Green Huntsman, Micrommata virescens

10mm sub-adult male Green Huntsman, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 6th April 2025.

Huntsman Spiders - Sparassidae

The Green Huntsman is the UK's only Huntsman species. Worldwide there are over 1380 species of Huntsman, split between 96 genera, within the family Sparassidae, formerly the family Heteropodidae. Rather than building webs Huntsman Spiders catch their prey by hunting, which may involve ambushing their prey, slowly stalking their prey, or chasing down their prey. Huntsman Spiders are sometimes referred to as Giant Crab Spiders, due to their size, leg arrangement and general appearance. Some of the larger Huntsman species are sometimes known as Wood Spiders, because of their preference for woody habitats.

Throughout the world Huntsman Spiders can usually be found in warm, temperate or tropical environments. Sparassids typically have 8 eyes, but there is at least one exception. There is a cave-dwelling species, Sinopoda caeca, which is found in the caves of Vang Vieng, in Laos. This pale, almost beige, spider is completely devoid of any eyes. This is a fairly common adaptation by creatures that live their entire lives in complete darkness. - LINK. Laos also has some of the largest Huntsman Spiders in the world too. The male Giant Huntsman, Heteropoda maxima, has an incredible leg span of around 25–30 cm. One of the most striking species of Huntsman is the David Bowie Spider, Heteropoda davidbowie. A large, hairy, orange huntsman, discovered in Malaysia. This huntsman was named in honour of the British rock star, David Bowie, and was first described in 2008. - LINK

Bites from Huntsman Spiders are typically mild, and do not usually require any hospital treatment. There are a minority of large Sparassids, such as some Rain Spiders, from the Palystes genus, and the Huntsman Spiders from the Neosparassus genus, that have been known to inflict quite painful bites, that can on occasion be associated with localised swelling and pain, nausea, headaches, vomiting, irregular and elevated pulse rate, and heart palpitations, indicating the possibility of systemic neurotoxin effects.

The Green Huntsman - (Micrommata virescens)

The vast majority of Sparassidae (Huntsman Spiders) are distributed in tropical, warm, and temperate regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean Basin, with most species being found in the warmer areas between 40° south and 40° north latitude. Micrommata virescens, which occurs from England to Russia, and all the way to Japan, is an exception. This species has a Palearctic distribution. It occurs naturally in Northern and Central Europe, including Denmark and Great Britain The Green Huntsman is the only native species of Huntsman found in the UK. This is a very striking and distinctive looking spider, that shouldn't be confused with any other species in the UK, with the possible exception of maybe the Green Crab Spider, Diaea dorsata. Adult Green Huntsman don't reach the large size of many other Huntsman spiders around the world. Adult female Micrommata virescens typically grow to around 10-15mm in body-length, with gravid females occasionally reaching up to17mm. The slightly smaller males typically reach about 7-10mm in body-length. This is a relatively slow growing spider and both sexes usually take about 18 months or more to reach maturity.

Micrommata virescens was first described back in 1757 by the naturalist Carl Clerck. Initially the male and female were mistakenly believed to be different species and the name Araneus virescens was assigned for the female and Araneus roseus for the male. - LINK

Like other Huntsman species, from various other countries, the Green Huntsman does not build a web to catch its prey. Instead the Green Huntsman relies on its camouflage and it's speed and agility to ambush its prey. Many synanthropic Sparassidae, from around the world, are brown or grey in colour. These colours help them to go unnoticed upon the walls of buildings on which they hunt. Obviously against such backgrounds the vividly bright green colouration of the Green Huntsman would afford it no camouflage at all, but against the bright green vegetation of the meadows, where this species can be found, their bright green colours provide the spider with surprisingly good camouflage.

The Green Huntsman often waits motionless, head facing downwards, and waits for prey to come within range before moving at great speed to pounce on its victim. The Green Huntsman is also quite a competent jumper too and will use its jumping skills to pounce on prey, or to evade capture from predators. Sometimes the spider will patrol the foliage, actively looking for prey to slowly stalk up on, before launching an attack. Green Huntsman spiders feed on a variety of small invertebrates that wander or land within range of their strike. Whilst they feed on a variety of prey my studies of the species has revealed that they seem to have a preference for small flying prey, especially small flies, Gnats and midges. Larger female specimens have even been known to take Honey Bees. - LINK

The Green Huntsman has a widespread but very scattered distribution in the UK, mainly in the southern half of England and SE Wales, and is classed as a nationally scarce species in Britain. See distribution map here. Even in areas where it is present it is never abundant in numbers, and can still be very difficult to find. Although largely confined to the southern half of Britain Micrommata virescens is also present at a small number of sites in central and northern England too. In September 2023 one specimen was photographed in Liverpool, at Stoneycroft, not too far from Newsham Park. - LINK. On 7th October 2023 a female specimen was photographed in a forest in Northamptonshire, near Corby. - LINK

Adult females are a very vivid green colour, with a slightly paler green abdomen, which often displays a darker median stripe in the centre. The adult males are also green in colour but are slightly darker in shade and not quite as bright green as the females. The abdomen of the adult male is a reddish-brown colour, with two longitudinal yellow stripes. Green Huntsman Spiders have eight small black eyes, positioned in an oval pattern, that are each encircled by a ring of short, white hairs. The genus name "Micrommata" originates from Greek and roughly translates to "with small eyes". The Greek words "micros" (μικρός, meaning small) and "mati" (μάτι, meaning eye).

