The woodlouse spider is hunting spider specialized in preying on woodlice. Adult males (9 to 10 mm long) are smaller than adult females (11 to 15 mm). The spider has a dark red thorax and an orange-brown abdomen. The legs are slender and pointed. It has six eyes and not the customary eight, arranged in a horseshoe pattern. The woodlouse spider has long fangs folded like a pair of switchblades.
The day the woodlouse spider spends in special hiding places lined with silk. At night it hunts without the use of a web by rummaging warm, damp places for their favorite food. The spider’s powerful jaws are designed to capture woodlice and pierce their armor.
While pulling weeds, I accidentally encountered a woodlouse spider in my garden a few days ago. I placed it into a white, shallow plastic box and captured it from the side. You may imagine that this was a tricky affair.