Crab or spider? The Restless One, with a paradisiacal color, contains a unique shape, which until recently we were unaware of and although, due to its position it may seem so, this orange animal is actually a giant spider.
Although there are around 45 thousand species in the world, except Antarctica, the species varies depending on the country, climate and ecosystem of birth.
Although arachnids share common characteristics such as They are carnivorous and they feed on insects by trapping them through the fabrics they weave or their ability to produce strong and sticky silk threads that also prevent insect infestations. Some, like Sadala rauli, are rare species of arachnids on the planet and with differences compared to their group.
Giant crab spider, a new location
In the tropical forests of the Amazon of Ecuador, specifically at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, a group of scientists discovered a new species that they named giant crab. This finding represents the first record of the Sadala spider genus for Ecuador. Previously found in Colombia and Brazil.
These friendly arachnids extend their legs to the sides and show their large size compared to other more common ones. Although their position makes it seem so, in reality they are usually found in Central and South America, from Panama to the central-west of Brazil.
It differs from the spider crab found in the Mediterranean Sea, since the latter is the largest arthropod on Earth, or rather in the sea. The legs are believed to grow up to 4 meters long. But, since they live at great depths.
Spiders vs Giant Crab Spider
Although spiders mostly measure between 0.5 mm, the giant crab reaches a total length of 10.3 to 24.3 mm, making it larger than traditional spiders. And, unlike other spiders, this species does not weave webs to capture its prey.
Although there are poisonous ones in the arachnid world, the giant crab spider can cause allergic reactions with varying degrees of severity. However, it directs its toxins mainly at its prey and predators, so they are not usually lethal to humans.
In addition, it is a species that comes out at night, when it hunts insects which it actively stalks among the vegetation one to two meters above the ground in the forest.
Likewise, only females of this species are known, which are somewhat similar to the females of two Peruvian Sadala species, but the way to differentiate these species is through the morphology of the reproductive apparatus, since they are very similar in their coloration.
Its importance for the Earth
In general, arachnid species are important for the conservation of ecological balance in nature, since they feed on insects and regulate these populations. For example, they commonly prey on things we don’t want, such as flies, some beetles, mosquitoes, and larvae that can eat the fruits.
Species like the new Sadala rauli, named after in honor of Raúl Peñaherrera de la Cadena, They generally feed on insects and other organisms, helping to regulate their populations.