Green Huntsman spiders are typically found in damp grass meadows and sheltered woodland edges and clearings, where they seem to favour the lower branches of young oak trees, tall grass, large clumps of heather, bracken and sedge tussocks. Other habitats may include moorland, heathland, parks and occasionally gardens that are close to ideal habitat. Mating most commonly takes place around June. Mating can be a lengthy process for Micrommata virescens. In 2004 one captive pairing of Micrommata virescens mated in front of the media, at a museum in Germany, for 4 and 1/2 hours. - LINK. There is an account in The World of Spiders (New Naturalist series) by the arachnologist W.S. Bristowe. Bristowe reports "There is no preliminary courtship, the male simply jumping on to the much larger female and seizing her abdomen or a leg with his chelicerae (jaws). The female makes no resistance while he climbs on to her back and leans over, allowing him to insert one of his palps. Mating may last 6 or 7 hours with each palp being inserted only once. At the end he retires rapidly."

After mating males make a rapid escape, but reportedly they still die within a few days after mating. Males that don't make a hasty retreat immediately after mating are eaten by the females. Where Micrommata virescens are found in good concentrations the females may engage in multiple matings, with different male specimens, to ensure fertilization. Mated females then head off to build a large silken brood-chamber for their egg-sac, usually constructed around 30-50cm above the ground. The retreat is typically made using small leaves, which are curled over and stitched together with silken threads. Oak tree saplings and other broad-leaved trees are regular choices for their retreat. Sometimes Bracken is used. On September 17th 2021 Luke Chambers found a couple of adult female Micrommata virescens with their brooding retreats built on Bog Myrtle, Myrica gale, at a site in Dorset - LINK.

A clutch of around 30-50 bright green eggs are then deposited, and are loosely bound together in a thin egg-sac covering, made of white silk. Although the female typically produces a single egg-sac one online source claims that the female may produce up to three egg-sacs within her retreat. The female guards her egg-sac without leaving her retreat unattended, even to feed. During this time of guarding the female can look quite emaciated. After about 4 weeks the eggs hatch. The 1st instar spiderlings moult immediately, or within a couple of days of hatching. The 2nd instar spiderlings remain within the retreat, under the supervision of the adult female, until they are ready to disperse and fend for themselves, which can be as soon as just one week after hatching.

When the spiderlings first hatch they are also bright green in colour and look like tiny garden peas with legs. You can see fantastic photos of the newly hatch spiderlings with the adult female here: SPIDERLINGS 1 SPIDERLINGS 2 SPIDERLINGS 3. The young juveniles typically disperse and start their independent lives in the latter half of July, or the start of August. On 5th July 2025 WS_Dorset_Macro shared a photo of an adult female Micrommata virescens guarding her egg-sac in Dorset. - LINK

The green colouration of the new spiderlings doesn't last long though and as the summer sun dries out the surrounding grass and vegetation the green spiderlings also show a distinct change in colour. This seasonal change in colour is a design by nature that allows the spiderlings to blend in with their habitat. The now independent juvenile specimens range in colour, from a light tan, to pale yellowish-green, or greenish-brown, or a combination of green and brown. They can also have reddish brown stripes, or flecks, on the abdomen and carapace, and reddish-brown spots on the legs and palps too. Theses muted green-brown shades of the juvenile Green Huntsman spiders affords them excellent camouflage amidst the autumnal colours of the surrounding vegetation. By winter all the juvenile spiders tend to be brown in colour. As the second spring arrives and the vegetation is bringing forth bright green new leaves, shoots and buds, the spiders once again go through another change colour. Most sub-adult specimens found in the spring are vivid green in colour, and blend in superbly with the fresh new vegetation that surrounds them. This transition from green, to duller shades of green and brown in the winter, and then back to a vivid green in the spring, is a rather impressive form of seasonal polyphenism.

After overwintering for the second time the immature specimens are in their final stage, before reaching maturity, and both male and female specimens are now mostly bright green in colour, similar to the adult females. Once again their bright green colouration affords them excellent camouflage against the new springtime leaves and buds. The green colouration results from the bilin pigment "micromatabilin" found in both the hemolymph and tissue fluids, which develop in the second spring, normally prior to the spider’s final moult, and not after the final moult, as many other sources incorrectly claim. Occasionally some specimens can retain a reddish-brown colouration right up until maturity, and occasionally even through to maturity as well., but this is very uncommon. See colourful sub-adult specimen here. Both sexes typically reach maturity in late spring or early summer. It is reported that juvenile Micrommata virescens exhibit a total of 9 instars for males and 10 for females to reach maturity. - LINK. Adults can normally be found from around April or May through until July, but some specimens may persist until October. May to August being the best months for females, and May to June the best for males. The majority of young juveniles typically disperse and start their independent lives at the end of July or the start of August. During late summer it is possible to find three separate generations of Micrommata virescens at the same time: adult specimens, juvenile specimens from the previous year, and newly hatched juveniles too.

