Brown huntsman spiders identified as fastest spider species based on 2021 research
Consensus Summary
Scientists from the UK and Germany analyzed the speeds of more than 250 spider species, including data from 2021 research by Dr Christofer Clemente, to determine the fastest spider. The brown huntsman spider Heteropoda jugulans reached a top speed of 3.59 m/s, which was recorded for only a fraction of a second, with an average sustained speed of 2 m/s. The study found that medium-sized spiders like the brown huntsman, with a mass of about 1 milligram, were faster than both smaller and much larger species, such as the 51-gram salmon pink bird eater. The research used high-speed cameras and grid paper tracks to measure speeds, incorporating data from 162 directly tested species and 96 from earlier studies. While the brown huntsman was identified as the fastest, scientists noted that other species may yet be faster and that further research is needed to confirm these findings.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The brown huntsman spider (Heteropoda jugulans) has a top speed of 3.59 m/s
- Research analyzed more than 250 spider species, including data from 2021
- Dr Christofer Clemente’s 2021 research on huntsman spiders was used in the new study
- The study involved 162 spider species tested directly and 96 species from earlier research
- The brown huntsman’s speed was measured using high-speed cameras and grid paper tracks
- The 3.59 m/s speed was recorded for only a fraction of a second
- The brown huntsman’s average sustained speed was closer to 2 m/s
- The study was conducted by scientists in the UK and Germany
- The brown huntsman’s mass was about 1 milligram
- The study compared speeds of spiders with masses ranging from 1 milligram to 51 grams
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The brown huntsman’s speed was compared to the Moroccan flic-flac spider’s 1.7 m/s speed
- The Guardian mentions the brown huntsman’s speed as 3.59 m/s (13km/h or 8mph)
- The Guardian notes the study included research supervised by Dr Christofer Clemente at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland
- The Guardian states the brown huntsman is venomous but rarely bites humans, with mild effects if it does
- The ABC article mentions 258 species were studied in the new study, while the Guardian says more than 250
- The ABC notes the study was a preprint published on bioRxiv and yet to be peer-reviewed
- The ABC includes a comparison with the salmon pink bird eater spider, which weighed 51 grams
- The ABC mentions two species of brown huntsman in south-east Queensland: Heteropoda jugulans and Heteropoda cervina
- The ABC states the study analyzed spiders from England, Germany, North America, Europe, and Australia
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian says more than 250 spider species were analyzed, while the ABC says 258 species were studied
- The Guardian mentions the brown huntsman’s speed as 3.59 m/s (13km/h or 8mph), but the ABC does not include the km/h or mph conversion
- The ABC states the study was a preprint on bioRxiv yet to be peer-reviewed, while the Guardian does not mention this detail
Source Articles
The brown huntsman timed as the fastest spider at a top speed of 3.59 m/s – video
Brown huntsman spiders were filmed to measure their speed. The 2021 research has been included in new analysis of the speeds of more than 250 spider species by scientists in the UK and Germany, which concludes the brown huntsman, Heteropoda jugulans, has a top speed of 3.59 m/s, making it the fastest of all spiders measured. The study includes research supervised by Dr Christofer Clemente, an evolutionary biomechanist at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Continue reading...
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