Herpetologists usually appreciate large or interesting venomous invertebrates almost as much as their own study animals. In Greece we found spiders and centipedes but surprisingly no scorpions.
Spiders
Lycosidae:
Lycosa singoriensis - Wolf spider
A large female wolf spider (Lycosa singoriensis) found in a burrow with her cocoon near a pond north of Loutrós.
Wolf spider,
Lycosa singoriensis from north of Loutrós, above - burrow, below with cocoon
Salticidae:
Philaeus chrysops - Beautiful jumping spider
A brighly coloured male Beautiful jumping spider (Philaeus chrysops) found on the rocks of the flood-retention dykes south of Loutrós.
Beautiful jumping spider,
Philaeus chrysops from the river near Loutrós
Theriidae:
Steatoda paykulliana - False widow spider
False widow spiders (genus Steatoda) are often mistaken for Black widow spiders (Latrodectus) but they are much less dangerous. We found a specimen in the grasslands north of Loutrós. S. paykulliana is considered one of the more dangerous of the false widows.
False widow spider,
Steatoda sp. north of Loutrós (photos above Mark O'Shea, below Dave Richards)
Centipedes
Scolopendridae:
Scolopendra cingulata - Megarian banded centipede
We found this species in Spain in 2011 and believed the red-headed centipedes found in Thrace to be the same species, but a different colour morph. Whilst not likely to deliver a lethal bite
Megarian banded centipede,
Scolopendra cingulata Greek specimen
(photos: Dave Richards)
Megarian banded centipede,
Scolopendra cingulata Spanish specimen (photos: Mark O'Shea)