British Spiders Spiders of Europe iNaturalist

Other People's Studies and Observations of Micrommata virescens

In 1995 studies of captive Micrommata virescens specimens, by Arthur Hall, Monika Lux & Ania Hall, showed that when kept in optimal conditions, at optimal temperatures and with optimal exposure to light, Micrommata virescens can develop more rapidly, and may reach maturity within just 7-9 months. They reported that wild Micrommata virescens specimens in Germany typically take three years to reach maturity, but some males hatched at the start of the season may reach maturity in their second year. They also reported that in the northern end of the species range it may take more than three years for the spiders to reach maturity. - LINK

In October of 2024 a beautiful pink-coloured juvenile Micrommata virescens was photographed in Serbia. - LINK

On 7th September 2025amateur arachnologist and photographer, Luke Chambers, went in search of brooding Micrommata virescens to photograph in Dorset, and made the following comment about his observations: "I saw around 3 egg sac retreats, all empty. One of which had a dead female inside, which had turned brown so it must have been there a while." It's uncertain whether any of the adult females ever leave their brooding retreats after the spiderlings have dispersed. It's also unclear whether the spiderlings feed on their mother if she dies in the retreat before the spiderlings have dispersed. These are questions that I hope to answer one day through my studies of this species. - LINK

A series of photos of adult female Micrommata virescens, along with their brooding retreats built in bracken in the New Forest, in Hampshire, were shared to Facebook in 2016 by Jackie Ley. The photos were taken on 22nd July. Interestingly these photos show that the adult females may choose to build their brooding retreats on either bright green bracken, which gives them excellent camouflage, or on older, brown bracken, where the bright green spider stands out like a sore thumb! It's also interesting to observe that the female doesn't seal herself away with the eggs. Some of Jackie's photos clearly show of the female specimens, that had already laid their eggs, and were sitting on the outside of their brooding retreat, and guarding the eggs from any potential threats. In the second link Jackie shared photos of another adult female specimen, sitting on the outside of her brooding retreat. This specimen was clearly still gravid and was just soaking up the sun. This shows that the female may not immediately deposit her eggs after constructing her brood chamber. Jackie also commented that "During September, I witnessed a female encase herself in an empty retreat, as if to hibernate / die / be eaten by this year's young". - LINK. LINK 2

A mating pair of Micrommata virescens were captured in the south of France, by Ed Nieuwenhuys, and were taken into captivity. Both were kept in the same enclosure and both spiders keenly fed upon flies placed in their enclosure. Despite being well fed on three flies the female still ate the male over the first night, as he was unable to escape from the enclosure. The female went on to produce an egg-sac that resulted in 50 spiderlings being hatched. The female, which looked quite emaciated following her guarding of the egg-sac, was able to put on weight again whilst being fed in captivity. She went on to build a second retreat, and produce another egg-sac. The second egg-sac contained 20 viable eggs which all hatched successfully. - LINK

Is Micrommata virescens a diurnal species?

The Green Huntsman is described in all written literature that I read, and in all other online sources, as being a diurnal species. Whilst this is largely true my own observations of this spider in captivity quickly revealed that the Green Huntsman is actually cathemeral, and during warmer conditions can be found hunting for prey both night and day. On several occasions when I placed live food into the spider's enclosure the prey would still be alive and wandering around late in the evening. When I checked on the spider again in the very early hours of the morning, whilst it was still completely dark, the spider was found on several occasions to be feeding on the prey it had just caught, thus proving that these spiders definitely also hunt at night. My conclusion is the Green Huntsman readily preys upon flying insects, such as flies, whilst they rest at night.

Green Huntsman have also been known to turn up on occasion in moth traps too, confirming that in the wild they are still actively searching at night for prey. On 18th April 2023 at least 8 juvenile and sub-adult Micrommata virescens were found in moth traps set in Three Groves Wood, in Chalford, Gloucestershire. - LINK. On 24th May 2022 an adult male Micrommata virescens was found underneath a sheet, that had been placed beneath a moth trap, on the Bathurst Estate near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. This adult male may have been hunting or it may have been searching for a female mating partner. - LINK. There's also an example of a female Micrommata ligurina being found in a moth trap in SW France on 31st November 2018. - LINK

Micrommata virescens in other countries.

Outside of the UK Micrommata virescens is also found in parts of Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.

In Ireland Micrommata virescens is considered to be rare and is primarily found in the southwest, specifically in Killarney National Park. Some records have also come from parts of County Cork and South Tipperary. A gravid adult female specimen was photographed in South Tipperary, in southern Ireland, as it climbed upon an Oak sapling, looking to build its brooding retreat. - LINK.

In Germany Micrommata virescens is called the “Grüne huschspinne” which translates to the wonderful colloquial name of the “Green Whoosh Spider”, due to their incredible bursts of sudden speed, when hunting or escaping from a potential predator. They are sometimes also known as the Green Swift Spider. In 2004 Germany declared "Micrommata virescens" as their "spider of the year" to raise awareness of this scarce species and to promote public sympathy for spiders. - LINK

In Italy Micrommata virescens is sometimes known as the Green Meadow Hunter.

In Sweden, where Micrommata virescens is the only Huntsman species, it is known as the Green Leaf Spider, Gröna bladspindeln. Sometimes it is simply known as the "Jättekrabbspindel" which refers to all Huntsman species.

In Spain Micrommata virescens is known as “Araña verde”. Spain also has Micrommata ligurina, and Micrommata aljibica, which is an endemic species to southern Spain.

In France Micrommata virescens is usually known as either the Green Huntsman Spider "Araignée-chasseuse verte" or the Emerald Spider "Micrommate émeraude / Araignée émeraude".

