# Woodlouse Spider (*dysdera crocata*) The Woodlouse Spider is a small, brown spider that loves to hunt for its favorite food, woodlice! It has long legs and a big appetite, making it a great little predator in your garden. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** They live in moist places like under stones, logs, and leaf litter. - **Also known as:** Dysdera Spider, Slater Spider, Woodlice Spider ![Woodlouse Spider](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dysdera_crocata_406145843.jpg&width=800) Photo: Matthew Lindsey, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dysdera_crocata_406145843.jpg) ## Appearance The Woodlouse Spider has a distinctive reddish-brown body and legs, contrasting with a smooth, cream-colored abdomen. Its most striking feature is its disproportionately large, forward-pointing dark red fangs, making it visually distinct from other common house spiders. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Dysderidae - **Genus:** Dysdera ## Interesting facts - Their fangs are so long, they are visible from the front! - Their favorite snack, woodlice, inspired their unique name! - These spiders don't spin webs to catch prey; they hunt actively! - Unlike most spiders, they only have six eyes, not eight! ## Special abilities - **Fang Power:** Woodlouse Spiders can deliver a strong bite because of their huge, powerful fangs, that helps them pierce hard-shelled prey. - **Night Hunter:** Woodlouse Spiders have excellent low-light vision that helps them hunt actively and effectively in the dark. - **Silk Sleeper:** Woodlouse Spiders can spin a silk retreat because of their silk glands, that helps them hide safely during the day. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10 mm - **Weight:** 0.1 g - **Lifespan:** 1 years ## Diet & Feeding A specialized hunter of invertebrates, primarily preying on hard-shelled woodlice. - **Primary Foods:** woodlice, isopods, other small invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Common rough woodlouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-rough-woodlouse) (*Porcellio scaber*) — Their primary food source with a tough exoskeleton. - **Hunts:** Common woodlouse (*Oniscus asellus*) — Another common woodlouse species they actively pursue. - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Ground-feeding birds sometimes prey on these spiders. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Woodlouse Spider? Compare body proportions, leg shape, abdomen markings and the web, if there is one. Eye arrangement can be decisive but rarely shows up in a casual phone photo. A web is a supporting clue, not proof of who built it. Spider Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Woodlouse Spider? 10 mm ### How much does Woodlouse Spider weigh? 0.1 g ### How long does Woodlouse Spider live? 1 years ### What does Woodlouse Spider eat? A specialized hunter of invertebrates, primarily preying on hard-shelled woodlice. ### Where is Woodlouse Spider usually found? They live in moist places like under stones, logs, and leaf litter. ### How does Woodlouse Spider hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [City Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-park) — Colorado, US · Park - [Hoffner Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoffner-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Mount Airy Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-airy-forest) — Ohio, US · Forest - [Pines Bridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pines-bridge-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Allentown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/allentown-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Fuller Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fuller-gardens) — New Hampshire, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Woodlouse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/woodlouse-spider) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Woodlouse Spider: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/woodlouse-spider)