Giant water spider
The giant water spider is one of the biggest spiders in Australia. It lives along slow creeks and waits at the water's edge with its front legs stretched out. When it feels a fish or frog moving in the water, it dives in to catch it.
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Fun facts
The female is about four times as long as the male.
Long hairs on its front legs feel tiny ripples in the water made by fish and frogs.
After diving in, it can stay under water for up to 30 minutes.
The mother carries her egg sac around in her jaws.
Most asked questions about Giant water spider
?How big is the giant water spider?
The female's body is about 3 centimetres long, and her legs make her look much bigger.
?Can the giant water spider go under water?
Yes. It dives in to catch prey and can stay under for up to 30 minutes.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Megadolomedes trux
- Named by
- Lamb, 1911
- Group
- Spiders
- Family
- Dolomedidae
- Classification
- Arachnida > Araneae > Dolomedidae
- Lives on
- Australia and Oceania
Where the facts come from
- Megadolomedes trux (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Greg Tasney. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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