In Denmark Micrommata virescens is known as the Emerald Spider

In Finland, where Micrommata virescens is the only Huntsman species, it is known as Viherjahdikki or Viherhämähäkki, the Green-tailed Hawk or the Green Hunting Spider.

In Belgium Micrommata virescens is known as Мікрамата зеленаватая, the Greenish Micromat. Or sometimes Мікрамата ружавая, the Pink Micromat, which must be a reference to the red colouration of the flanks of the adult male's abdomen.

Are Green Huntsman Spiders Dangerous to Humans?

No, Green Huntsman spiders are completely harmless to humans. Whilst anything with jaws is potentially capable of biting Micrommata species are not inclined to bite humans, even when carefully handled. Instead they rely strongly on their speed and agility to escape. I have never heard of anyone ever being bitten by any Micrommata species, anywhere in the world, but the venom of Micrommata species is of no consequence to humans even if the spiders were to bite. Having personally handled Green Huntsman spiders on dozens of occasions myself none have ever displayed any defensive behaviour at all, other than to try and escape.

Green Huntsman habitat, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, May 2025.

My search for the Green Huntsman

Ashdown Forest is a huge site in Sussex, and is a mixture of heathland, woodland and open grassland. Even though I knew that the Green Huntsman was known to be established at parts of Ashdown Forest I had searched the site in vain for two years, hoping to find this species. I visited the site over a dozen times, and searched various parts of Ashdown Forest, but failed to find this elusive spider on any of my visits during 2023 and 2024. Eventually on the 6th May 2025 I finally found a 10mm sub-adult female specimen, perched on heather, that was growing in an open, wooded section of the forest. Unfortunately the spider was looking a little worse for wear and had clearly been in a confrontation with a predator, or maybe a prey specimen that had valiantly fought back. As a result it was missing two front legs and a pedipalp. I realised that if the spider was immature, and if it had long enough before its next moult, then there was a good chance that it would be able to regenerate its missing limbs, at least to some degree. I decided to take the spider into captivity for a while and see if it would be able to recover, and repair itself, if fed well.

Despite the spider's obvious handicaps this Green Huntsman still proved quite capable of hunting and catching prey, including live crickets and flies that I introduced into the spacious enclosure. After four weeks in captivity the spider had faired rather well and eventually moulted. During that time the spider had been able to regenerate the missing limbs, and missing pedipalp, to some extent. Unfortunately the replacement limbs were considerably shorter than the spider's original limbs but the spider managed just fine on them. The spider had obviously lost its missing legs too late in the spider's moulting cycle for it to have time to fully regenerate the missing legs to their full length. Other than its slightly larger size, and the shorter newly regenerated limbs, the female Micrommata virescens hadn't really changed much in its appearance since moulting. This confirms that both sub-adult female and adult female Green Huntsman spiders cannot be easily distinguished without a close look at the female's epigyne. At this point I decided to return to Ashdown Forest and release the spider back into the wild so it could find a mating partner.

On the 14th May I returned to exactly the same spot where the spider was originally found, and the spider was released back onto the exact clump of heather where it originated from. I had hoped to take some shots of the spider on the heather but once out of its pot it wasted no time in making a dash for its freedom, and didn't stick around for long enough to be photographed. Whilst there I thought I would try my luck once again and see if I could find another, more photogenic and complete, specimen, and maybe even a male specimen too.

I carefully checked through the heather and was delighted to find another female specimen on the same heather bush. This one was slightly larger than the one that had just been released and measured 11mm. More importantly this female specimen still had all its limbs. I continued my search in the immediate vicinity and soon found another 10mm specimen, just 3ft from the first, on another nearby heather bush. It wasn't until I started taking photos that I realised that this time I'd found myself a sub-adult male specimen. Juvenile and sub-adult males and females both look very similar, and usually cannot easily be distinguished. Apart from noticing the slight palpal bulb on the sub-adult male specimen the next difference was the slight variation in the shade of the male. The abdomen was the same bright, almost luminescent green as the female, but the cephalothorax and the legs were slightly darker in shade than the female, and overall the spider had a slightly less translucent appearance. As if finding two Green Huntsmen wasn't enough for me I then went on to find a third specimen a little latter on. This one was another sub-adult female, of around 10mm in length, and was also found on heather, about 20-30ft from the other two.

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 6th April 2025.

My first ever Green Huntsman find. This rather pale, sub-adult female specimen, had two missing legs and a missing pedipalp. Depending on how long ago she lost the missing limbs she may not have time to fully regenerate them before her final moult.

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 6th April 2025.

The genus name, Micrommata, actually means "with small eyes", and refers to the spider's 8 small black eyes, that are encircled by tiny white hairs.

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 6th April 2025.

10mm sub-adult male Green Huntsman. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025.

11mm female Green Huntsman. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025.

10mm sub-adult male Green Huntsman. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025.

11mm female Green Huntsman on Heather at Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman on Bracken. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025.

This Green Huntsman was perched on Bracken, next to a parasitic Deer Tick, Ixodes scapularis. Ixodes scapularis are highly numerous at Ashdown Forest. I observed many of these small Deer Ticks on both Bracken and Heather, and found three specimens on my arm in a single visit to Ashdown Forest in May 2025.

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman on Bracken. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 14th May 2025.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman, 3 days after final moult, 23rd May 2025.

