Spelungula cavernicola

As much as I hate spiders I had to at least try and get a decent shot of one of these Spelungula cavernicola.

They’re a bit of a superstar in the NZ insect world being the first insect to get formal protection and being the largest spider (in terms of leg span). They’re only found in a few caves in the Nelson and Buller region.

Their main prey is the cave weta which they hunt from the cave ceilings.