Help me ID this Australian Stowaway.

[Wolfram1]

This spder caused a little media panik when it arrived in some tennis-cargo from the land down under. Friends of mine drove there and picked it up.

Initially:

After hydration:


I am not very well versed with ID-ing true spiders, so i was hoping you guys might be able to help out.

 

[HooahArmy]

I can't quite guarantee that it is one, but the abdomen shape, flat carapace, and pedipalp size causes me to think of the huntsman spiders I've seen around.

Huntsman spider - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wolfram1]

Yes, and it should be from a species that hails from Melbourne, Victoria.

edit:
Best guess so far:
Delena cancerides, also known as the "Avondale Spider" were it was introduced, or the "Social Huntsman", but it is far from certain and any input would be welcome.

@RezonantVoid , perhaps you can help out here, though i am unsure if you are as familiar with Huntsman Spiders as you are with others

 

[ThemantismanofPA]

looks a lot like Delena cancerides

 

[The Snark]

Delena cancerides

Good call. I think read about them being on the DNA reidentifying-reclassifying list. Maybe a new subspecies or more than one sub. Aus and it's stock of pre-historical critters. 25+ mm. That's right hefty, eh wot, mate?

This spder caused a little media panik when it arrived in some tennis-cargo from the land down under.

Now if only media motivated hysteria was marketable, or better yet an alternative energy source.

 

[Wolfram1]

I think read about them being on the DNA reidentifying-reclassifying list. Maybe a new subspecies or more than one sub.

Oh really? During my casual research i read that they are visually extremly divers, with multible recognized variants or subspecies, but genetically almost identical. Though that might be outdated information. Do you have a link to that list?

In any case i suspected them since the animals comes close to the pictures of that species, including the almost black leg segments at the tips as well as their abundance and history of colonizing new areas through human activity like New Zealand and Tasmania.

I am just watching "Arachnophobia (1990)" since that movie apparently stars the species as well. AYE, great movie so far. Including that spider shaddow sex scene XD.

 

[The Snark]

Do you have a link to that list?

Congratulations on mentioning my present gripe of the moment - searchable electronic histories. With Firefox's history search in a dead heat for last place along side Proboards of which ZenForo's search engine is only a very slight improvement. Since I run around 50 to 100 searches a day not counting following links the chances of finding anything are significantly less than hunting rare cacti on Greenland.
Senckenberg is the likely place to start.

And on the note of Arachnophobia recollections, my moment of clarity was / is delivering a former girlfriend to my buddy in a theater where the movie was being shown. I glanced at the stupidity on the screen a few brief times but most of my attention was on the sheep in the pews genuflecting on command to the contrived bullcrap.
Julie, meet Jim and I'm out of here, I got a 30 mile drive and I'm supposed to go on duty in less than a half hour. - Present memory refreshed, Bob Marley is mixed into that rerun of life. Maybe what I was listen to on the drive. OH! No Woman No Cry! Remorselessly dumping her on Jim! Potted plant, meet slimeologist. Knock yourselves out.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Yes, and it should be from a species that hails from Melbourne, Victoria.

edit:
Best guess so far:
Delena cancerides, also known as the "Avondale Spider" were it was introduced, or the "Social Huntsman", but it is far from certain and any input would be welcome.

@RezonantVoid , perhaps you can help out here, though i am unsure if you are as familiar with Huntsman Spiders as you are with others

100% Delena cancerides, my arch nemesis in the construction industry. I'm ok with a large spider or 2, not 50 5" DLS ones clustered together under cladding

 

[The Snark]

I'm ok with a large spider or 2, not 50 5" DLS ones clustered together under cladding

Wuss. The hilltribe kids around here would have a major party. The big sparassids are their toys and they have several games they play with them.