The sub-adult male Green Huntsman was taken into captivity until it reached maturity, before being released once again at Ashdown Forest. On the 20th May the male shed its exoskeleton for the last time and reached maturity. I was surprised to notice that the newly matured male specimen was still entirely green. It lacked the red / brown abdominal median stripe and reddish flanks typically associated with mature male specimens, and its abdomen was still green rather than yellow. A close up look at the pedipalps revealed fully developed palpal bulbs, confirming that this was now definitely a mature male. The palpal bulbs were also still green in colour, rather than dark brown.

The mature male remained as it looks in these photos for two days after reaching maturity. Gradually the male's abdomen then started taking on its yellow and red colouration. One week after reaching maturity the dark green median stripe on the spider's abdomen started turning red at the cephalothorax end. The rest of the stripe turned red within a couple more days. The pedipalps now showed dark brown palpal bulbs. The overall bright green colouration of the spider dulled and took on a dirty green appearance. By the 31st May, 11 days after reaching maturity, the male now had reddish-brown abdominal flanks and the median stripe was now bright red.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman, 3 days after final moult, 23rd May 2025.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman, 8 days after final moult, 23rd May 2025.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman, 16 days after final moult, 1st June 2025.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman on Bracken. Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 8th June 2025.

13mm adult female Green Huntsman on grazed grass in Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 8th June 2025.

This adult female specimen was left undisturbed to show its natural ambush position. The spider waits motionless, facing downwards, on vegetation about 50cm from the ground. Any invertebrates that wander beneath the spider are pounced on at great speed by the Green Huntsman. This specimen was found on grass, growing in the middle of bracken, less than 3ft away from a juvenile Bog Raft Spider. The smaller Raft Spider would stand no chance against the speed and agility of the Huntsman, should the two species cross paths. Once fully grown though the Raft Spider would be considerably larger than the Green Huntsman, and I suspect the Huntsman would be very wary of tackling a spider of that size.

Green Huntsman spiders, filmed at East Sussex, during 2025 & 2026.

10mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman. May 2025.

10mm adult male Green Huntsman. June 2025.

2nd or 3rd instar 2.5mm Green Huntsman spiderling on Bracken at Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 10th August 2025.

During June and July I paid several visits to Ashdown Forest searching for Micrommata virescens, and hoping to find an adult female Green Huntsman hidden away in her retreat with an an egg-sac, or better still with her newly hatched spiderlings. Unfortunately despite my searching I failed to find exactly what I was after. I wasn't able to visit the site towards the end of July or at the start of August either. It seems I was a couple of weeks too late by the time I visited again on 10th August as the spiderlings had already dispersed. I was able to find half a dozen of these tiny 2.5mm spiderlings on Bracken though. They varied in colour from very pale green to pale brown, as well as this beautiful red & green coloured specimen. For their size the speed and agility of these 2.5mm spiderlings was absolutely incredible, and far exceeded that of any other similarly sized spider I have ever photographed. These spiderlings were probably between 2-4 weeks old at this stage. Throughout 2025 I was lucky enough to find more than a dozen Micrommata virescens in total. All were found on vegetation and a height of between 1-3ft above the ground. Most of these were found at around 2ft above ground level.

Another 2nd or 3rd instar 2.5mm Green Huntsman spiderling found on Bracken at Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 10th August 2025.

4mm (9 week old) female Green Huntsman spiderling, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 9th September 2025. Specimen 1.

At 4mm in length the spiderlings were now 6-8 weeks of age and varied considerably in appearance. Some were still looking fairly similar to their appearance 4 weeks prior, whilst others were starting to resemble miniatures of the adult and sub-adult specimens. At this stage the sex could not be determined, but later in its life this specimen was identified as a female.

4mm (9 week old) Green Huntsman spiderling, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 9th September 2025. Specimen 2.

4mm (9 week old) Green Huntsman spiderling, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, 9th September 2025. Specimen 3.

5mm (19 week old) juvenile Green Huntsman. 27th November 2025. Specimen 1.

At four and a half months of age the Green Huntsman spiderlings still measured just 5mm, and were growing very slowly. 10 weeks previous to this photo being taken this young specimen was entirely green in colour. After moulting it developed the red spots and red markings on its abdomen that had been present on its siblings since they were just two weeks old.

5mm (19 week old) juvenile Green Huntsman. 27th November 2025. Specimen 2.

Despite some claims to the contrary Micrommata virescens do not have the ability to change their colour. The colour of these young spiders is not affected or influenced by their environment either. All three young spiderlings were collected at the same time, from the same bracken plant. All three specimens showed considerable variation in colour from one another right from the start. Whilst being raised in captivity all three were kept in identical enclosures, with identical surroundings, and fed the exact same diet. One can clearly see that the differences in appearance between these specimens are just a demonstration of the variation in colour that this species can exhibit as a juvenile.

5mm (19 week old) juvenile Green Huntsman. 27th November 2025. Specimen 3.

9mm (25 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 1st January 2026. Specimen 1.

9mm (29 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 26th January 2026. Specimen 1.

In the space of less than 4 weeks, between January 1st and January 26th, this juvenile Green Huntsman changed considerably in colour, from pale green to a pale brown. The abdomen still retained some of the green colouration though.

9mm (29 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 26th January 2026. Specimen 1.

7mm (26 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 11th January 2026. Specimen 3.

