What is a cane spider?

The cane spider, 'Heteropoda venatoria,' is a large, flat-bodied arachnid of the Sparassidae family. The spider is brown with a cream-colored circle at the back and hairy legs reaching a span of up to 5 inches.

The species is found in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana and Texas and across Southeast Asia, Australia and the Caribbean. The spiders are known to inhabit avocado and banana groves, forests and sugar cane fields. In avocado groves, it often hides in tree holes and beneath bark. The nocturnal spider is known for its tendency to stalk prey, as opposed to building a web.