A few weeks ago, I was taking my pet to the vet and noticed a rather odd looking bug crawl out of the pet carrying case. Before I could ascertain what it was it had slipped under the car seat. My impression was that it sort of looked like a tick, if only because it had a spider-like upper body and a large, bloated, white flesh colored abdomen. I had never seen anything like it.
Then last night, one appeared in the basement. I looked it up online and it appears this creature is a “Sowbug Killer”. The Latin name is Dysdera crocota, and it definitely looks like a Dysdera crocota. Not the cutest thing I have ever seen. Its abdomen kind of looks like a big pine nut. It eats pillbugs and there are plenty of those around, so it’s a good thing this funky looking guy is thriving in my basement. They are known to bite humans “if handled;” luckily I haven’t been tempted. They have a strong proclivity to bite, actually they really like to bite. They have aggressive natures and very strong chelicerae, or mouth parts.
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