At around six months of age, on 11th January 2026, the palpal bulbs became visible on two of the three juvenile Green Huntsman spiders. At this stage two of the juveniles could be confirmed as male specimens. Raising these Micrommata virescens juveniles has confirmed some facts.

1. All newly hatched Green Huntsman spiderlings are entirely green in colour, just like the eggs they came from.

2. After the spiderlings moult and disperse the juvenile Green Huntsman can be found in an array of different shades of green and brown, or a combination of both colours.

3. The colour of the juvenile specimen, whether green or brown, has no correlation to the sex of the young spider.

4. There is no way to differentiate between male and female juvenile specimens until the palpal bulbs of the young males become visible, which is when the spiders reach around 6 months of age.

5. The colour of the spider's environment has no direct effect on the colour of the spider. The young spiders automatically change colour throughout the seasons.

7mm (26 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 11th January 2026. Specimen 3.

7mm (26 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 12th January 2026. Specimen 2.

9mm (28 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 17th February 2026. Specimen 2.

At 30 weeks of age the palpal bulbs of this young male Micrommata virescens are starting to take shape and are quite obvious to the eye.

9mm (28 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 17th February 2026. Specimen 2.

9mm (28 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 11th February 2026. Specimen 2.

9mm (29 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 22nd February 2026. Specimen 3.

At 29 weeks old this juvenile male Micrommata virescens has still retained a hint of green colouration. The feint green can be seen on the sides, and on the dorsal stripe, of the abdomen. As with the other two juvenile specimens the overall colour of the spider is a light tan, with an abundance of tiny red spots.

9mm (29 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman. 22nd February 2026. Specimen 3.

10mm (29 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 26th February 2026. Specimen 1.

At this stage the female was slightly larger than either of her male siblings.

10mm (29 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 26th February 2026. Specimen 1.

11mm (33 week old) juvenile female Green Huntsman. 23rd March 2026. Specimen 1.

exuvia from the 11mm (41 week old) sub-adult female Green Huntsman. 24th May 2026. Specimen 1.

On 24th May 2025 the juvenile female shed its skin. The spider increased slightly size, with a body-length now of around 12mm. It also retained its light tan colouration. From the old exuvia we can see that the spider retained all the tiny white hairs around its eyes, even up until moulted.

10mm (41 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman, Specimen 3, shedding its skin. 28th May 2026.

On the 28th May 2026 this sub-adult male, Specimen 3, shed its skin. The spider seemed to retain its light tan colouration, and the red spots on both its abdomen and its legs.

10mm (41 week old) juvenile male Green Huntsman, Specimen 3, shedding its skin. 28th May 2026.

12mm sub-adult female Green Huntsman, Micrommata virescens. East Sussex. 19th April 2026.

Sites In The UK Where Micrommata virescens Have Been Recorded.

Swinley Forest, Windlesham. Surrey. - LINK

Denge Wood, Kent. (Park in Pennypot Lane and make your way to Bonsai bank)

Wych Cross. Ashdown Forest, East Sussex.

Blean Woods, Kent. (see page 19).

West Blean & Thornton Woods, Canterbury. Kent. 51.33079, 1.09495

Wyre Forest. Worcestershire.

Pinchley Wood, Gloucestershire.

East Wood, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Stoneycroft, not too far from Newsham Park, in Liverpool.

Hothfield Heathlands Nature Reserve, Ashford. Kent.

Yew Tree Farm, Pembury, Tonbridge, Kent.

Bovey Valley Woods, Dartmoor, Devon. (see page 8)

East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot TQ13 9LJ, 50.60374, -3.72414

Bracknell Forest, Berkshire. 51.37142, -0.75434

New Forest National Park, Hampshire. 50.85042, -1.62650

Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, 51°05'01.0"N, 0°00'52.3"E / and at 51.05929, 0.08200 / 51.05923, 0.09232 / 51.05554, 0.08623 / 51.05572, 0.09445 / 51.07660, 0.05281

Boughton Aluph, Ashford TN25 4AP, Lat/Lon: 51.21326, 0.90681

Chartham, Canterbury CT4, 51.2308, 1.01506 / 51.23079, 1.01503

Surrey Heath, 51.35401, -0.74208

iNaturalist records for Micrommata virescens - LINK

The SRS map showing the national distribution of Micrommata virescens can be found here.

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Other Green Huntsman Species.

In the UK Micrommata virescens is the only species of Huntsman spider established but there are also two very similar, and closely related Green Huntsman species found in Europe, Micrommata ligurina and Micrommata formosa. Neither of these species are found in the UK, but they are both found in parts of the Mediterranean, southern Europe, North Africa and parts of the Middle-East. There is also another species form the MIcrommata genus found in Turkey, Micrommata biggi. Micrommata biggi is a pale tan colour though and is not known to be found in a green colour.

Micrommata ligurina and Micrommata formosa can both be distinguished from our native Micrommata virescens by the presence of a small black dot near the centre of their carapace (cephalothorax). This black dot is usually pretty obvious but it can on occasion be quite subtle on some specimens.

Like our native Green Huntsman, Micrommata virescens, adult female Micrommata ligurina are usually bright green in colour, with a feint median stripe, but they can also sometimes be found in the light brown colouration that's more typically associated with juvenile specimens. LINK 1. Adult males typically have a brownish-green carapace, and a brownish-grey abdomen. In its native countries Micrommata ligurina is sometimes known as the Green Grass Spider, or the Green Prairie Spider.

