group: Spiders

Also at home here: Houses and farms

Honey jarfor grown-ups