Micrommata formosa, sometimes known as the Grass Huntsman Spider, often exhibits a dark median line on the dorsal face of the prosoma, which looks like a continuation of the dark abdominal line. This species is quite variable in colour and it's not unusual for Micrommata formosa to remain brown in colour even through to maturity. Micrommata formosa and Micrommata ligurina are both slightly smaller than our native Micrommata virescens, with male Micrommata formosa typically reaching 6.5 - 8mm in body-length and the females typically reaching 9 - 12.5mm. - LINK. Male Micrommata ligurina typically reach 8mm in body-length and the females typically reaching 10mm. - LINK

In parts of Asia, specifically Taiwan, India, Malaysia and Singapore, there are several species of Huntsman spider, from the Ghanthopalystes genus, that can also be found in a variety of colours, including bright green: LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 LINK 4

Accidental Imports

Green Huntsman spiders occasionally arrive in the UK as accidental stowaways, usually hidden amidst imported fresh produce or plants from Europe. These accidental imports are nearly always the non-native Micrommata ligurina, rather than our native Micrommata virescens. There are a couple of reasons for this. The UK imports significantly more of its salad and fresh produce from Southern Europe than it does from Northern European, particularly from Spain and the Mediterranean regions. This is especially true during winter and spring months. Micrommata virescens has a more northerly distribution than Micrommata ligurina. Micrommata ligurina is primarily found in the warmer Mediterranean/ regions, where we source more of our fresh produce from. Our native Micrommata virescens is found across the Palearctic, including Northern Europe and Britain. Micrommata virescens also seems to have more specific habitat requirements than Micrommata ligurina. Micrommata virescens tends to favour slightly cooler and damper areas than Micrommata ligurina, and is usually encountered in grass meadows and woodland edges. As such Micrommata ligurina is far more likely to be found at sites in Europe where fresh produce is being grown.

One such example of Micrommata ligurina turning up in the UK was on the outside of a residential house in Sidmouth, Devon, on February 14th 2023. - LINK.

Micrommata ligurina turned up near a garden centre in SW London, on 22nd March 2022. - LINK.

An adult female Micrommata ligurina turned up in Wales on 29th March 2023. The Huntsman was found inside a bag of mixed fruit, containing strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, grown in Mexico and Portugal. - LINK.

On 25th December 2025 a sub-adult female Micrommata ligurina turned up in the UK, hidden within the leaves of an imported lettuce from France. This spider had survived for 10 days in the refrigerator, before being released into the person's garden. - LINK.

On 23rd February an adult female Micrommata ligurina turned up in Hartlepool, hidden within imported strawberries from Italy. - LINK

Female Micrommata ligurina and female Micrommata virescens comparison.

10mm female Micrommata ligurina

10mm female, non-native, accidental import, Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 5th February 2026.

This female Green Huntsman was one of two specimens that suddenly appeared in a green grocer's store in West Yorkshire. This specimen was captured by the finder, Katie Samuelson, and photos were shared on Facebook's British Spider ID Group. I then identified the spider as a Green Huntsman, and warned that it was probably the non-native species Micrommata ligurina. Katie then very kindly agreed to send the spider to me so it could be photographed and formally identified. Once this spider arrived with me I was immediately able to identify it as the non-native Micrommata ligurina, rather than our native Green Huntsman, Micrommata virescens. As a non-native specimen this spider could not be released into the wild and had to remain in captivity. This specimen has arrived with a minor injury unfortunately. It appears to have a missing pedipalp. It's fairly common for spiders to have missing limbs though. With spring starting slightly earlier in the Mediterranean than it does in the UK Micrommata ligurina specimens mature earlier than our native Micrommata virescens do in the UK. Therefore at this stage it's unclear whether this specimen is mature or still a sub-adult. If this specimen this female Micrommata ligurina is a sub-adult specimen then it should be able to regenerate the missing limb once it next moults and sheds its old exoskeleton. - LINK 1 LINK 2

10mm female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 5th February 2026.

There are a few obvious differences between this non-native Micrommata ligurina specimen and our native Micrommata virescens. The first and most obvious feature is the presence of the dark black spot on the carapace. This dark spot is the most reliable key feature and it is not found on our native Micrommata virescens. The second feature I noticed is the colour. This sub-adult female Micrommata ligurina is not as brightly coloured as our vivid green Micrommata virescens. The colour of this immature female Micrommata ligurina specimen is very similar to the dull green colouration of our native mature male Micrommata virescens. It is possible that this colouration is purely seasonal but I suspect that Micrommata ligurina probably doesn't get as vividly green in colour as our native Micrommata virescens, even in the spring. The last notable feature is the eyes. Our native Micrommata virescens has a circle of bright white hairs around each of the eyes. Whilst there are white hairs around some of the eyes on this Micrommata ligurina they are not nearly as numerous as those present on all the Micrommata virescens specimens that I have ever seen. This Micrommata ligurina also has some black colouration around the base of its eyes, which is not seen on Micrommata virescens. This black colouration around the eyes, and the reduced number of bright white hairs around the eyes, is something I have noticed on a minority of Micrommata ligurina specimens. The majority of Micrommata ligurina specimens lack this black colouration and have white eye-hairs similar to those found on Micrommata virescens. Whilst this is not a reliable feature, when trying to identify the species, it can help to eliminate Micrommata virescens if these black markings are present.

10mm female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 6th February 2026.

10mm female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 17th February 2026.

10mm female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 16th March 2026.

At this stage the female Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina, had become considerably darker in shade, and duller in colour. The ends of her legs had become especially dark. The Micrommata ligurina had also stopped feeding. When flies were placed in her enclosure, and they wandered within striking range, she didn't pounce on, them as she would usually do, but instead she pushed them away with her legs. I hoped that this meant she was about to shed her skin, and have her final moult prior to reaching maturity. I was looking forward to seeing if she managed to fully regenerate her missing pedipalp.

10mm female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 16th March 2026.

It's interesting to note that this Green Huntsman has slowly been losing all the white hairs, that usually surround its eyes, since being in my care. By this stage the spider has almost completely lost all these hairs.

11mm sub-adult female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 17th March 2026.

As I suspected this Green Huntsman shed its skin within 24 hours of the last photos I took of it. It surprised me to find out that the spider was still not fully mature. It now displayed a bright green colour, similar to that of our native Micrommata virescens. And just like our native Micrommata virescens this Micrommata ligurina now had an abundance of bright white hairs surrounding all its eyes. It was pleasing to see that this sub-adult female Micrommata ligurina now had managed to regenerate its missing pedipalp, almost to the same size as the other pedipalp.

11mm sub-adult female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 17th March 2026.

Female Micrommata ligurina's old cast off exuvia, after moulting.17th March 2026.

As the exoskeleton of Micrommata ligurina starts to age they seem to lose the majority of the small white hairs that encircle their eyes. Many of those remaining hairs tend to turn black in colour. The old exoskeleton shows none of these hairs around its eyes, making it particularly unfamiliar to anyone trying to identify it. The freshly sloughed adult female once again has an abundance of these white hairs around her eyes, on her new skin. It seems Micrommata virescens tend to retain these white hairs even as their old skin ages, and don't lose them, or nearly as many of them, as Micrommata ligurina seem to do. This is one of the things that I'm currently investigating.

Ventral side of the sub-adult female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 17th March 2026.

11mm sub-adult female, non-native Green Huntsman, Micrommata ligurina. 23rd March 2026.

Female Micrommata ligurina's old cast off exuvia, after moulting.21st April 2026.

On 21st April 2026 the female Micrommata ligurina shed its skin once again. This female Green Huntsman was now a fully mature adult. A quick measurement of the spider revealed that it hadn't grown in size from the last time it moulted, and was still exactly 11mm in body-length. Once fully mature this female Micrommata ligurina wasn't quite as bright green in shade as it had been during its previous sub-adult phase. It was interesting to note that not only are the adult females entirely green in colour but this Micrommata ligurina was also bright green throughout both of the preceding immature stages too. Another interesting observation was the complete presence of all the white hairs, that surround each of the eight eyes, on the final exuvia, which were totally absent on the previous exuvia.

Left: immature female Micrommata ligurina. Right: newly matured female Micrommata ligurina.

Sub-adult female Micrommata ligurina can be pretty much indistinguishable from adult Micrommata ligurina during their last two immature stages. Very close inspection may reveal very subtle differences, if you're extremely familiar with this species, such as a very slightly longer head shape, and sometimes slight colour variations of the abdomen. Such differences are typically so subtle though that even to experts they're not totally reliable to determine whether a specimen is mature or not. Once a female Micrommata ligurina reaches the stage where she is bright green in colour the only accurate way to determine whether the specimen is fully mature or not is to inspect the ventral side of the spider. With all true spiders the female's reproductive organ, known as the epigyne, only starts to develop as the spider approaches maturity. It is only after her final moult that the newly, fully developed epigyne if visible. In the case of Micrommata species the epigyne is large, broad, and easily visible.

An adult female spider's epigyne differs from one species to another, even within the same genus, and inspection of the epigyne is the most accurate way to identify a specimen to species level. Unfortunately some species, such as the Black Widow spiders, in the Latrodectus genus, require dissection in order to fully view the tiny variations of the epigyne, that are present between different Latrodectus species. Similarly a male spider's reproductive organs, which are located at the tips of their pedipalps, are also unique in shape and design to each species, and are also the best way to identify a specimen to species level. Usually inspection of the epigyne, to accurately determine a species, requires a microscope, or a very powerful lens, but separating our native Green Huntsman, Micrommata virescens, from the non-native Micrommata ligurina is much simpler. The epigyne of our native Micrommata virescens is completely black in colour and can easily be distinguished from that of Micrommata ligurina, just by viewing with the naked eye, even in the field.

Close-up of the adult female Micrommata ligurina's epigyne, 2 days after maturing.

Just a few days after her final moult the epigyne was noticeably darker in shade. In contrast the ventral surface of the female's abdomen, especially the front half, became notably paler in shade. The hairs on the front half of the abdomen became almost white in colour.

11mm adult female Micrommata ligurina. 23rd April 2026.

11mm adult female Micrommata ligurina. 23rd April 2026

Photographs were taken using: Canon 7D mkII camera, Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro lens with Raynox 250 attachment.

& OM System OM-1 mkii camera, OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F/3.5 Macro IS PRO Lens, Godox V860iii flash & AK OM-90 Pro diffuser.

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